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Eduard Bañez. Handout

ABS-CBN News

Finding true friends is an additional adjustment when one experiences a significant life event, such as a permanent relocation to another country. Priorities shift, schedules get compressed, and people tend to grow pickier about their friends.While people may always use messaging apps to call their friends from far away, nothing matches face-to-face exchanges, talks, and warm hugs when things go difficult.When former Star Magic artist Eduard Bañez left the Philippines many years ago to pursue dreams, one challenge he faced was finding friends whom he can connect to.“You will have a sense of isolation when you first arrive in a new country. You do not know anyone. You don&#x27;t understand their vibe. You do not know what they enjoy. Bilang tao, siyempre, hahanapin mo ‘yung koneksyon,” Bañez told ABS-CBN News.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1779669801951image0 (1).jpeg" style="width:655px" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-dragging" width="655" alt="Difficult to make new friends abroad? Eduard Bañez weighs in"/> Eduard Bañez. Handout </div>Bañez continued, “At mahirap maghanap ng koneksyon. Making friends was difficult for me. Naturally, one of the reasons for that was that I was unfamiliar with the location. I didn&#x27;t know where people in my age group usually go.”Bañez went on to say that people don&#x27;t let new friends into their lives since they already have their core groups, which makes it difficult for them to make new friends in general.“Yes, I connected with individuals when I put myself out there, but that didn&#x27;t imply we were instantly friends. I observed that,” he shared with ABS-CBN News.“Sa buhay natin, mayroon tayong work friends, party friends, pero hindi nangangahulugan na matatawagan natin sila kung may problema tayo. That is why I was so determined to make friends in Los Angeles when I arrived,” he added.Bañez believes in the importance of friendship, which everyone should cultivate.“Mahirap kapag wala kang friends, lalo na kung nasa abroad ka. Kailangan natin ng kaibigan. Sila kasi ‘yung magga-guide sa ’yo sa pag-navigate ng mga bagay-bagay na hindi mo alam sa lugar na ‘yun,” he said.Saying that friendship shouldn&#x27;t be based on race, he continued, “I came to the realization that people come at the proper time and place throughout my early years of making friends. Genuine connection doesn&#x27;t have to be forced. It astonished me that I could make friends with individuals from different cultures.”“As long as the heart is there, friends can be made despite cultural differences. Marami kang matututunan sa kanila,” he added.Bañez also stressed the importance of participating in the Filipino community in order to maintain one&#x27;s identity.“At, siyempre, huwag kalilimutan ang Filipino community. Kahit na nakapag-adjust ka na at naka-adapt ka na, kailangan mo pa ring pakinggan ang kuwento ng kapwa mo Pilipino sa Amerika. Ask about their well-being, whether their jobs are going well, whether they are being treated appropriately, and other things,” he pointed out.Despite acknowledging that it becomes more difficult to make new relationships after the age of 30, Bañez maintains that people are interconnected. Sincere people will genuinely become friends at the appropriate moment, not sooner than one might think.

When former Star Magic artist Eduard Bañez left the Philippines many years ago to pursue dreams, one challenge he faced was finding friends whom he can connect to.

When former Star Magic artist Eduard Bañez left the Philippines many years ago to pursue dreams, one challenge he faced was finding friends whom he can connect to.

Difficult to make new friends abroad? Eduard Bañez weighs in

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Difficult to make new friends abroad? Eduard Bañez weighs in

ABS-CBN News

Published May 25, 2026 07:14 PM PHT

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Eduard Bañez

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