It seems like ‘BER MONTHS’ turned to be colder than before and Baguio City, which is known to be the number one tourist destination during the Christmas season, is becoming a refuge for the brokenhearted.
If you ask why? Well, if you have skipped social media for a while, it was the issue between the tearful breakup of actress LJ Reyes and actor Paolo Contis.
It was when Reyes broke her silence about the separation from her partner in a virtual interview with host Boy Abunda on September 1.
During the confession, Reyes clarified that their breakup was not mutual and it was Contis who didn’t want to patch things up anymore.
However, Reyes didn’t answer if the reason for the breakup was either a third part or money.
Just a week after the Reyes interview, Contis also broke his silence and posted on Instagram answering some of the most suspicious issues including a possible “third party.”
Contis admitted that he was being unfaithful but actress Yen Santos was not the reason why he broke up with Reyes. “I was,” he said, explaining that he and his wife Reyes had not been doing OK because of him.
He said he went to Baguio for three days solely for himself and to reflect. And regarding the circulating photos between him and Santos in Manaoag, Pangasinan and Baguio, Contis explained that “Naging insensitive ako about the possible effects nung issue and I invited Yen for a day para may makausap since malapit lang siya sa North din. She went there as a friend. Hindi ko naisip na madadamay siya ng ganito.”
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He felt sorry that his “A Faraway Land” co-star Santos was involved in the issue.
After Contis’ statement, Baguio and being there with someone “as a friend” immediately spread like wildfire on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Also, memes and ‘hugot lines’ followed to elicit the truth from public figures.
Podcaster and social media figure M.A. Buendia posted on Twitter hoping that “a friend” would invite him to Baguio.
Fun fact that no one asks.
I’ve never been to Baguio. Hopefully someone invites me even as a friend. Ems.
— M.A. Buendía (@MABuendiaHD) September 9, 2021
Author and social media figure Chantal Andere or more known as Senyora Angelica Santibanez posted a quiz about the statement of Contis saying, “Ito na nga pala ang ating first Midterm Exam in Marites 101.”
Supreme Court Associated Justice Marvic Leonen also hopped on the trend, saying how proud he was that his hometown Baguio has earned its reputation to be the “friendship lang capital of the world.”
Am told that my hometown, Baguio, is now the FRIENDSHIP LANG capital of the world!
Thank you for your support.#LabGuru
— Help others. Humanity will endure. (@marvicleonen) September 10, 2021
With that, even the City Environment and Parks Management Office in Baguio makes use of the opportunity to create the now-viral “as a friend” meme to promote its city.
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Photo Credit: www.instagram.com/paolo_contis/
