Shanne Dandan Holds No Pedestal for Love
Written by Faye Allego
Shanne Dandan is for lovers. When talking to her, it feels like you’ve known her forever; almost like a seatmate you never stopped talking to in elementary school and would eventually share school lunches with. In the age of yearning and finding love on a tricky, slippery slope, Dandan possesses a rare trait– she simply loves the way she loves. It’s a privilege to get to connect with artists in the local scene, they’re not to be put on pedestals because the stage itself is level with everyone else most of the time. Talking to them about their artistry can be done anywhere and sounds just like a Facetime call; and that’s exactly how Dandan approached the simplicity of love and how overcomplicating it is bound to happen, but that’s not what love is going to be like forever.
It was almost surprising to learn then, that Shanne Dandan’s introduction to music was anything but intimate. Like many children shone onto the spotlights of stardom, Dandan started her career at around eight years old and at thirteen upon joining ABS-CBN’s very first The Voice Kids with immense pressure, however, she later deflated it through her discovery of passionate writing. She began breaking free from the child-star bubble through connecting with the Manila Sound Era of OPM through the love and help from her grandmother, she then began a series of covers and being invited to collaborate on soundtracks from films such as “My Husband, My Lover”, “Breathe Again”, and later “100 Awit Para Kay Stella”. Dandan then explored the music scene and later released her debut album in 2024, “Kung Iyong Mamarapati”, where she dissects her own vulnerability and relationship with everything emotional.
Her new single, “Labs Kita”, is a tune to look out for this Valentines season, aiming for a more wholesome approach and homage to lovey-dovey OPM ballads, Dandan gracefully converses on her songwriting process and experiences.
**This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
FA: What kinds of music did you grow up listening to, and how did those early influences stay with you?
Shanne Dandan: Growing up, I was really a different person, I wouldn’t really say I was an artist because before I was just being a performer. Since I grew up doing competitive singing then joining singing contests, I thought talaga na, ‘Well, it was a different time naman din before.’ Before, the only way for you to make music – or if you’re a singer, is that you have to join singing contests para ma “discover” ka. So, dinaanan ko yung path na ‘yon, bata pa ako as in! Nag start ako parang mga eight years old? Seven years old? Very young. I got exposed sa industry ng ganong ka aga. Pero music-wise, yung listening ko, na-adapt ko siya sa, syempre, kasama ko sa bahay, yung lola ko, my mom, and my dad. We’re all very musically inclined din, my mom is a singer, lola ko also a singer. So every day we were all listening to music palagi. Lola was always blasting yung radio niya. And yun, I grew up listening to that kind of music, yung pinapakinggan ng lola ko which was music from Pilita Corrales, Cely Bautista, Ella del Rosario… Nakalimutan ko yung channel sa radio, pero parang Sunday radio everyday [laughs] may kaunting religious [themed] podcasts… Pero laging ganon, so growing up, na adapt ko talaga siya and ever since, mahilig talaga ako sa mga lumang bagay. Tapos ayun, na dala ko siya and even nung nagkaroon nakong ng idea and ng c-change na yung environment towards the entertainment industry, meron nang, Instagram, Meron nang YouTube, so mas namotivate ako na “ah okay, ‘di lang pala ito yung tanging ‘way’ ko to become who i want to be!” So then I discovered the magic of songwriting nung siguro 15 ako? 14? Very late bloomer ako kasi up until that point in my life nag j-join parin ako sa mga singing contests, tas may na meet akong mga like-minded people na gusto yung mga bagay na gusto ko, dun ko lang na discover na “Ah I like to write pala” pero before songwriting i really liked writing as a journalist, I was in journalism clubs, and I’m a feature writer pero sa Tagalog/Filipino. Pagsulat ng lathalain! Mahilig ako magsulat ng mga short stories, fantasy, all that! When I discovered songwriting, narealize ko na “ah, may ganito pala, na you can blend your words tapos may melody,” parang nag merge yung dalawang hilig ko which is writing and singing! That’s when I also set boundaries sa family ko, sabi ko ayoko na mag join ng singing contests. Hindi nagustuhan ng mom ko kasi very stage mom talaga yung mom ko– di niya naiintindihan! Sabi niya “Huh? Hindi ‘wag ka diyan” tas nung una, sumasama siya sa mga gigs ko, sa mga bars, and hindi niya maintindihan kasi sanay siya sa mga gigs na ang dami nanonood kasi I used to sing in hotels and events talaga. I would always sing covers lang. So nung nakita niya na ang konti nanonood sakin, ang didilim ng mga bars… pero eventually naging supportive naman siya! Ayun mas naempower ako when I started going to communities that appreciate my craft. But to answer your question, I am very much influenced by my Lola and nag rereflect ‘yun to who I am today and what kind of music I write.
