MANILA, Philippines – The breakup of John Lloyd Cruz and Angelica Panganiban was a mostly hushed affair, and Shaina Magdayao said that she didn’t feel the need to express her own view on the matter.

“Dapat wala akong say doon because that’s totally out of my world. Hindi ako nagsasalita sa mga things na hindi ko naman alam to begin with,” Shaina told reporters during the press conference for the second season of Single/Single on Thursday, April 21.

(I don’t think I have to say anything about it because that’s totally out of my world. I don’t comment on things that I don’t know about to begin with.)

Last month, John Lloyd confirmed that he was single again after reports surfaced that he and Angelica had broken up. While he declined to specify the reason, he said that he did not need to “set the record straight.” (READ: Single? John Lloyd Cruz on his relationship status)

Shaina and John Lloyd previously dated and broke up in 2012. (READ: 9 PH celebrity breakups: Where are they now?)

“Mahirap na makisawsaw sa buhay ng ibang tao – the same way I wouldn’t want them to do that to me also. Magkaibang mundo kami ngayon. Magkaibang mundo ang ginagalawan namin, so I wouldn’t want to comment,” Shaina added.

(It’s hard to meddle in other people’s lives – the same way I wouldn’t want them to do that to me. We’re in a totally different worlds. We move in different worlds, so I wouldn’t want to comment.) 

She also said that she and John Lloyd are getting along fine. They worked together last year on the ABS-CBN fantasy drama series, Nathaniel. (READ: John Lloyd Cruz: No issues between me and Shaina Magdayao)

Shaina was also asked to comment on her best friend Bea Alonzo, who, according to an ABS-CBN report, had denied being romantically linked to John Lloyd following the breakup.

She responded, “Dapat pa ba akong mag-react, to begin with? I don’t see my friends now. I don’t think kailangan ko mag-react doon. That’s totally out of the environment kung saan ako gumagalaw ngayon, and it’s actually none of my business.”

(Should I even react about it, to begin with? I don’t see my friends now. I don’t think I need to react to it. That’s totally out of the environment where I move, and it’s actually none of my business.)

Working with Derek Ramsay in My Candidate

Aside from Single/Single, Shaina is also busy promoting the movie My Candidate with Derek Ramsay. For this movie, she said that she went beyond her comfort zones to play her character, Billie.

She said that there’s a challenge in juggling three projects at once. “Mahirap siya, sobrang hirap, kasi ngayon ko na lang kailangan ulit isolate ang sarili ko (It’s very difficult because it’s only now that I have to isolate myself). Like more than a month ko nang hindi nakikita ang mga friends ko (I have not seen my friends in more than a month) – mga non-showbiz friends ko – because I’m working everyday,” Shaina said.

Shaina is also set to appear with Enrique Gil in a film by Paul Soriano called Dukot.

“It was very challenging for me kasi gusto ko ibang-iba yung mapakita and mapanindigan ko naman yung difference ng mga characters na pino-portray ko. And sobrang challenge si Billie sa My Candidate because hindi siya ako at all. She’s boyish, hip-hopper – well, she used to be a drug addict, so makikita niyo na may mga tattoos ako. So it’s totally different from who I am.” 

(It was very challenging for me because I want to lend variety and credence to the different characters that I portray. It was very challenging to do Billie in My Candidate because I’m totally unlike her. She’s boyish, a hip-hopper – well, she used to be a drug addict, so you’ll see that I’ll have tattoos. So it’s totally different from who I am.)

Shaina said that she was grateful to have director Quark Henares at the helm, and also for the opportunity to work with Derek.

Shaina said of the filmmaker: “He was very supportive. Siya yung ginawa kong hip-hop peg kasi nga sinabi ko, ‘Direk, sa ASAP nga hindi ako nag-hihip-hop eh.’ Pinag-rap nila ako [sa pelikula].'”

(He was my hip-hop peg because I told him ‘Direk, in ASAP, I haven’t done hip-hop.’ Then, they made me rap [in the movie].)

“So it was really hard, but at the same time […] fulfilling siya kasi tinulungan nila ako (because they helped me),” she said. “It was also my first time to work with Derek Ramsay na parang refreshing because he comes from another network.”

In My Candidate, Derek plays Sonny Suarez, a member of a political family and a congressman running for senator. He wants to continue the legacy of his ailing father, played by Tirso Cruz III. For him to be more appealing and charismatic, his staff hires a young communications coach, Billie.

My Candidate, which also stars Iza Calzado, hits cinemas on May 11. – Rappler.com