Galanza, Wong reveal early struggles in relationship

When volleyball stars Jema Galanza and Deanna Wong went public with their relationship, fans could not help but gush over their show of affection.

Their openness on social media about their blossoming relationship, though, also drew detractors. And that, the couple admits, proved to be one of the early hurdles they needed to overcome.

“Sobrang hirap magkaroon ng jowa na katulad ni Deanna Wong,” said Galanza of her relationship with the Ateneo ace setter.

(It’s hard to have a partner like Deanna Wong.)

“Parang minsan, ayaw ko nang mag-out kami,” Galanza shared in Tiebreaker Times’ So She Did vodcast. “Siyempre gusto lang namin mabuhay nang free kami, nagagawa namin ‘yung gusto namin pero bigla na lang kami may maririnig na [negative].”

(Sometimes, I don’t want us to be open about our relationship. But of course, we just want to live freely and do the things we like, yet people still say negative things about us.)

The couple first sparked romance rumors when they figured in a heated stare down during a UAAP Season 80 clash between Galanza’s Adamson Lady Falcons and Wong’s Ateneo Lady Eagles.

What was just a competitive gaze turned into something more.

They crossed paths again in the 2018 Premier Volleyball League Open Conference, where their on-court antics pumped the crowd whenever Galanza’s club team Creamline and Ateneo faced.

Galanza, though, recalled how hard the first few months of their relationship were due to the online attacks against her – something she was not used to as a private person. 

As a player for one of the most popular volleyball teams in the country, Wong was well aware of how her presence turned Galanza’s private life around.

“Noong time na ‘di pa kami magkakilala ni Jema, parang tahimik pa buhay niya. So parang noong naging kami, naba-bash siya, bakit daw ganito, bakit daw ganiyan,” Wong said.

(When Jema and I still didn’t know each other, her life was quiet. When we got together, she was bashed for all sorts of reasons.)

“Lagi ko naman sinasabi sa kaniya na hayaan mo na ‘yun kasi ganoon naman ‘yung mga tao, ‘di ba? Para lang may masabi. Basta ‘yung focus niya, kami lang dalawa. I keep on telling her that naman, lagi.”

(I always tell her to dismiss what people say because other people are really like that. They speak for the sake of it. Her focus should be on us. I keep on telling her that, always.)

Wong had her fair share of sacrifices for their relationship, saying she let go of some people for her happiness.

“I had to sacrifice the ones I loved, ‘yung mga tao na andoon sa akin ever since I was a baby kasi iba kasi ‘yung beliefs, iba ‘yung perspective ng mga tao so ‘di natin mapigilan ‘yun,” Wong revealed. 

(I had to sacrifice the ones I loved, the people who were there ever since I was a baby because some people have different beliefs and perspective that we can’t agree on.)

The couple now choose to balance their public and private life, and as much as possible, keep it low-key but happy. – Jillian Velasco/Rappler.com