August 26, 2025 | 12:00am
Kapamilya na ulit si Bela Padilla. Pumirma siya ng kontrata sa Star Magic.
At matagal na raw nila itong pinag-uusapan.
“Yeah, this has been a conversation kasi with Direk Lauren (Dyogi) for a while now, and I’m just looking for the right time. It’s not even just now, eh. Even a few years back,” umpisa niya matapos ang naganap na contract signing na dinaluhan nina ABS-CBN chairman Mark Lopez, ABS-CBN president and CEO Carlo Katigbak, ABS-CBN COO Cory Vidanes, ABS-CBN group CFO Rick Tan, ABS-CBN head of entertainment production and Star Magic head Laurenti Dyogi, and Star Magic manager Deejay Dela Paz with W talent management CEO Pia Campos.
“Direk Lauren and I spoke right after 10,000 Hours came out, and yeah, parang 10 years ago.
“And he was asking what was next for me, ‘cause I think he watched 10,000 Hours, and he saw what happened to 10,000 Hours, and since I was on the writing team of that, I think he was surprised that I started writing already,” pagbibigay niya ng impormasyon sa naging process nang pagbalik niya sa Kapamilya.
“And then I got a few nominations because of that film. So he was asking me what my next step was, and I remember when we were in his office here. But back then, I just said, I want to come back to ABS-CBN,” pagkukuwento pa niya.
Ang 10,000 Hours ay nanalo ng maraming award sa 2013 Metro Manila Film Festival starring Robin Padilla. Co-conceptualized ni Bela ang kuwento nito kasama sina Neil Arce, Boy2 Quizon, at Peter Serrano.
Anyway, going back to her contract signing at kung paano ito nangyari ay : “That was the first step. And then a few months later, I was asked to join a look test with Coco Martin for Ang Probinsyano, and parang, I guess I could say the rest is history for me. It started my Kapamilya journey again,” pagkukuwento pa ni Bella.
At naniniwala siya na iba na ang Star Magic sa kasalukuyan kesa noong nagsisimula siya. “Very different from 2007. Star Magic is now led by Direk Lauren. It was Mr. M (Johnny Manahan) back in 2007, right? So, I feel like the direction of the agency is also quite different, and I have to say it’s very in line with what I do as an artist.
“And also I can’t compare what I could do before to what I can do now because I was 16 back then and I’m 22 now, charot! Joke lang. I’m older now,” sabay tawa niya.
“Actually, sobrang galing ko sa math, pero 22 lang ‘yung age na naaalala ko… but no, I’m definitely different now, also as an artist and as a person. So I feel like this would be a new experience again for me as well,” joke na umpisa ng paliwanag niya patungkol sa inaasahan niya ngayon.
Pakiramdam din daw niya ay umuwi lang siya sa dating tahanan.“I don’t want to forego everybody I worked with also because, you know, parang I’m coming home and I’m working with the same people again, or new people but, like, the same agency again.
“But the people who also helped me along the way that weren’t part of this family also taught me so much. And I’m very grateful for everything I learned in the 15 years that I wasn’t here,” pagbabahagi niya.
Sa ilalim ng kanyang bagong kontrata, inaasahan ni Bela na makakamit niya ang bagong yugto sa kanyang karera kung saan magkakaroon siya ng balanse sa kanyang mga passion. “Alam ko na makukuha ko ‘yung suporta mula sa Star Magic na magpatuloy bumuo ng kwento lalo nitong nakaraang taon mas nag-focus ako sa acting. Mas magkakaroon ng balanse,“ pahayag niya pa.
Bagaman hindi pa napag-uusapan ang kanyang mga magiging proyekto, sinabi ni Bela na kung bibigyan siya ng pagkakataon, nais niyang muling makatrabaho si Coco Martin. Parangap niyang makatrabaho ang mga bestie niyang sina Angelica Panganiban at Kim Chiu — Bekis ang tawag sa grupo nilang tatlo.
Huling seryeng kinabilangan ni Bela ay ang Pamilya Sagrado at patuloy pa rin siyang napapanonood bilang guest co-host sa It’s Showtime.
Noong 2007 ay pinasok ng aktres ang showbiz bilang si Krista Valle na miyembro ng Star Magic Batch 15. “Some of my batchmates were Jessy Mendiola, Max Collins, Sophie Albert, and Jon Avila. Marami kami. We were about 25 when we first launched.
“Yeah, 2007. I was 16 years old, my gosh,” sabay tawa niya.
Lumipat siya sa GMA-7 noong 2010 at doon niya ginamit ang pangalang Bela Padilla.
Naging Viva artist si Bela after GMA 7 at ngayon ay nagbabalik siya sa pinanggalingan.