The things we do for love! More than just the surf and sun, Andi Eigenmann has fully embraced the Bisdak life, all because she fell in love with a Siargaonon. In a rare and refreshing moment, the island-living showbiz royalty spoke Bisaya for an entire hour, sharing her love story with Philmar Alipayo and the simple joys of living in Siargao.
Andi’s guesting on "Kuan On One" hosted by Melai Cantiveros gave us a peek into her love-filled journey to Siargao, where the actress-turned-island girl found joy in a simpler life with her partner Philmar. She shared how she traded the Manila spotlight for island bliss and became a Siargaonon at heart.
The quiet island life may seem worlds away from the glitz and chaos of the showbiz limelight she grew up in, but for Andi, Siargao is where her heart has found its true home—in the warmth of its people, the beauty of its shores, and the embrace of her champion surfer partner, Philmar. Andi radiated pure happiness as she shared her love story, one that began with her passion for surfing.
Andi loved surfing with friends, at first, in La Union, which is closer to Manila, but it wasn’t long before Siargao’s charm drew her in. The island’s close-knit surfing community gave her the feeling of living out her childhood dream alongside the right people. She became a frequent visitor and forged deep friendships within the surfing crowd of Siargao—where she also met Philmar. A fan of his sport, she started following him on Instagram. What began as casual exchanges in DMs soon blossomed into friendship and real-life hangouts with their circle of friends. They just clicked, and Andi felt the sincerity of every moment they spent together.
"Ang mga probinsyano, mas simple, mas old school. At mas gusto ko ng ganu'n, mas mafe-feel mo na special," she tells Melai, speaking like a true Siargaonon. She laughed as she remembered Philmar’s sweet gestures during their courtship phase, like climbing coconut trees just to get fresh buko for her because he knew how much she loved it. Their dates weren’t extravagant—surfing in secret spots, fishing, and exploring hidden beaches and rock formations. Simple joys, but for Andi, they were everything.
It might seem surprising for someone who hails from a family of actors, but Andi explains that even her parents, acclaimed thespians Jaclyn Jose and Mark Gil, taught her how to live modestly. It’s no wonder the grounded simplicity of Siargao—and Philmar’s old-fashioned charm—felt like the perfect match for her heart.
Andi felt Philmar’s authenticity even more because he had no clue about her life in Manila. While he knew of her parents, Jaclyn and Mark, he didn’t realize she's their daughter—or that she's a well-known actress at the time.
“'Yung tingin niya sa akin ay isang normal na tao lang. So, kung sino ako, ganu’n lang din siya. Hindi ko kailangang mag-pretend. Binigyan niya ako ng chance na ipakita sa kanya kung sino talaga ako,” shared Andi, who is best known for her iconic roles in Kapamilya teleseryes like "Agua Bendita" and "Galema: Anak ni Zuma."
When asked what she loved most about Philmar, she answered with a smile, "Ang iya kasing-kasing," meaning "his heart." No matter how long they’ve been together, Andi says Philmar’s love and treatment of her hasn’t changed—nor has his affection for their kids, Lilo and Koa, and even Ellie, her daughter with Jake Ejercito. She admires his kindness, his quiet nature, and how he always tries to avoid conflict. In fact, Philmar often reminds her to be mindful of her words so she doesn’t accidentally hurt others. He values peace and calm in their world, a trait that Andi deeply appreciates.
Tired of the competitive world of showbiz, she was drawn to his slow-paced island life and quickly realized she wanted that kind of life for herself. And part of loving Philmar is embracing his roots—becoming Bisdak at heart. Of course, it wasn’t all smooth sailing at first. Andi shared hilarious stories of her early days learning the Siargaonon dialect while Philmar, in turn, struggled with her straight Tagalog.
Andi never expected to find her forever home in Siargao, by the side of her partner, Philmar. She emphasized that there’s nothing wrong with sticking to the fast-paced grind of city life—it’s all about deciding what works best for you. For her, though, a simple island life is truly “maradyaw."
In this second part of the episode, things took a hilarious twist as Andi faced a Bisaya acting challenge that put her Surigaonon-speaking skills to the test. She and Melai had to act out dramatic scenes entirely in Bisaya—but each line of dialogue had to start with the letters spelling out "Kuan On One."
In the first scenario, they had to act like two furious frenemies fighting over the same man. Melai’s over-the-top delivery had Andi cracking up, and when they reached the letter "O," all Melai could muster was an exaggerated, "Oh!"—followed by a comical, "Humanon na nato ni!" (Let’s just end this already!).
Next up was a horror scene, where the duo played pregnant besties trapped in a house with an aswang lurking outside. Melai, the supposed victim, suddenly became the aswang just to keep the plot going, proving that she's the queen of Bisaya improvisation!