“You must learn how to love yourself first”: Kira Balinger on the importance of self-love
Apart from the mystery surrounding Ana (Janine Gutierrez) and Ben (Jericho Rosales)’s relationship in “The Loyalty Game: Level Up,” another mystery unfolds as one of the loyalty testers, Angel Lucto (Kira Balinger), suddenly disappears without a trace.
As the story progresses, details surrounding her disappearance gradually come to light. Among these is Bridgette (Elisse Joson)’s role in helping Angel hide from her abusive boyfriend, Eric (Ivan Carapiet). Despite the abuse, Angel struggles to escape and let go of Eric because of the deep love she still has for him, even as their relationship continues to take an emotional toll on her.
While her character remains torn by her feelings for Eric, Kira shares her own perspective on love and second chances in “The Loyalty Session,” a sit-down discussion featuring her fellow “The Loyalty Game: Level Up” stars Janine, Elisse, Carmina Villarroel (Imelda), Yen Santos (Diane), Sofia Andres (Beth), and Maika Rivera (Carlota).
Asked whether she could still love someone after being betrayed, Kira firmly answered, “Yes,” although she noted that it would depend on the gravity of the offense. “Kasi kung talagang malala, I think let go [of the person] na,” she said.
When it comes to second chances, Kira believes everyone deserves another opportunity, but only to a certain extent. She pointed out that continuously forgiving someone who repeatedly breaks your trust can do more harm than good to a relationship.
With much of Angel’s fate still hanging in the balance, Kira was unable to name which character in “The Loyalty Game: Level Up” she would warn her younger self about. She explained that Angel’s story has yet to fully unfold, as the loyalty tester remains missing following the chaos surrounding her previous client.
“’Yung character ko is hindi pa gaano ka-deep ‘yung knowledge niya about ‘yung ibang characters. Wala pang gaanong interaction sa ngayon,” Kira quipped, before teasing viewers to stay tuned for what lies ahead for Angel.
Reflecting on the lessons she hopes viewers will take away from “The Loyalty Game: Level Up,” Kira emphasized the importance of self-love. “To be able to love somebody nang buong buo, you must learn how to love yourself first,” she said.
She ended her answer with a reminder that choosing yourself sometimes means knowing when to walk away. “Maybe if loving yourself means having to let go at some point, you have to have the courage to do that too,” she added.
Find out the secrets behind Angel’s disappearance in the expanded story of “The Loyalty Game: Level Up,” weekdays 9:30 PM on ABS-CBN sa ALLTV2, Kapamilya Channel, TV5, A2Z and Kapamilya Online Live (KOL) on Facebook and YouTube. The series will also be available on TFC, while iWant viewers can stream episodes seven days ahead of their television airing.