MANILA, Philippines — Yeng Constantino assured Ryan Bang that he will find love and urged him not to question his worth after the actor-host became emotional on “It’s Showtime.”
“Naku, makakahanap at makakahanap si Ryan. Hindi deserve ni Ryan na questionin niya ang kanyang worth,” Constantino said during a press conference for “The Voice Kids Philippines” on Friday.
(“Oh, Ryan will definitely find someone. He doesn’t have to question his worth.”)
Constantino said she believes he is a kind person whose actions have come from a good place.
“From the way I know Ryan, he is truly a very kind person. It’s not a question of whether he deserves love. Of course, he deserves to be loved, to be cared for and to be seen. He deserves all of that,” she added.
Constantino said she has been praying that Bang meets someone who can appreciate the love he has to give.
“For my part, what I want to do is pray that he meets the person who also deserves what he is capable of giving, because Ryan has such a great capacity to love. He has such a big heart. He really loves very deeply,” she added.
Constantino said people close to Bang have also been praying for him, including members of their team.
“We have already prayed so much for him. Even at Cornerstone, even his handlers, they really send messages in our thread. We’re praying for him,” she continued.
Her remarks came after Bang became emotional on the noontime show and asked Vice Ganda, “Makakahanap kaya ako?” (“Do you think I’ll find someone?”)
Constantino and Bang were romantically linked years ago after he admitted having feelings for her and started courting her. In a 2022 episode of “It’s Showtime,” Bang explained that he stopped pursuing her because he believed she did not feel the same way and felt intimidated by her success.
Their “what if” story resurfaced at the second night of Constantino’s “Biyaheng Bente: 20th Anniversary Concert”, when she stepped offstage to serenade Bang with “Sabihin Mo Na.”
Constantino later acknowledged that she was being playful.
“When I serenaded him at the concert, I was being playful. I didn’t know what the result of my actions would be, and it ended up reopening some wounds.”
She said she regretted not being more mindful of Bang’s feelings.
“I’m really regretful in a way. Of course, when you see that the person was reminded of things that were painful for him, it hurts,” she added.
After the concert, the two exchanged lengthy messages, allowing them to finally discuss things they had not talked about before.
“I apologized to him repeatedly. He was really vulnerable. When I messaged him, I really apologized for triggering some memories,” she said.
Constantino also shared that her husband, musician and worship leader Victor “Yan” Asuncion, had his own lighthearted reaction when she told him about her history with Bang.
“The other day, I told him, ‘You know, love, this is what I felt about Ryan, and this is what he felt.’ Then we watched the video, and my husband teased me even more,” she recalled.
“He’s very realistic about it. We were really young at that time. We were very young,” Constantino said.
Constantino recalled that Bang was about 18 while she was around 21 when their relationship became a “what if.”
She contrasted their youthful experience with her own eventual marriage to Asuncion, saying their relationship came at a time when she was ready to settle down.
“My husband and I also have a very magical story. God brought us together at a time when I was already asking Him for a husband,” she said.
Constantino said she had reached a point when she was openly praying for marriage, and Asuncion proposed after they had been together for several months.
“That was the time he came into my life, when I was really open to getting married. It was really fast. It was about six or eight months, and Yan proposed,” she said.
For Constantino, the difference reinforced her belief that timing plays an important role in relationships. She also had nothing but praise for Bang as he moves forward with his life, particularly his businesses.
“All his businesses are thriving. Grabe, this is amazing,” Constantino said.
She added that she and Asuncion are rooting for Bang to eventually meet the right person.
“Ang gwapo-gwapo ngayon ni Ryan, parang Korean leading man. (Ryan is so handsome now, like a Korean leading man),’” she said.
“The Voice Kids Philippines,” where Constantino joins fellow new coach Gloc-9 and returning coach Julie Anne San Jose, premieres Sept. 15 and airs Sundays at 7 p.m.