FA: I had a conversation with my friends, and nasabi ko na parang harana na reversed roles yung mga songs mo, kasi with harana, yung audience or yung muse ang highlight kasi sa kanila nadedeclare yung pag-ibig, but with your songwriting, it highlights your own love for your muse.
Shanne Dandan: [Laughs] I feel like nag rereflect din sa craft ko, yung music ko, yung sarili ko! Na I have so much love to give. As in, when you meet my family we are very OA kami, very expressive kami. We always say “I love you,” “ingat ka”, never nawalan ng ganong lambingan sa family ko kaya feeling ko kahit ano gawin ko, okay lang talaga.
FA: When did you realize that you can actually dive into the songwriting world and write your own songs without being under the pressure of childhood stardom or being under the spotlight?
Shanne Dandan: Oh, this is a really good question. Medyo naiiyak na ako… Charot! After joining singing contests, sobrang na drain talaga ako … Syempre hindi alam ng mga bata na work pala yun, may money involved sa ganong industry, akala ko kumakanta lang ako and syempre gusto ko lang mapasaya yung parents ko and family ko ganon. Dati talaga, ayoko maging singer. Introverted ako na bata kaya dati hindi ako natatanggap sa mga auditions for TV kasi wala daw akong personality eh kailangan sa TV na may personality ka or “bibo kid”. So I joined two singing contests on TV, the Voice Kids and sa TV5. Sa TV5 ako naging champion. But after the voice kids, sabi ko ayoko na! Ayoko na kumanta ulit. [laughs] tas nag aral na ako nun, i think was junior in highschool nun. As a kid, I couldn’t understand what losing meant, I got really sad when I got eliminated– not because I wanted to win, but because nadisappoint ko parents ko. So sabi ko “ayoko na, gusto ko na mag aral” and then i pursued journalism at mas naging active ako sa school. After joining that second contest tas nanalo na ako, sabi ko “okay masaya naman siguro yung family ko, so ayoko na. Ayoko na ulit mag ganito.” That’s when I discovered and met indie artists! The very first people that I met from the music scene was sila ate Cherry, Bea Lorenzo, Jellie Villanueva, silang tatlo! Sila ang itinuturing kong mothers, mothers ko sa music ko. They inspired me very much. Minotivate nila ako to sing, to write my own songs and I really got inspired by their own music din lalo na kay ate Jellie– I think we make the same music in the way na may pagka-emotional, storytelling [elements], and also the singing, it’s soulful singing. Tuloy tuloy na after that.
FA: Did you ever talk to your younger self as you grew and realized the person you are now outside of childhood stardom?
Shanne Dandan: I didn’t really do that [talk to my younger self] at that time because I was still a child– I started really connecting with my younger self with my inner child nung eto na, when I made my first album, and parang more on reassurance sya– hala… nakakaiyak [laughs] – I reassured myself na “Hey you’re going to be proud of future me” ganon.
FA: How do you navigate the line between Shanne Dandan the artist and Shanne Dandan the person, and how has reconnecting with your younger self shaped who you are today?
Shanne Dandan: Feeling ko nag evolve talaga ang pagkatao ko in the past few years, when I first started, I felt really connected with myself and then as time goes by medyo nag drift away sya kasi I started focusing on other things tapos nawala yung spark nawala yung passion ko with my own music tapos ngayon, sobrang connected na yung regular self ko outside of gigs and work. My creativity as an artist is also very connected kasi kung dati wala akong drive to write about songs about my internal feelings, lagi lang ako nagsusulat kapag nag kwento yung friend ko about their lovelife and gagawin kong topic yun or inspiration ko sa song tas di ako nakakasulat ng songs about ano talaga na feel ko kaya hirap ako magsulat ng love songs and puro conceptual songs, pero when I started connecting with my inner child and then past ko, accepting that I had a painful past and wala akong magagawa dun and i just chose to be grateful for that because if it weren’t for that, i wouldn’t be where i am today. So when I started setting my mindset sa ganong perspective, bumuhos lahat ng inspiration and mas nakasulat ako ng mas connected na songs and mas “ako” siya. Feeling ko wala talagang difference yung personal artistry ko and yung outside music self ko.
