BELA Padilla believes love doesn’t always come in the form people expect.
“I don’t feel like I’m lacking right now,” she said after signing a network and management contract with ABS-CBN and Star Magic on Aug. 25.
“I have so much stuff I’m doing and more stuff I want to do. That’s also one of my reasons for coming back. When I do something, I have to do it 500 percent. Because they’re promising something to me, I want to promise something back to them.”
Bela admitted that while she isn’t in a relationship, she still feels “full of love.” She explained that fulfillment comes from her work, the people around her, and the commitments she is ready to take on.
She shared that she had known “for months” that she would be rejoining the Kapamilya fold. Conversations with Star Magic head Lauren Dyogi had been ongoing for years, but she waited until she was ready to fully commit.
“I’ve known for a while that I would enter this world again and come home fully,” she said. “I don’t want to commit to people here who take their jobs seriously and be here half-heartedly.”
Her return feels different this time. She compared her early years in Star Magic as part of 2008’s batch 15, when she was still a teenager under the guidance of Mr. M (Johnny Manahan), to today’s agency led by Dyogi.
“I’m definitely different now as an artist and as a person,” she said. “This will be a new experience again for me.”
Bela said she admires the professionalism she sees in Kapamilya artists.
“When you get to set and you work with a Star Magic artist, they always bring their A-game,” she said. “That’s also how I’ve been in the last 18 years, so I feel like I align with them quite well.”
Her return also highlights how much she has grown beyond acting. She has written acclaimed projects like 10,000 Hours and directed her first feature film, 366.
More than career milestones, she cherishes moments when her work connects with audiences in unexpected ways. She recalled one comment on her 2017 film Last Night, where a viewer shared that watching the movie stopped her from ending her life.
“If you do something that has an effect like that, it definitely makes you feel better,” Bella said. “It also validates your work.”
Fans can expect to see more of her soon. Bella is set to star in 100 Awit Para Kay Stella, opening Sept. 10, and is currently filming a new project with Carlo Aquino.
She hinted she remains open to guest appearances on future Kapamilya shows, even a reunion with former FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano co-star Coco Martin, but is focused for now on her new commitments.
Through it all, Bela stressed she isn’t searching for something she doesn’t have. For her, the real story is that she feels whole—personally and professionally.
“I still feel like I’m so full of love,” she said, smiling.
