Jeric Gonzales has confirmed his separation from former Miss Universe Philippines 2020 Rabiya Mateo.
In an interview with Boy Abunda, Jeric admitted that they fought for their relationship to work but chose to let go for their growth.
"Hindi ko mapagkakaila 'yun na ipinaglaban namin but of course there are things na mutually na napagkasunduan din namin na parang kung ipaglalaban natin 'to parang mas mahihirapan tayo pareho. We have to grow," he said.
The actor stressed that their breakup was a mutual decision and they remain friends.
When asked what he would say as a “thank you” to Rabiya, he shared: "Thank you kasi ang dami kong natutunan sa relationship namin and of course, she loved me for who I am, lahat. I mean, sa showbiz, it's very difficult na magkaroon ng relasyon, but lahat inintindi niya 'yun. Malawak siyang tao, si Rabiya. I thank her kasi inilagaan niya ako for those years."
Meanwhile, when asked what he would say as a “sorry,” Jeric expressed: "Sorry kasi sana masamahan ko pa siya ngayon sa lahat ng journey niya, but I'm proud of her and I wish her all the best pa rin sa lahat ng ginagawa niya."
Jeric and Rabiya confirmed their relationship in 2022.
Meanwhile, Rabiya recently revealed that she would be enrolling in medical school to fulfill her dream of becoming a doctor.
"It's a calling and I'm so happy to share this to everybody that I'm gonna go back to med school. And I wanted to become a doctor ever since," she said in an interview with DJ Chacha in her YouTube vlog.
Rabiya graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy from Iloilo Doctors’ College in 2018.
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Beyond achieving a lifelong dream, she shared that her desire to better understand her own mental health also influenced her decision.
"Siguro isa rin sa fact because I really want to understand my situation right now. And aside from that, gusto ko rin makatulong overall," she relayed. "I really wanna use my knowledge to help people."