Original content appeared on: ThePulse.ph 

Exclusive: Inside JaDine’s Romance in Greece

As their love team conquers primetime TV, JaDine fall in love with each other all over again while in Greece.

To say the Making MEGA in Greece with JaDine campaign was easy peasy won’t entirely be accurate. The much-awaited campaign took a year or two in the making, and there was plenty of drama along the way. The concept was initially crafted as early as 2014 when Nadine Lustre and her aunt Nona Clemente met Archie Carrasco, the executive vice president of One Mega Group, and Sari V. Yap, the founder of MEGA magazine and CEO of the media company, at an event for Travel Now magazine.

“Nagandahan sila kay Nadine. Nagustuhan siya. So the next meeting naming dalawa ni Archie, ang bilis ng pangyayari. Biglang sabi niya ‘Gusto mong mag-cover si Nadine ng MEGA?’” The next thing they knew, a serious proposal was being hatched. Nona Castillejos Clemente, simply Tita Nona to Nadine, is the first cousin of the young actress’ dad. She’s also been one of Nadine’s strongest supporters and fiercest cheerleaders. To this day, Tita Nona is there staunchly behind Nadine, reveling in her niece’s hard-won success from her simpler beginnings.

It Almost Didn’t Happen

As it turns out, Nadine would be one of the 23 handpicked pretty young things set to grace MEGA magazine’s 23rd anniversary issue for February 2015. “Nung una, kinuha muna si Nadine for MEGA’s 23 girls. And then napansin nila na maraming nagka-gusto nung Nadine cover from that issue. Kaya tinanong na ako ni Archie na solo cover naman for Nadine, pero it will be for the September issue and it will be a documentary na.”

Nona goes on to confide, “Nadine was new that time, kaya it was such an honor talaga. Na-excite ako sa idea so I immediately told her. Sabi ko, ‘Nadz, ready ka? I will push this to VIVA. MEGA kasi is asking kung gusto mong mag-cover for the September issue, and it will be in Greece.’” A very excited ‘Yes, Tita!’ was Nadine’s immediate reply. “She was very excited pero ang biggest concern niya nun is James. Hindi pa sila (together) noon, eh. Sabi niya ‘Paano si James?’ Concern ko rin ‘yun kasi I know that they are partners. Archie suggested that James could be in MEGA Man. So silang dalawa.”

Nona scheduled a meeting between VIVA Artist Agency, which was managing both Nadine’s and James’ careers, and the team of MEGA. “The concept was so well-received by Veronique del Rosario of VIVA that we immediately plotted the schedule. 2014 pa ito, ha.”

But if there’s anything high-octane showbiz schedules can teach us, it’s that the best-laid plans can sometimes go awry. Nona recalls, “But then na-cancel because of conflict of schedule. Because by that time, they were already promoting On The Wings of Love. That was their first teleserye, and we didn’t know if mag-click o hindi. So it was very crucial. Hindi talaga pwedeng pabayaan. Talagang nakakatakot kung iiwan nila if they fly to Greece for MEGA. So kailangan nila mag-promote noon. So that’s the reason. And, naghahabol na sila nun ng episodes kasi e-ere na. So after that, nag-click ‘yung OTWOL so hindi na kami makakuha na ng schedule for MEGA. Wala na talaga. Puno na ‘yung schedule nung dalawa.”

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