FA: How do you balance being vulnerable in your music while protecting yourself as a person?
Shanne Dandan: Actually, pretty recently din, mas nagiging brave na ako to be very vulnerable sa music ko kasi I stopped thinking about what other people are gonna think about me or these songs. Ito yun eh, ito ang pinagdaanan ko, ito yung gusto kong isulat. I know may mga taong [mararamdaman na] same yung story or may similar experience na makaka connect dun sa songs ko. Yung yung favorite ko rin about releasing music: yung mga taong nag memessage sakin, nag re reach out sakin na “Oh my gosh Shanne, kahit sakin, lahat ng mga stages mo sa buhay ko may narelease kang kanta,” – Very memorable moment, may isang girl na nag message sakin na kunyari may pinagdadaanan siya tas nirelease ko daw yung “Kailan Ba Ako Magiging Masaya?”, nagbreak daw sila ng jowa niya tapos nirelease ko daw yung “Iyakin” di pa daw siya nakaka move on, tapos nirelease ko yung “Di Na Babalik Sayo” naka move on na daw siya, nasama ako sa lahat ng stages ng life niya kahit hindi ko siya kilala. Doon ako kumukuha ng motivation to be more vulnerable and to show more vulnerability. Dati kasi, I was a very vulnerable pero I was sharing too much on the internet at that time, ngayon, I learned how to set boundaries. I learned that when you share too much online, may mga tao nagkakaroon ng parasocial relationship sayo and then may lakas ng loob sila to judge yung life mo and your choices. So now, I only share my vulnerability through music. Yun yung boundaries ko at sobrang na eenjoy ko!
We were all recording [Labs Kita] na and pinakinggan ko yung mix niya, naisip ko ulit na “Ang sweet ko naman, ganto ako mag mahal!”
–Shanne Dandan
FA: Let’s talk about your new track “Labs Kita”, What do you hope listeners take away from this track when they’re navigating their own perspective of love?
Shanne Dandan: Baklaan. Guys, let’s be real.. Charot! [Laughs] I want it to be such a safe space for everyone na nagmamahal. I want to tell everyone that your love is sacred. Your love is supposed to be celebrated. Very straightforward din kasi yung song eh! It’s not really a love song that hides in metaphors, walang ganong! Gusto ko “Matulog ka ng mahimbing tapos pagkagising mo ikikiss kita!” Walang “Aabutin ko lahat ng bituin sayo” hindi! As in, “Good morning, tapos kiss tayo,” ganon! Yung song na yon, Labs Kita, nasulat ko lang siya randomly, nag stay ako dito sa studio, natutulog yung partner ko in the other room, tapos naisip ko, “Hala, sana mahimbing ang tulog niya,” [laughs] tapos kinilig ako dun sa “Hala! Naisip ko yun? Parang ang sweet ko naman!” tapos dun na yung song nag set, then the melody sumunod na, very spontaneous yung songwriting na ginawa ko nung night nayon and then nung we were all recording it na and pinakinggan ko yung mix niya, naisip ko ulit na “ang sweet ko naman, ganto ako mag mahal!” [laughs] and then mas naempower ako kasi nafeel ko that it is a privilege to be loved by me! It’s so healing din, lalo na sa mga people like me who give too much and sobra-sobra talaga mag mahal. Gusto ko lang ireassure mga listeners ko na OKAY LANG! Alam mo yon? As long as you’re giving your all tas masaya ka sa love that you give to other people, that’s okay because in a way that’s also loving yourself. Hindi mo pinupull back yung sarili mo to feel everything, every positive thing. Spread love!
FA: Can you describe moments when singing becomes so emotional that it physically affects you, and how those moments shape your performance?
