Actress Heaven Peralejo is a COVID-19 survivor who definitely learned some lessons from her ordeal. One of these lessons is to take the pandemic seriously.

“Talagang seryoso siya. Siguro dapat i-take ng lahat na serious case,” Peralejo stressed during the online press conference for the finale week of her teleserye “Bagong Umaga” yesterday, April 27.

(It is really serious. Maybe everyone should take the pandemic seriously.)

While recuperating, Peralejo realized that life is indeed short. She also saw the value of the present amid people’s usual preoccupation with the future

“Ano’ng next kong work? Ano kaya ang gagawin ko? Paano kumayod? Pero hindi natin na-appreciate kung ano ang meron tayo ngayon,” she pointed out.

(What would be my next project? What should I do? How can I earn a living? But we don’t appreciate what we have in the present.)

Another thing she realized is how valuable her family is to her.

heaven peralejo ig — Image: Instagram/@heavenperalejo

“It came to the point na mas gusto kong maipakita sa kanila every second of the day na mahal na mahal ko sila. Kasi hindi ko alam, ‘di ba, baka may mangyari na naman na hindi man ako. Ayokong i-take ‘yung risk at ayoko na ring mag-regret,” she said.

(It came to the point where I want to show them all the more that I love them very much, every second of the day. It’s because I don’t know, right? Something might happen again, even if it would not involve me. I don’t want to take the risk and I don’t want to have regrets.)

Peralejo’s condition became critical and she had to be confined in a hospital for seven days. But she was able to recover and do the taping for the finale after she got well.

“Masaya ang puso [ko] kasi nakatapos din ng show,” she said. “Ito ang first show ko.” (My heart is glad because the show is now concluded. This is my first show.)

While she learned a lot as well from playing her character in the teleserye, Peralejo would like to portray roles in horror or action projects in the future.

“Gusto kong mag-explore-explore kung ano pa ang kaya kong gawin at i-push ang limits na ‘yun,” she said. (I want to explore what else I can do and push those limits.)

Watch the finale of “Bagong Umaga” this week on A2Z channel, Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live via its YouTube channel, on the Facebook page of ABS-CBN Entertainment, and through iWantTFC. Outside the Philippines, the show is available on The Filipino Channel. JB

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