Maris Racal happy for ex-BF Rico Blanco as he gets first acting plum

Maris Racal said she is happy for her ex-boyfriend Rico Blanco after he won his first acting award at the 9th Eddy Awards (The Eddys) by the Society of Philippines Entertainment Editors’ (SPEEd) on Sunday night, July 5, in Pasay City.

The occasion also marked the first time that the ex-couple met in public following their breakup in July 2024.

Racal was proclaimed Best Actress for her coming-of-age movie “Sunshine,” while Blanco was Best Supporting Actor for “Manila’s Finest,” tying with Will Ashley of “Bar Boys: After School.”

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In accepting his award, the former Rivermaya vocalist became emotional, saying this was the first time for him to win an acting award.

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Blanco also thanked the production studio that produced “Manila’s Finest,” as well as fellow actors Piolo Pascual and Enrique Gil.

“It’s my first time to be nominated in the film industry. So this means a lot to me. Bago lang po ako dito and yet… na-nominate pa lang masaya na ako, tapos nanalo pa po. Maraming salamat po!” he said in his acceptance speech.

Sought for her reaction, Racal said she is happy for Blanco for receiving his award, adding that acting has been one of his aspirations.

“I’m very happy for him. Nakakatuwa dahil matagal na niyang gusto umarte. And now he has an award for it. I am genuinely happy for him,” she said.

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Racal and Blanco were together for five years, but it was only in June 2021 that they made their relationship public.

In July 2024, at the Star Magic Spotlight press conference, Racal confirmed longstanding rumors that she and the OPM icon have parted ways.

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Though the actress claimed that there was no third party involved in their split, she would later that year become entangled in a romance with co-actor Anthony Jennings, who was then in a serious relationship with content creator Jamela Villanueva.

The scandal, however, failed to stop Racal’s rise to stardom, as more projects came her way, including the critically acclaimed “Sunshine,” which won awards here and abroad. /edv

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