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Janice de Belen has no problem working with Priscilla Meirelles: ‘Hindi po kami magkaaway’

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Rhea Manila Santos

<div><img src="" alt="011216-janice_main.jpg" width="400" height="290" align="left" border="0"/>Keeping Janice de Belen busy at the start of the year is the newest Kapamilya soap <i>Be My Lady</i> which premieres on January 18. The 47-year-old actress plays the role of Erich Gonzales&#x27;s OFW mom who becomes a nanny abroad.</div><div><br/></div><div>In the series, Janice ends up working for a Brazilian mom played by Priscilla Meirelles who is making her small screen debut. Priscilla is currently married with a daughter to Janice&#x27;s former husband John Estrada. Janice said things have been professional on the set. &#x27;<i>Hindi po kami magkaaway so parang hindi ko talaga maintindihan kung bakit sobrang big deal sa lahat ng tao that we&#x27;re going to work together. Hindi kami magkaaway. There is no reason for us to be enemies. Actually nung tinanong sa akin ni direk Ruel (Bayani) yan, nung sinabi niya sa akin if it was okay (for me to work with her), sabi ko &#x27;Wala namang problema. Wala namang magiging problema,</i>’&#x27; she explained.</div><div><br/></div><div>Even when she had just accepted the project, Janice admitted she knew that there would be intrigues regarding her and Priscilla working together, especially since they have many scenes together because they each play the mother of the two lead characters Erich Gonzales and Daniel Matsunaga. &#x27;<i>Susmaryosep eh hindi pa nga kami nagtratrabaho natatanong na ako tungkol diyan lalo pa kaya ngayon. Of course alam ko naman yan. Hindi ako masyado ang problema. Actually mas siya, she might feel more uncomfortable. Hindi ako kasi wala naman akong problema at saka ang tagal ko na (sa showbiz). May mas malala pa akong narinig sa ganitong issue di ba (laughs). Baka sa kanya this is all new. But it&#x27;s part of the industry eh. It’s part of what makes it exciting I guess. It makes it exciting pag pinag-uusapan di ba</i>?&#x27; she said during the <i>Be My Lady </i>grand presscon held last January 11 inside the ABS-CBN compound.</div><div><br/></div><div>On their first day working at the <i>Be My Lady</i> set, Janice admitted she would have done what any respectable co-actor would do during an especially difficult scene. &#x27;<i>The first day of work na magkasama kami ni Priscilla siyempre lahat ng tao alam ko nakikiramdam sa amin kung may magsasapakan ba (laughs) or magkakagulo ba and you know I did my best to make her feel comfortable, not because I am there but because it&#x27;s her first time (to work on a soap). As we were working together siyempre nakikita ko na kinakabahan siya. Kahit ako naman kung may ka-eksena ako na kinakabahan at hindi pa sure sa pangyayari walang problema,</i>&#x27; she recalled.</div><div><br/></div><div></div><div><br/></div><div><img src="" alt="011216-janice_main.jpg" width="400" height="290" align="left" border="0"/>Her relationship with her ex-husband had also improved now according to Janice. &#x27;<i>Okay naman kami ni John. Nag-uusap na kami. Hindi na kagaya ng dati. Siguro civil lang. Hindi rin naman kami barkada. Pero okay kami. Pag may kailangan kaming pag-usapan, mag-uusap kami. Meron lang kaming kailangan pag-usapan regarding our kids so pinag-usapan namin. Naging okay na. Let&#x27;s put it this way. I think I am more realistic about our situation. It&#x27;s not a romantic movie. It&#x27;s not like that. It&#x27;s not a fantasy movie. Let&#x27;s be realistic. Naiayos na namin ang mga bagay bagay,</i>&#x27; she shared. </div><div><br/></div><div>But despite being civil to each other, Janice says she is not willing to work with John on a project. &#x27;<i>Hindi pa rin. I would rather not kasi si Priscilla pa nga lang ang kasama ko wala ng tigil ang usapan. Imagine kung magtratrabaho pa kami together (ni John)? So let&#x27;s not complicate things anymore di ba? Tama na yung ganito. Tama na yung kami na lang ni Priscilla yung pinag-uusapan (laughs)</i>,&#x27; she said.</div><div><br/></div><div>At the moment, Janice says her kids and her career are her priority above dating. &#x27;<i>I don&#x27;t even know kung ano na ang dating. Kahit sa mga kaibigan ko pagka sinasabi nila sa akin (about dating) sinasabi ko, &#x27;It just sounds so easy,&#x27;&#x27; she admitted. With her youngest son Yuan still in high school, Janice saidshe does not even mind if her children start dating before her. &#x27;Okay lang yun. Hindi naman ako nakikipag-race sa kanila. I&#x27;ve been there done that so hindi naman ako nakikipag-race. Kung meron eh di meron kung wala eh di wala ganun talaga. I think I have made peace with what I have and with what I do not have in my life. Yan na yung importante</i>,&#x27; she added.</div><div><br/></div><div><i>Be My Lady</i> premieres January 18, Monday and airs weekdays before It&#x27;s Showtime. it stars Daniel Matsunaga, Erich Gonzales, Janice de Belen, Al Tantay, Priscilla Meirelles, Devon Seron, RK Bagatsing, Yayo Aguila, Yves Flores, and Karen Dematera.</div><div><br/></div>