Shanne Dandan: Umiiyak talaga ako [laughs] maraming beses na nangyari yun, I get really overwhelmed with the situation lalo na yung tour ko for Kung Iyong Mamarapatin, ilang beses ako humagulgol, wala lang, iyakin ako! I am Mercury in Cancer tapos Gemini pa ako… ang dami kong nararamdaman sa buhay… [laughs]
FA: [laughs] GETSSSSSSSSSSS
Shanne Dandan: I just let it flow, pag nafefeel ko yung luha ko, pabagsakin ko siya pero hindi naman yung nakaka overwhelm siya. In a way, I’m grateful for those kinds of emotions na nag flood sakin whenever I sing because that just means na hindi nawawala yung passion ko for singing. Itinuturing kong instrument ko yung voice ko; the way guitarists play their guitars, keyboardists play the piano, yung voice ko ang sinustrum ko, so hindi ko maiiwasan maging emotional, that also just means din na grabe yung love ko for this craft, for voice as an instrument, hindi siya nawala kahit yung start ko medyo rough.
FA: When it comes to songwriting, it’s almost kind of a requirement to pour your heart out on a page or pour your heart out through the sound of a melody. So when it comes to songwriting for you, ano yung mga non-negotiables mo in the songwriting process?
Shanne Dandan: Sa songwriting, wala naman akong rules sa sarili ko, yung process ko kasi is nag sesketch ako sa voice notes– I don’t really play an instrument when I’m writing a song because I don’t want to box myself and limit myself to chords or keys on the piano para maexplore ko yung range ko sa melodies, so I sketch tapos nagkaroon kami ng jam [session] with my band, sila yung nag iinterperate sakin ng chords. Very visual yung isip ko, so the way I describe my ideas– hindi ko masasabi yung “Okay dito is D-flat,” hindi ako ganun eh! More on “gusto ko parang umuulan tapos nabasa ako sa ulan–” parang ganun ako mag describe ng feelings ko! [laughs] And sobrang connected and close kami ng band ko, as in family talaga, so they know what I’m trying to achieve musically, and alam ko pano sila kausapin about it.
FA: Writing with your band is such a good non-negotiable. Nakakapa nila yung pakiramdam mo tapos kaya nilang itranslate yun into music!
Shanne Dandan: Non-negotiable ko si Lui, yung nag p-piano sakin. Non- negotiable ko is yung may bading sa banda. Mas gets nila, mas gets namin [raises eyebrow, laughs] yung mga influences ko which is very Femme talaga. Yun yung non-negotiable ko! [laughs]
I’m surrounded by so many queer people na mahal na mahal ko talaga. Grabe din yung influence nila sa akin. All the queer artists that I listen to are also connected dun sa sinabi ko na non-negotiable ko yung bakla.
-Shanne Dandan
FA: Taking notes for myself…
Shanne Dandan: Can I just say, grabe yung influence ng queer people in my life. Ngayon ko lang din narealize na I’ve been queer my whole life. Iba lang naman din yung panahon dati, so when I opened up to myself and came out to my family, dun ko lang din narealize–pati yung mga friends ko– na alam ko na matagal na. I’m surrounded by so many queer people na mahal na mahal ko talaga. Grabe din yung influence nila sa akin. All the queer artists that I listen to are also connected dun sa sinabi ko na non-negotiable ko yung bakla.
FA: Your aesthetics and fashion styles are also very interconnected with who you are as a person, may pag ka-60s, may pag ka-70s that reflect yung musical upbringings mo, and I also noticed that you wear your hair natural! It’s rare to see an artist embrace their natural curls din kaya it’s so refreshing seeing someone be their authentic self. How did you develop that style?
Shanne Dandan: Matagal na! [laughs] I’m very connected pa rin sa music taste ng lola ko and mga pinakinggan ko nung bata pa ako. Visually, the films I consumed before and the books that I read are all from the 20th century. Sobrang fascinated ako dun sa aesthetic na iyon, nag start siya siguro nung 15 years old ako. Tumblr kid din ako dati! nagkaroon ako ng Tumblr mga 9 years old ako and naalala ko pa yung URL ko pa dati is “Shannederella” kasi love ko yung Cinderella na band…[laughs] Connected talaga yung style ko sa personality ko and sa music ko din kasi very visual ako mag isip, naiimagine ko yung magiging look ko, kasi I’m also a part time stylist. I really like enhancing yung fashion sense ng mga artists, mga musicians like myself and basing it on their personalities and moods. I think I developed that very young because when I was a young teenager naging art director ako for mga iba’t ibang bands before and nag evolve yung creative side ko as I got older.
