MANILA -- In his three decades in showbiz, actor Carlo Aquino has worked with a number of leading ladies and co-stars who have been in the industry for a long time.

In his latest project for the big screen, Aquino gets to work for the first time with a screen newcomer, Eisel Serrano, who stars with him in the romantic drama, “Love You Long Time,” with JP Habac at the helm.

“Love You Long Time” is one of the official entries in the 2023 summer Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF), set to be released on April 8.

“Since we shot this back in 2021, lock-in ang shoot namin,” Aquino told ABS-CBN News. “We had a lot of time to bond. Before the shoot, tambay. After the shoot, kwentuhan.

“There were a lot of people guiding Eisel throughout the shoot. All of us supported her.”

Aquino made an effort to build a chemistry with Serrano that helped their characters gel. Some of the people in the production worked with him in the past, so it was a breeze working with them again.

“I’m happy to have gotten this project,” sad the 37-year-old Aquino. “Kailangan kong magtrabaho, May anak na ako.”

He has a daughter, Enola Mithi, with former partner Trina Candaza. The kid is turning three this September.

“I’m thankful for this project,” said Aquino, who will also be seen soon in the Kapamilya teleserye, “Linlang.”

“Siguro nandoon pa rin, kasama ang pagmamahal ko sa industriya. This pandemic, madaming nabigyan ng work. Old and new stars, nabigyan sila ng chance to work again.”

It took the cast and production two weeks to wrap up filming “Love You Long Time” as they had to deal with a number of challenges on the set.

“On my first day of shoot in Baguio, I learned that my aunt died,” Aquino disclosed. “I couldn’t leave because all the permits were issued. Naka-lock-in na kami.”

“There were staff who turned positive while we were shooting,” Serrano added. “There were those who also turned false positive.”

In the movie, Serrano plays Ikay, a romance screenwriter who is full of inspiration and love. Her personality and her character are very strong. However, everything was lost when she experienced her biggest heartbreak. That was the reason she hied off to Baguio.

She meets and falls in love with mysterious guy from her past through an old, push-to-talk phone.

Serrano, who is first playing a lead role, was launched as part of Star Magic 2019 with Belle Mariano and Charlie Dizon. Serrano graduated cum laude from the University of Sto. Tomas (UST), where she completed Travel Management.

“Sobrang patient si Carlo sa akin all throughout our shoot,” Serrano shared.

“Bago pa lang ako, so siyempre, there were scenes that needed re-take. Marami silang instructions to me, so there were times that I get confused.

“I saw Carlo’s patience at wala siyang attitude Mahigpit pa ang rules at that time so all of us were very careful.”

Serrano made her big screen debut in Joel Lamangan’s “Anak ng Macho Dancer” (2021). She did four episodes in “Maalaala Mo Kaya” and is also part of the cast of Adolf Alix’s “Kontrabida,” where she got to work with superstar Nora Aunor.

The first time Serrano learned that she would be working with Aquino, she got surprised.

“I thought I would be working with someone from my batch in ‘Love You Long Time’ at kinakabahan ako,” Serrano said. “Carlo Aquino ‘yan.

“When we started shooting the movie, he didn’t make me feel na bago lang ako. Sobrang bait niya kahit veteran na siya. Hindi ako nahirapan. I also didn’t expect that we would become friends. Naging maganda ang pagsasama namin sa pelikula.”

Thankfully, Serrano wasn’t intimidated with her first-time leading man. “I admire his personality,” she said about Aquino. “He reached out to know me personally.

“Maybe that’s part of the job or part of the process of this project. I saw his genuion personality that was why I also got to know him as the project went on. So hindi talaga ako na intimidate.”

When she was younger, she remembers watching Aquino in his sci-fi adventure flick, “Kokey” (1997), directed by Romy Suzara.

“That was the movie I remembered first watching Carlo in,” Serrano recalled. “That young, hinahangaan ko na siya. The first time I saw him in person, may star-struck factor ako. Very friendly siya and sweet.

“It’s always necessary to love the person that you will work with, although not romantically. Minahal ko ang pagka-tao ni Carlo dahil importante na siya sa akin. Kinilala ko talaga siya. Carlo is a very sweet person.

“Hindi mahirap mahalin ang isang Carlo Aquino. But of course, I treasure the friendship that we built because of making this movie. Sometimes, we need to control our feelings for the sake of the person you love.”