Kapamilya young star Francine Diaz admitted on Friday, March 18, that the criticism she received about her body fueled her to be the better version of herself.
It started in 2020, during the hype of the series Kadenang Ginto when Diaz heard about the comments of people regarding her face and physique. Some of her haters called her “siopao face” and even encouraged her to “eat” due to a “malnourished” body.
But instead of letting herself down because of the observation of others, the actress used it as inspiration for her to be fit and healthy.
During the Bola-Bola virtual media conference she explained, “So kahit gaano ako nahirapan sa pagwo-workout dati, ‘yon ang iniisip ko.
Tapos everytime na naririnig ko yun sa utak ko, mas nagwo-workout ako.
“And I think naging good naman yung resulta niya. Kasi I can say na nagiging better version ng sarili ko ever since na ginawa kong motivation ang mga ganoong comments nila about me.”
The series also made her feel what it’s like to be at the receiving end of hateful comments because of being a plus-sized woman. She advised those who experience body shaming not to listen to what others might say because of their body.
“Kasi pampagulo lang ang mga ‘yan eh. Kung okay ka naman sa sarili mo, tanggap mo yung katawan mo, and mahal mo ang self mo, hindi mo kailangang mag-seek ng opinion ng ibang tao.”
As long as a person accepts who they are, there is no need to change to suit someone’s narrative, she said.
“Kasi maco-confuse ka lang diyan eh. Mga pa-epal sila sa mind natin. Kung sa tingin mo walang mali sa’yo, at wala naman talaga pero sinasabi ng mga tao na, ‘Ay dapat mapayat ka, ay dapat ganito ka,’ ‘wag kang makinig sa kanila. Kasi ginugulo nila yung isip mo,” Diaz further stated.
She added, “Yun ang pinakamahirap sa lahat ‘pag nagulo ang isip mo. Kasi diyan ka na rin magkakaroon ng doubt sa self mo, and diyan nawawala ang self-love. So I’d say just focus on yourself and ‘wag mong pakinggan yung mga hindi magagandang sinasabi ng mga tao sa’yo.”
Bola-Bola is about a plus-sized woman who loves eating, eventually trying to make herself look better after falling in love with her older brother’s best friend. It is under the direction of JP Habac and is based on the book by Anna Geronga.
It also stars newbie artists KD Estrada, Akira Morishita, and Ashton Salvador.
The series will be available for streaming on iWantTFC starting March 26.
