The beloved hit series Can’t Buy Me Love has officially ended. Here’s a roundup of what’s been going on as we bid farewell to BingLing, SnoRene, the Tius, Team Binondo, and the rest of the cast
It seems that the whole nation isn’t ready to let go of Can’t Buy Me Love yet, but alas, all good things—even a great piece of entertainment—must come to an end. This romantic drama series, a refreshing staple in ABS-CBN and Netflix’s cabal, was gripping, clever, and romantic in its six-month run, and no one is sadder to see it go than the cast who brought the story to our screens. Here’s a roundup of moments that show there are no goodbyes for the cast—only see you later.
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Cast Sign-offs
All of these actors have brought forth stellar performances of emotion, movement, experience, thought, motivation, and personality of the character they embody. In a film production of stagecraft and sensational theatrics, the star-studded cast have fine-tuned the portrayal of their characters’ stories throughout its filming and release by engaging with the viewers. It’s not a surprise that it’s quite the challenge for the cast members to detach themselves from the life of the characters that they’ve come to know, love, and understand so deeply. Signing off, then, is as emotional and sentimental as you would imagine. Here are some of the cast’s parting messages for their characters:
Belle Mariano as Caroline Tiu
The Gen Z superstar has proved in the span of 148 episodes her organic talent—that she has incredible command of her craft. In her Instagram post, Belle thanks the team and the viewers for supporting the series, and that this journey gave her a family. “Caroline would say, ‘Add it to my tab,’ but this time, I say, ‘Add this to my memories.’ One of the biggest lessons I learned as Ling is that money can buy temporary happiness, but it Can’t Buy Me Love.”
Maris Racal as Irene Tiu
We saw the many layers of the sassy Irene’s complexities with Maris Racal’s excellent performance. Fun, bold, outspoken, and had palpable chemistry with her on-screen partner, Maris has taken the viewers along for the ride, so it’s only right she gives Irene a silly photoshoot tribute at the finish line.
Kaila Estrada as Bettina Tiu
The achi of the family has her fair share of sentiments after wrapping up her character’s story. Kaila Estrada’s versatility and acting prowess playing the eldest daughter of the Tius shone through, especially during the last few episodes. In her post, Kaila begins with a quote: “How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard,” and proceeds to say: “I’m grateful to have found a family in this cast, production, and directors, and I’ll cherish these memories forever. This show was definitely one for the books!” She ends this with a sign-off of ‘Achi Bettina.’
Albie Casiño as Charleston Tiu
The veteran actor has indeed come a long way when it comes to the range of characters he can portray, and Charleston was perplexing in his motives and actions—but Albie’s depiction was perfect. Reminiscing this, he says in his farewell message: “It’s funny how regular everyday moments become some of your most cherished memories. It was an honor to play Charleston.”
Chie Filomeno as Jersey Lim
The ever-so-loyal Jersey is the best friend of the year, and we’re glad we saw her unexpected happy ending with Stephen (Darren Espanto). From her diva looks to her distinct facial expressions and entertaining line deliveries, Chie also says goodbye to her character by saying, “Jersey, you showed us the true meaning of friendship and I thank you for that. I hope we all have our own Jersey Lim or we can all be Jersey to our friends.” She further extends the gratitude to Star Creatives for giving her new family and new learnings: “This is for keeps!”
Ruffa Gutierrez as Atty. Gina Tan
Seasoned actor Ruffa Gutierrez is also sorrowful in seeing the beloved Gina Tan go after adding her own flavor, energy, and sass as one of the powerful ladies in the show. She penned her post with, “I am truly blessed and honored to be surrounded by an excellent, hardworking team of actors and creatives. I have gained a wonderful, new family! There will certainly be no goodbyes, just a bunch of get-togethers when we’re free. Invite me naman to the TIUsdays.”
Rowell Santiago as Wilson Tiu
The formidable patriarch of the Tius played by veteran actor, director, and producer Rowell Santiago was a portrayal of even the little moments and intricate details of family and fatherhood. “You will always be a big part of me and playing you gained me another family,” he says in his post, referring to his character. In another, he posts Tiu family pictures with the caption, “All my children and I love them all. #nofavorites.”
