The father of Liza Soberano addressed the bashers of his daughter who are calling the actress ungrateful following her “This is Me.” vlog.
On Monday, John Castillo Soberano said that “everybody [blows] everything out of proportion” in response to critics of his daughter’s vlog.
“So sometimes, you have to sit back and relax and rewatch what she said and really understand what she’s saying,” he said in a video uploaded by entertainment journalist MJ Marfori on TikTok.
“Since you guys are all hurt, I’m very sorry for what you guys didn’t understand,” John said in another video uploaded on Marfori’s Instagram account.
His daughter previously opened up about her thoughts and experiences in the showbiz industry as a former Kapamilya talent and how she is now “finally” able to do things for herself as “Hope Soberano.”
Liza in her “This is Me.” vlog on February 26 said that she has “sacrificed” her childhood, freedom, and happiness “to present Liza Soberano to the world.”
“I had always been told what to do, what to wear, what to say and what not to say. I know this was for my own good. It was to protect me and my career, but it was a career that I had no say in. A career that in many ways wasn’t mine,” she added.
Liza said that she was not coming from a place of bitterness or regret.
“In fact, it’s the opposite. It’s a story about growth and gratitude. At 24 years old, I was finally given the choice to decide my own path,” the actress added.
She also mentioned that she stuck with James Reid‘s team since she “loves” how they “respected” her vision and intelligence as she did theirs.
According to her, Careless was the only one that had asked her what she wanted for herself, instead of the other way around.
“I asked them what the plan was for me and they said I don’t know. You tell us. We’re here to support whatever your dreams are. That’s when I knew I had found my team,” Liza said.
Her vlog was released after her former talent manager, Ogie Diaz, shared concern about her current status following her transition.
“Siyempre, nahu-hurt ako bilang former manager na nakakabasa ako ng ‘Ano nang ginagawa ni Liza sa sarili niya? Bakit nag-iiba na siya ng direksyon? Bakit noong nandoon pa siya sa ABS-CBN o kay Ogie Diaz maganda naman o maayos naman ang palakad sa kanya? Bakit nagiging fan na lang ng K-pop si Liza?’ ‘Yung mga ganoon,” he said on February 23.
In response to his former talent’s vlog, Ogie said that he wishes her “good luck” as she treads a new direction in her career.
“Nung naghiwalay tayo bilang manager-talent, sabi ko sa’yo basta may concerns ka, problema o tanong ka, nandito lang palagi ang Tito Ogie mo, maghihintay lang ako ng tawag o text mo,” he said in his February 27 vlog.
“Tandaan mo anak, narating mo ang fame hindi lang sa akin at sa suporta ng Star Magic at ABS-CBN at ng production staff, dahil din ‘yan sa dedication mo sa trabaho,” Ogie added.
“Dahil yan sa’yo, kaya palakpakan mo rin ang sarili mo ha, lahat ng ito, ng narating mo, pinaghirapan mo ‘yan, anak, para bigyan ng magandang buhay ang pamilya mo. Sila ang inspirasyon mo kaya minahal mo rin ang career mo,” he continued.
When Liza uploaded her “This is Me.” vlog, some Filipinos called her out and perceived her to be “ungrateful” to her former network.
“Number 1 fan ako nito, kaso parang nadismaya ako konti… ‘di siya sisikat if ‘di dahil sa management [ng] ABS-CBN at Tito Ogs… pasalamat na lang sana siya na pinasikat siya, pasalamat na lang sana siya na ‘sumikat ako dahil sa kanila,’ sana sinabi niya na lang na ‘gusto ko rin mag-explore nang walang mag-manage… at pasalamat ako sa ABS-CBN at Tito Ogs na sila ang way na sumikat… HAHAIST TSK TSK,” an Instagram user said before.
“Nag-take off ba career ni Liza kung sa ibang genre [siya] nilagay, eh ni hindi nga [siya] makapag-Tagalog [nang] diretso. Lol. IMO [In my opinion], she is a mediocre actress, magaling pa mga Goin’ Bulilit kids. She could have said things better without sounding ungrateful,” a Twitter user said.
“Be a Humble Queen like @bernardokath in this world full of ungrateful Liza Soberano (A management decision regarding her screen name.),” another Pinoy tweeted.
A former Kapamilya head writer who has worked with Liza in some teleseryes before said he wasn’t hurt, but “more excited” for the actress.
“What I got from the vlog was a person trying to figure herself out. To be fair, she’s only ‘starting to dip her toes into writing,'” Mark Duane Angos tweeted.
“I’m actually more excited about what she will become. And I’m rooting for her with all my heart,” he added.
RELATED: Former Kapamilya head writer responds to Liza Soberano’s ‘This is Me’ vlog
New ventures
Liza on February 27 was introduced as a brand ambassador and a chief advocacy officer of the digital banking platform Maya. The latter role will enable her to champion advocacies for financial inclusion with the platform and lead key initiatives.
The actress said that moving forward, she will be more hands-on with her advertisements and projects.
Reports said Liza co-created the banking app’s new marketing campaign seen on their Facebook page.
During her launch as a brand ambassador, Liza reiterated her gratitude to her former Kapamilya colleagues after detailing her career transition in her vlog.
“I’m in constant communication with my Star Magic family. I’ve never lost touch with them,” she said, referring to ABS-CBN’s talent management arm.
“Some of my directors from ABS-CBN who I worked closely with throughout the years, I’ve always been supportive and grateful towards everyone. Thank you to everyone,” Liza added.
