Alden Richards (foreground) hopes his upcoming drama film with Coco Martin (behind) will be part of Metro Manila Film Festival 2024.

Alden Richards values loyalty and “utang na loob.”

So, when asked about the rumored offer to transfer to a “malaking kumpanya,” Alden proclaims: “Diyan po tayo sa GMA until the last day. And Sparkle.”

Also, his close ties to Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto, and Joey de Leon, a.k.a. TVJ—now the main hosts of TV5’s noontime show E.A.T.—might have been the reason why he dilly-dallied about promoting his Metro Manila Film Festival entry A Family Of Two on Eat Bulaga!

But Alden can bend a little.

Earlier, during his Thanksgiving Party at Stardust restobar December 17, 2023, the actor clarified: “Yun nga po yung sinabi ko before, bago pa lang nangyari sa Eat Bulaga! na paglipat sa TV5.

“If I have to do promos with all the shows, siyempre, I will not deprive the project that I’m working with, with the opportunity to promote it to different shows po, especially mga noontime shows natin.”

Meantime, TVJ was not making any case against Alden’s proposed appearance on Eat Bulaga!

Tito Sotto told Gorgy Rula, veteran showbiz reporter and member of the PEP Troika: “Contract star ng GMA si Alden, alangan namang hindi siya mag-promote dun? No problem with that at all.”

Besides, in the case of promoting Alden’s film, Family of Two, the schedule of the lead star, Sharon Cuneta, had to be considered as well.

At the time of the interview, Alden said: “Right now kasi, parang wala pong schedule na napag-agree-han regarding the guesting, kasi ang gusto nga po, dalawa kami ni Sharon lagi na mag-guest.

“So, ako po, naghihintay lang naman ng permission… Inaayos lang po yata yung schedule po. Eventually po, matutuloy po iyan.”

With the Eat Bulaga! guesting up in the air, Alden reaffirmed his loyalty to the show’s original Dabarkads: “ang laki ng natulong po sa akin talaga.”

His erstwhile love team with Maine Mendoza, AlDub, in the original Eat Bulaga, became phenomenal and was a defining moment in his career.

He says: “…My relationship with the Dabarkads po ng Eat Bulaga!, Tito Vic and Joey, still there. And the respect is still there po, di po nawawala iyan.

“I always mean well po sa mga ginagawa ko naman sa buhay po. Ah, hindi po ako para mang-apak o mang-tarnish ng relationship po na nagkaroon po ako sa mga nakatrabaho ko before.”

OFFER TO BE A CO-HOST IN REVAMPED EAT BULAGA!

In June 2023, at the height of the intense noontime show battle, there was tittle-tattle about Alden joining the revamped Eat Bulaga!

Alden denied this at a thanksgiving party: “Wala po. Wala pong ganoong offer.”

Again, he was pressed, “Kung sakaling may mag-push, is it possible na tanggapin mo? O dahil sa respeto sa TVJ, mag-decline ka na lang?”

Alden’s final answer: “Opo. Hindi ko po siya tatanggapin.”

ALDEN ON MMFF 2023 PARADE OF THE STARS

Meanwhile, Alden was on a high after attending the Parade of the Stars on December 16.

He said: “Nakaka-miss! Nakaka-miss, nakaka-miss! Yes, nakaka-miss mabilad sa araw, pagpawisan.”

He was very happy interacting with fans.

“…Talagang dapat lagi natin ginagawa as public figures po…ng mga artista, na ilapit talaga yung sarili namin sa mga supporters and fans.

“Kasi, ano yun, mere presence lang talaga po, okay na sa kanila.

“So, parang, na-miss ko yun.

“Tapos, talagang kahit inabot po kami ng halos four hours na binaybay po namin yung CAMANAVA [Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, and Valenzuela], sulit naman po kasi, I mean, kahit super init, sunblock na lang yun.”

And it seems like he will be a staple figure of MMFF. It has been that way since 2011 up to 2017, with 2014 being the only year he was not part of any entry.

This year was his comeback.

Alden was “absent” from MMFF from 2018 to 2022, partly because of the pandemic.

ALDEN ON MMFF 2024 ENTRY

Come 2024, he and Coco Martin—also a staple figure of MMFF—are cooking up a dramatic film collaboration.

“Yes po, baka po next year, MMFF,” Alden confirmed.

“Yung nga po, since Five Breakups po, all of a sudden talaga yung connection ko with Julia and Coco, parang bigla lang siyang dumating.”

Julia or Jules is Julia Montes, the partner of Coco in real life, was Alden’s leading lady in the blockbuster hit Five Breakups and a Romance.

Alden continued: “Nagulat ako. Sabi ko, ‘Jules, nagugulat ako kay Boss Coco kasi parang ang tagal na niya akong kilala pag nag-uusap kami.’

“As in talagang yung mga payo na ibininigay niya sa akin of course when it comes to producing and directing and acting at the same time.

“Very guided since pinagdaanan na niya, tapos parang na-bring up into the table lang po na, sabi ko, ‘Boss Co, sana!’ Kasi gusto niya po na magkaroon kami ng project together.

“Sabi ko, ‘Sige, Boss, ano na lang natin iyan. I-MMFF na lang natin next year. Game daw siya, sabi niya.”