A family off-screen
With their goodbye messages, it’s clear that the cast has grown closer together than one would expect of a family built on a web of trauma, lies, and mistrust as the series progressed. As a solitary art, the spotlight is usually focused on individual performers, but behind every great performance lies the invaluable concept of teamwork. Engaging with each other and feeding off of each other’s energies on-screen, the cast’s support, love, and chemistry does not end with the Can’t Buy Me Love finale. As they all have agreed, they’ve gained another family with this crew. Here are some off-camera moments we love seeing from the close-knit bunch we’ve come to love:
Pantropiko Fever and “BINI Ahia”
During their last day at the Tiu mansion, Joao Constancia, who plays Carlo, posted a TikTok of the Tiu siblings dancing to the viral song by BINI. Even the prestigious family can’t escape the Pantropiko fever. Another Instagram story showed their rehearsal and even the cast singing the lyrics, Donny showcasing his dancing skills, and even Albie Casiño making waves on social media as ‘BINI Ahia’ shouting out lyrics to the group’s lead single ‘Salamin, Salamin’ at the series’ wrap-up party.
Love for Director Mae Cruz Alviar
Leading the production is not an easy task, and Direk Mae has brought the series from a fantastical beginning to the finale with such grace and expertise. With all the cast’s gratitude in their individual messages, it’s in Donny Pangilinan’s Instagram post that shows how much this crew loves and adores Direk Mae’s mind and craft, from her ability to pull strong performances out of the actors, lead the film in its entirety, to telling the story with intrigue and hard-hitting yet delicate moments that made the series so beloved. The photo, however, shows the viewers that the bond formed on set is beyond work—it is tenderness, fondness, and affection. Donny captions his post with, “Thanks for being a mother of 10++++,” and all the actors comment heartfelt messages. Direk Mae, touched, responds with: “I love you my kiddos!”
Matching Shoes
What better and cuter way to show off-screen love for the whole cast by getting matching shoes with unique shoe charms to reference their character? In Joao’s post, he reveals the circle of the entire Tiu family wearing different-colored Crocs with lettered Jibbitz, Crocs’s cute shoe charm accessory line. Each cast member has their own lettered charms on their shoes: ‘Ahia’ for Albie, ‘Dichi’ for Irene, ‘Ling’ for Caroline, ‘Papa’ for Wilson, ‘Poop’ for Snoop, and so on.
Mother’s Day Niceties
Before the upcoming Mother’s Day, the cast members have already paid tribute to their on-screen mothers, proving that the parenthood the mothers embody on-screen can be carried when the cameras are off. In Agot Isidro’s sign-off post, Kaila and Maris comment their own I-love-you-Mom-messages, and Rowell, her on-screen husband, says: “Till the next parenthood roles.’ The queen of the Tiu family also says, “What you see onscreen is just a fraction of what really goes on behind the scene. So much love, passion and dedication for the work, for the story, and for each other. To my CBML family, you really are my family. I will always love you. Mama, or in Irene’s case ‘Mooom’, or Auntie Cindy will always be here for you for anything. I am so so proud of this show and I will never get tired of saying that.” She caps this off by saying this is not a goodbye but a ‘see you’ as there will always be TIUsdays.
Maris also posts her own heartfelt album of behind-the-scenes photos with Rowell and Agot, saying, “Love you, TV Mom and Dad.” Donny’s post is a simple: “I LOVE YOU, NAY!” with a picture of himself and on-screen mother Ina Raymundo, and Ina replies with: “I LOVE YOU, ANAK!”
Photos and Featured Image: BELLE MARIANO, MARIS RACAL, KAILA ESTRADA, ALBIE CASIÑO, CHIE FILOMENO, RUFFA GUTIERREZ, ROWELL SANTIAGO, DONNY PANGILINAN, JOAO CONSTANCIA, NETFLIX PHILIPPINES (Via Instagram)