FA: You mentioned the band Cinderella and your music is very much reminiscent of their songs back then especially with the way you use both tagalog and english in songs. How do you reinterpret classic Filipino pop influences like Cinderella, Didith Reyes, Ella del Rosario and even covering “Boy I love You” by the late Cherie Gil for a modern audience?
Shanne Dandan: I think there’s something about the way they sang their songs from that period of time. Like Yolly Samson from Cinderella, she passed away a very long time ago na, but when you listen to her voice parang ka-call mo lang siya. Sobrang lapit niya sayo kasi her voice really touches your heart. I feel like that touching energy is something that I also want to translate in my music. I reinterpret that energy when I did covers of songs from that era pero namomodernise ko siya in some way but I keep [the old-timey] singing from that era, hindi ko siya iniiba, pineperserve ko siya. I don’t know if this will make sense, pero yung pag ka-feminine ng mga songs nila from that time and the way they write it din. Parang, loving siya okay, pero sa POV ng isang babae, ganon yung gusto ko, yung softness… The Female Gaze!!
FA: What guides your choice when deciding which songs to cover? The feelings the song brings out in you, the way it allows you to explore your voice, do those two things meet?
Shanne Dandan: Wala, kasi requirement siya… Charot! [laughs] Kasi mostly I do covers from movies or OSTs, and lagi nangyayari where kailangan nila ng lumang kanta, ako kaagad ang iniisip nila na ipa cover sa kanta and I guess that’s a compliment kasi gustong gusto ko talaga kumanta ng mga lumang kanta. Sobrang love na love ko kasi as a writer and a literary enthusiast, love na love ko yung usage of Tagalog na sobrang grammatically correct talaga, tulad ng usage of apostrophe then letter Y (‘y), basta ganon! [laughs] Lahat ng natutunan ko when I was still a journalism student, na apply ko parin siya [sa songwriting] Anyway, when it comes to cover song choices that ako mismo pumipili, like with “Boy I Love You”, ako talaga pumili i-cover yun, blessed ako in a way kasi yung label that I’m in, they own most of the songs from the Manila Sound Era of OPM, nasa Vicor Music / Viva Music Group siya.
FA: That’s so cool! May access ka sa buong catalogue.
Shanne Dandan: Yeah! With “Boy I Love You”, favorite song siya ng lola ko so when I was thinking of doing a cover for my album yun ka agad yung song na naisip ko. Sa interpretation naman with that song, kineep ko yung pag ka-lungkot ng kanta pero in a way, nilagyan ko siya ng touch of happy longing from afar, loving from afar.
FA: Do you have any Filipino book recommendations?
Shanne Dandan: Favorite book ko ay kay Lualhati Bautista, “Bata, bata… Pa’no Ka Ginawa?”, Wala akong kinalaman dun sa politics ng book na yon nung binasa ko siya nung bata pa ako pero dun ko na-adapt most of my style in writing.
FA: How important is it to make music that pays homage to the original OPM sound? If so, what makes slow and highly emotional Filipino ballads stand out?
Shanne Dandan: Aside from the fact that I really enjoy that kind of music, I really enjoy performing those songs because it’s preserving Filipino culture. We are very westernised and those songs are also very westernised din pero yung Pinoy essence is still captured lalo na yung mga love songs ng Pinoy. Very hopeless romantic tayo as Filipinos. We describe being in love to someone in a very Filipino way, may pa-kilig-kilig pa [laughs]
Preserving Manila Sound is also important din kasi Manila Sound is a mix of different genres eh so may pop, may jazz, may soul, so yun din ang mga iniisip kong sound whenever may isunusulat akong kanta. It’s all about the heart.
FA: Was there a moment during writing or recording when you surprised yourself emotionally?
Shanne Dandan: Ang dami! [Laughs] Most of the songs na nasusulat ko ngayon is– I didn’t expect myself na magiging ganito ako ka-open sa music ko lalo with “Labs Kita” and yung first album ko. Para talaga akong nakawala sa cage, ganon yung feeling. When I was writing and recording “Kung Iyong Mamarapatin”, my main goal was to reintroduce myself as an artist and as a musician. You’ve seen a different version of me, but ito talaga ako; this is the music I grew up with, ito yung roots ko. But then I released it, and nakikita ko na siya sa Spotify, online, everywhere… Ako yung nagulat sa sarili kong growth na naging ganito ako ka-open… Slay… [laughs] Na-appreciate ko yung sarili ko for being that open and brave to write those songs, lalo na sa kantang “Kailan ba ako magiging masaya?”, When I was writing it I was in a very dark place and iniisip ko noon na secret song lang siya kasi ginawa ko lang siya to express what I was feeling. Pero, sobrang freeing din nung nirelease ko siya. Now, with “Labs Kita”, nainspire kaming lahat to do more and we’re now planning to create a new body of work, I’m so excited!
