‘The Art of Breaking Up’ Cast Members Get Candid About Their Own Heartbreak Experiences

I guess we can say that heartbreak has indeed been part of everyone’s lives, especially the kind that comes with love.

This idea takes center stage in the upcoming theatrical production “The Art of Breaking Up,“ presented by ABS-CBN Teatro Kapamilya and the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA).

Directed by Dudz Teraña, the play is adapted from George de Jesus III’s Kung Paano Maghiwalay. It explores the many ways people navigate the end of a relationship—from holding on and falling apart to finally finding the courage to let go.

Bringing these stories to life is a powerhouse ensemble of theater veterans and familiar names from the mainstream entertainment industry.

The cast features Jake Cuenca, Janella Salvador, Jameson Blake, Yen Santos, Nikki Valdez, Bibeth Orteza, Carlitos Siguion-Reyna, Teroy Guzman, Ruby Ruiz, Brent Manalo, JC Alcantara, Anna Luna, Dingdong Bahan, Analain Salvador, Jel Tarun, Yesh Burce, Jude Hinumdum, Meann Espinosa, and AJ Sison. Jarren Garcia and Kolette Madelo are also set to serve as the production’s featured vocalists.

Ahead of the play’s run, Metro sat down with some of its cast members, who opened up about the heartbreaks that left the biggest mark on their lives.

Kicking off our list is former Pinoy Big Brother housemate Brent Manalo, who is set to make his theater debut with “The Art of Breaking Up.” As he takes on his first-ever stage production, Brent also opened up about how he approaches relationships and why he makes sure to give his all whenever he falls in love.

“Ako kasi ‘yung tipo na when I go through breakups, I’m sure na tapos na talaga ako. Wala nang balikan, cause I exhaust myself. I give it my all to the point na parang ‘pag napagod na ako, parang ‘di na ako babalik. And I’m a firm believer of no-contact rule ’cause ‘yun talaga ‘yung best way for me to move on, ‘yung parang ‘di mo na nakikita ‘yung tao, wala kang any sign of them,” he revealed.

When it comes to getting through heartbreak, Brent encouraged others to allow themselves to go through whatever helps them heal, while remembering to find their way back to themselves.

For actress and athlete Analain Salvador, navigating relationships starts with one important reminder: always choose yourself, no matter what happens throughout the course of a romance.

Reflecting on her own experience, Analain admitted that being deeply invested in a relationship once made her lose sight of herself.

“When we’re in a relationship, we tend to lose ourselves. And I think that was my problem. Masyado kong piniling mahalin ‘yung tao na nakalimutan ko na ‘yung sarili ko. So my advice would be before entering a relationship, make sure to know yourself more, or at least 100%, para hindi mo maiwala ‘yung sarili mo,” she reflects.

For another PBB alumna, Kolette Madelo, heartbreak has become an opportunity to learn more about herself. The singer and actress shared that she is now in a place of acceptance, looking back on her recent heartbreak with a better understanding of what it means to love herself.

“Marami akong natutunan, lalo na pagdating sa sarili. Kasi dati parang hindi ko pa alam kung ano ‘yung ‘love yourself’. Kasi ‘pag nagmamahal tayo, ‘di ba, ibibigay naman natin ‘yun sa taong gusto natin. Pero ‘yung natutunan ko, love yourself and ‘wag mong ibababa ‘yung sarili mo dahil mahal mo lang ‘yung tao,” she explained.

For theater veteran Meann Espinosa, one of the things that helped her navigate heartbreak was finding comfort in literature. During that difficult period, she turned to “Cream,” a short story by acclaimed Japanese author Haruki Murakami.

The story gave Meann a different perspective on closure, particularly the realization that no one is necessarily obligated to provide all the answers we seek. From it, she learned to accept that some questions may remain unanswered and that moving forward does not always require closure from another person.

Reflecting on how she eventually found peace with her past, Meann shared that she no longer carries the same heaviness whenever she encounters the people involved. “I no longer feel any heaviness in me whenever I see them. We’d even go out sometimes. Ang sarap lang din sa feeling na wala nang bigat. It’s also because marami akong natutunan from that relationship, kaya mas ‘yun ‘yung pinagtuunan ko ng pansin, the things that I’ve learned from them,” she revealed.

For PBB alum Dingdong Bahan, heartbreak became an unexpected turning point in his life. The actor was previously in a highly publicized relationship with fellow PBB housemate Patrick Ramirez, which came to an end earlier this year. Looking back, Dingdong admitted that the experience changed the way he sees himself and the direction he wants to take moving forward.

Now, he considers the heartbreak a blessing in disguise, especially as he finds himself embracing new opportunities and reconnecting with who he is. “This 2026 really, it’s like a 180 degrees of my life now, and I’m enjoying how I see myself now, with all the opportunities na nasa table ko ngayon. I can say yes, and I can say no, and I’m more reconnected with myself talaga,” he said.

Dingdong also shared that going through heartbreak allowed him to discover a different side of himself. “Ang sarap din ma-heartbroken, dahil you will see a different version of yourself. And at the same time, ‘yung heartbreak kasi, you just sit with it, eh. Hindi mo kailangan ng distractions. Kailangan mo lang malaman kung paano mo i-spend ‘yung time mo with yourself.”

Meanwhile, Janella Salvador took a more personal approach when reflecting on her biggest heartbreak, relating the experience to her journey as a mother. The actress-singer shared that one of the hardest things she has had to come to terms with is not being able to give her son the complete family she once envisioned for him.

“What I learned from it is… I don’t know, as an impulsive person, maybe see the bigger picture. Try to see the bigger picture first before you jump into things next time,” she said.

For Jameson Blake, his biggest heartbreak was made even more difficult by the fact that it was something beyond his control. The unexpected nature of the breakup caught him off guard, making the experience harder to process and requiring him to take more time before he could truly move forward.

Despite how difficult the experience was, Jameson eventually realized that heartbreak can also become an opportunity for personal growth. “But then, those kind of breakups really teach you a lesson, I think. It makes you… it helps you with growth. I mean, it really helps you grow as a person and makes you mature and… I mean, it makes you think maturely in different ways, you know, in different situations din,” he explained.

For Jake Cuenca, one particular heartbreak became a defining experience that taught him valuable lessons about himself. Rather than turning to other people for answers or seeking advice while going through the difficult period, the actor chose to face the experience on his own and allowed himself to process everything that came with it.

Looking back, Jake realized that going through heartbreak helped him better understand himself and, most importantly, taught him the importance of choosing himself.

“I wasn’t looking for advice, or I wasn’t seeking people at that time. So, in that process, it taught me a lot about myself. It really taught me to choose myself at the end of the day. I went through a heartbreak like that, but truly, parang I tell other people na when you’re going through a stage like that, really go through it,” he emphasized.

Lead photos from @superjanella and @brentymanalo