MANILA -- The son of Kapamilya star Jericho Rosales feels "blessed" to be able to continue running a restaurant amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Santino Rosales is a co-owner at Kaisaint, a restaurant started in 2019 by his mother, Kai Palomares.

He admitted that they have been affected by the uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 virus, but they are continuing to find ways to adapt to the "new normal."

"We were forced to adapt to the situation and were blessed enough that the government allowed us to operate," he said.

"We then shifted to pushing for takeout and deliveries which we still do now," he added. "Now we are able to take in dine-in as well, but by reservation."

Located at Doña Soledad Avenue in Parañaque City, Kaisaint started out as a space for food and art. It has evolved to include a "skews and brews" concept, and Santino finally had the opportunity to invest in the business.

"Now that she opened this new one, we adopted the old concept and incorporated a new one, skews and brews," he explained.

He went on: "It's only in this new restaurant that I was blessed enough that she considered having me invest in it and own a small portion of the business."

When asked why he opted to venture into the food business, Santino replied: "My mom and I love food."

"And throughout the years, my mom has been in the food and hospitality business," he explained, citing his mother's previous jobs and her food retail business since 2004. "So it seemed like an endeavor that was very favorable [for us]."

MODELING CAREER

Santino, 19, recently signed with Viva Management as he pursues a modeling career in the Philippines.

He said he wants to have a career path different from his father, who is considered one of the most talented actors in the country.

• ‘I want to be one of the top models in PH’: Jericho Rosales’ son signs with Viva

"It's really just about showing people that I am my own person, I have my own things that I am very passionate about. My career path will also develop very differently from his as I would like to focus on building businesses and modeling. I aim to show people that I am not an extension of someone else," Santino explained.

"You can expect to see me more on endorsements and possibly hosting gigs. No acting for me," he stressed.

As for the advice he has received from his parents, Santino said: "He and my mom always pin the same advice -- to stay humble and to keep striving towards my goals, and making sure to help people along the way."