I AM ANDI

In this special Siargao issue, the actress, mother, and entrepreneur served as our tour guide around the island and showed us the way to pure, unbounded happiness

- BAM ABELLON

A long one of the paved pathways in the busiest area in Siargao stands a modern beach house partly covered by a bamboo gate and enlivened by nipa palms on its roof and wooden accents. It’s one of the easiest places to find on this teardrop-shaped island.

This home belongs to actress Andi Eigenmann and her fiancé, professional surfer and entrepreneur Philmar Alipayo. And everyone here knows exactly where bayay ni Andi at Philmar is.

Fame is a familiar concept to Eigenmann. She was born into it, as the daughter of acclaimed thespians Jaclyn Jose and the late Mark Gil. This type of fame, though, doesn’t feel as stifling as the one she had been dealing with since she was around fourteen years old.

“I feel like I wanted to say something deeper or more interesting,” Eigenmann begins to ponder when we ask her how she has been doing.

It’s nearing dawn. And at the end of a whole-day shoot, her disposition is as bright as the rising sun in the beginning of this summer season. If anyone could scour her old interviews, it is likely that one would find a huge and welcome discrepancy. “But, you know what? I’m doing great. That’s it. I’m doing great, and I’m happy to be able to say that. I’m so proud that I can say that.”

ISLAND DREAM

In Eigenmann’s formative years, the idea of taking on different roles in front of cameras was as prosaic as breathing. She has always been made to believe that the only path she could take was performing. It was the end goal. But the more she immersed herself into the entertainment industry, the more she felt the dissonance. She isn’t blaming anyone—let that be made clear. It was simply her adventurous spirit wanting to see what’s beyond the horizon.