Gina Pareño has revealed that she is a member of the LGBTQ community, as she opened up about having a person dear to her who had passed away.
The 75-year-old veteran actress bared her sexuality in an interview with comedian Ogie Diaz posted on Monday, July 18, in the latter’s YouTube channel, who had asked her if she could admit to being part of the LGBTQ community.
To which, Pareño replied while laughing: “Oo, bakit? [May] problema? At saka nagmamahal ako ng tapat.”
The seasoned star’s revelation come as she turned emotional while reminiscing and speaking up about late actress Nenita Vidal, whom she called as “Doktora Bong” and considered as her “lucky charm.”
Pareño stressed that she owed Vidal a huge debt of gratitude, recalling how the late actress taught and educated her, as well as helped her deal with her drug addiction.
“Nasa kwarto ko pa rin ‘yung urn niya. Ang dami kong utang na loob du’n. At saka mabait sa akin. Tinuturan ako, ine-educate niya ‘ko,” she said.
“[T]inuruan niya ‘ko kung paano kumilos, lahat. Tapos ‘yun nga binigay niya sa akin ‘yung naiwan niyang bahay. At saka, alam kong mahal na mahal ako nu’n,” the veteran actress continued while tearing up.
She then jokingly talked about the times when she would often bring the late actress’ urn during filming, adding that while some might think of her as “naloloka,” for her, bringing Vidal around close to her chest was lucky.
Diaz, meanwhile, brought up the depth of her love for Vidal, as he quoted the veteran actress telling him in a previous conversation that she would choose to lose her material possessions just to bring “Doktora Bong” back to her life.
Pareño continued to be moved to tears as she said that if Vidal were alive today, she would give back everything that the late actress left.
When asked by Diaz if her heart was still open to love, the veteran actress answered: “Wala na pack up na ako diyan.”
In addition to coming out as part of the LGBTQ community and opening up about Vidal as a special person in her life, Pareño also stressed her devotion towards acting and how she misses being onscreen, especially since acting jobs have been scarce due to the pandemic.
“Gustong-gusto ko pa hong umarte. Sana makasama ko kayong muli. Sana mabigyan ako ng role,” she appealed.
“Gustong-gusto ko pang nakaka-kita ng camera. At saka ‘yan yung papanoorin ako ng tao. Gutom na gutom ako sa ganu’n hanggang ngayon,” the veteran actress said, adding that she has since turned to TikTok so she could still practice her craft.
Pareño also shared the best lesson she learned while working in the industry — that is, getting along and cherishing those who love and support her.
“Dapat nasa puso mo, mahalin mo ‘yung mga taong itinataguyod ka, nagmahahal sa ‘yo. Kaya dapat maging thankful tayo sa kanila,” the veteran actress said.
“Bihira ho tayo makakita na tapat at mamahalin ka nila. At saka ang dami natin utang na loob sa kanilang mga taga-hanga, kasi pinag-aaksiyahan ka nila ng panahon sa dami ng artista. Kaya wag tayo magmalaki,” she further said.
Pareño recently starred in the films Tililing (2021), Unforgettable (2019), and Hintayan ng Langit (2018). She also appeared in the GMA television series Kara Mia back in 2019.