Feeling ko lahat ng kinds of pagmamahal, whether it’s directed to other people or to yourself, you’re also simultaneously hoping. Kung wala nang hope, asan na yung love? Mag best friend sila!
–Shanne Dandan
FA: A year after the album’s release, how do you now view the person who wrote these songs? Now that you’re in a stage where you can write more freely about your emotions, do you think it’s easier to write about affection or heartbreak?
Shanne Dandan: It depends kung anong phase ka na sa buhay mo, syempre if malungkot ka, mas madali magsulat ng malungkot na kanta. Lately, I find myself writing a lot of love songs. So I guess very in love talaga ako ngayon [laughs] Pero I’m not yet at that point na yung mga songwriters, grabe yung skills nila to re-imagine a very different situation na wala naman sila. But I’m still connected with myself and my emotions when I’m writing. Nowadays, I feel like it’s easier for me to write happier love songs about love and then more about myself – not necessarily about love naman pero my own self-discovery, coming of age, all that. Nasa phase ako sa life na may mga moments na napapaisip ka na “Hala, tumatanda na, there’s bills to pay,” Tas mga moments with your old friends now, but I choose not to dwell on the fact that we’re now growing old; I’m happy that I get to grow old with my friends and with my family and with the one I love. Ang saya lang.
FA: How did your collaboration with Shadiel shape the final sound of “Labs Kita”?
Shanne Dandan: Sobrang amazing, It has always been my dream to collaborate with Shadiel lalo na to record in his studio sa Baguio. I think the place has a lot of impact sa song, kasi Baguio is such a beautiful place ang lamig lamig pa puro nature, so ganon rin maririnig mo sa song. Shadiel has a lot of ideas na hindi ko maisip na ako lang or even my band, it helps a lot with the song if may ibang tenga na nakakarinig that’s outside of the circle of people na kasama mo palagi. Ang laking impact ng ibang ear. With the intro, siya yung nag isip nun. I feel very honored na na ka-work ko siya and him and his team are very down-to-earth and they’re not the type of music producers that have so many criticisms sa mga songs mo, they just let the artist be. They really believe in your craft and don’t try to change it. Sobrang saya.
FA: What was the biggest difference between producing this single and producing your previous album?
Shanne Dandan: Masaya na ako. Kasi Panay iyak lang talaga ako when I was recording my previous album– and not naman sad cries, more on happy cries talaga na “Oh my God, I did this, Oh my gosh natapos na naten”, sobrang na-attach kasi ako with the people na gumawa ng last album ko and also, syempre now. Sa “Labs Kita”, Si Lui parin, Pat, Duo, and Kurt, band ko talaga. The difference siguro is yung vibe ng song. “Labs Kita” is much lighter and happier, ganon din yung vibe namin sa studio, very light energy and chill lang!
FA: What can you say about your other upcoming projects, if you can say anything about it?
Shanne Dandan: I’m very excited for this year, especially kasi yung year na ‘to, is such a ground-breaking moment for me as an artist because I started being more accepting and na discover ko itong whole new side of songwriting. Na pwede pala magaan lang and masaya. Parang nag tatae ako ng kanta [laugs] But yeah! Lalo na sa Valentines, February is going to be a super busy month for us and people invite me to sing at their weddings and I really really love that kasi lagi ako umiiyak, ang cute, kahit kaninong kasal!
FA: Do you think that love can exist without hope?
Shanne Dandan: Feeling ko hindi! There are two sides of hope. When you love someone, they love you back. Syempre, may positive hope na we’re going to grow old together and magiging masaya lang tayo, but then, syempre, madami kayong ipagdadaanan, dadating sa point na mawawalan ka rin ng hope. But it’s all about the perspective and affirmations to yourself na you [and your partner] will get through this. Feeling ko lahat ng kinds of pagmamahal, whether it’s directed to other people or to yourself, you’re also simultaneously hoping. Kung wala nang hope, asan na yung love? Mag best friend sila!