Jimmy Alapag explains decision to return to PH with LJ Moreno, family

MANILA — Basketball coach Jimmy Alapag and actress LJ Moreno have returned to the Philippines after six years in the United States, with Alapag saying he did not want his coaching career to come at the expense of time with their four children.

In an interview with Karen Davila on her YouTube vlog, Alapag said that while coaching in the NBA with the Sacramento Kings was an invaluable experience, being away from his family had become increasingly difficult.

“I think doon sa NBA, amazing ‘yung experience. I mean to get an opportunity you’re around the best basketball minds in the game tapos ‘yung  players being around, you know, future Hall of Fame basketball players. Amazing, amazing experience, but for us, especially with our kids… our oldest son’s 13, our daughter’s 11, and then our two younger boys are eight and three, so at that age, we talked about it as a couple, as a family that it’s just as important for me to do what I love, but at the same time, not lose the connection with the kids,” Alapag said.

“And last season, in particular, sobrang hirap pag-alis ko. Every night before nag-aayos ng gamit, our eight year old, iiyak siya, ‘Dad, where are you going?’ It’s a heavy feeling, you know, it’s you love what you do, but how long are you willing to do it if it’s at the expense of your kids? And so we made the decision as a family to come back?,” he added.

In the interview, the couple also shared the challenges they had to face living abroad. 

“I would say two, three years nahirapan ako lalo na ‘yung they say seasonal depression kapag lumalamig. Parang doon ko nami-miss especially lumipat kasi kami COVID. We couldn’t see people, naka-lockdown ganyan. Noong nagbukas sa Philippines tapos nakikita mo sa Instagram lahat nagkikita-kita na, may mga taping na. Doon ako parang ‘gosh kawawa naman ako nandito ako naghuhugas,” said Moreno, who admitted that she misses acting.

“I think I missed it more when I was there, because here parang na-focus ako sa business, I’ll do guestings here and there. But being in the States, parang I missed it more. So sobrang na-excite ako noong pabalik na,” Moreno said.

In the vlog, apart from their experience living abroad, the couple also talked about their faith and their new home where they will start over again.