She says she is not earning enough and she cannot even send her two siblings to school, so they now just stay at home. "We used to live in a big condo unit," she says. "But we have to move to a smaller apartment as I can no longer afford to pay the expensive rent there. My brother used to have his own room. Now, he has to share a room with us ng sister ko. It’s good they understand our situation. We don’t even know where our father is now. Pero okay na rin, huwag na lang siyang magpakita sa akin. Even with my mom, he has no communication at all."
On top of this, she feels she’s not that popular anymore.
"Before I left for Korea to study, the people at ABS-CBN were telling me I might lose my popularity but I didn’t believe them," she says. "I said I’d be gone lang naman for four months. But when I got home, iba na ang mga sikat. ‘Yun ng mga taga-Pinoy Big Brother. Before, when I’d appear in ASAP, there were plenty of banners proclaiming ‘We love you Sandara.’ Now, no more. Iba talaga, when you’re still new. Kaming mga Star Circle Quest, napalitan na ng PBB. Because of that, parang nawalan ako ng confidence."
But she is fervently praying that she will be able to recover lost ground with her new movie, D’ Lucky Ones, a tribute by director Wenn Deramas to Vilma Santos. She’s paired with her real-life boyfriend, Joseph Bitangcol. Is it more comfortable working with him than Hero Angeles? "Oh yes. Hero then would always fight with me. He thought I’m popular only because I was paired with him. My real boyfriend was Joseph, but we have to hide our relationship as he is paired naman with Michelle Madrigal. Now, it feels nice that we’re open about our relationship and we no longer have to go out secretly. I just hope the fans of my love team with Hero will support us also kasi sa mall shows, the truth is mas malakas ang sigaw ng fans ni Joseph. Nagseselos nga ako."
What does D’ Lucky Ones have to offer? "Ginamit kong katawan ko. I wore a two-piece bikini for the first time in a beach scene. Si Joseph din, he wore skimpy swimming trunks. That’s why we’re even ashamed to look at each other noong una on the set. Also, may big improvement na sa Tagalog ko. Dahil totoo ang ka-love team ko rito, mas maraming kilig moments and we even have a kissing scene. In the story, our moms, Pokwang and Eugene Domingo, are great fans of Vilma Santos. While Joseph and I were still little kids, they made this pact that when we grow up, Joseph and I will marry each other. But Joseph and I grew up hating each other’s guts. Lagi kaming nag-aaway. So Ate Vi makes a guest appearance in the finale para pagbatiin kami. We even have a dance number with her. We all went to Lipa to shoot this scene. I was so excited to work with her. Ang bait-bait niya."
Has she met Joseph’s parents? "Oh yes. They sell barbecued isaw for a living and I eat a lot nang walang bayad. They’re very nice to me."
What does she find endearing in Joseph? "You know, the first time he found out my daddy abandoned our family, he comforted me and told me: ‘From now on, I will be your daddy.’ And he’s really always there when I feel down. He’s a good shoulder to cry on and he tries his best to cheer me up."
We then turn to Joseph and ask him what he likes in Sandy "She has childlike qualities that I find lovable, but she also has a serious side and is very sincere. I really want to help her now that she’s going through some rough times. Kasi ako, sanay sa buhay mahirap. I’m the second of five kids and we’re poor. Now, I am helping send my younger siblings to school."
Joseph admits he feels a lot of pressure as Sandy’s leading man in D’ Lucky Ones. "Unang-una, first movie ko po kasi ito," he says. "Tapos, lead agad. Also, when I learned about the cast of the movie, like sina Pokwang, Eugene Domingo, Candy Pangilinan, Nikki Valdez, I got scared as they’re all good in comedy and this is the first time I’m doing comedy. I’m more used to doing drama on TV. Most of all, I’m nervous about how viewers will accept our teamup ni Sandy since she’s more identified with Hero Angeles. But after shooting the film, I realized we had a good fighting chance at the box-office as our director, Wenn Deramas, came up with a truly hilarious movie na tiyak na tatawa ang tao from start to finish. I really want to thank Star Cinema for giving me the chance to do this, so in return, I gave it my best naman."
Sandy tries to boost Joseph’s confidence by telling him he’s very good in his comic scenes. "He really has nothing to worry about as he’s versatile enough to do both drama and comedy effectively."
Director Wenn Deramas, who also megged the blockbuster Tanging Ina, believes the chemistry of the Sandy-Joseph love team is as charismatic and attractive as that of Sandy and Hero. "The nice thing about them is that they’re so comfortable and relaxed in each other’s company. I won’t be surprised if they’d get more assignments after this. The movie is also a big treat to the Vilmanians who would surely be pleased to see various scenes from their idol’s past movies being recreated here and many of her famous lines are also used here, like Pahiram ng Isang Umaga, Sister Stella L., Saan Nagtatago ang Pag-ibig, Palimos ng Pag-ibig and many more. Sandy and Joseph should also be grateful that they get superb support from Pokwang and Eugene Domingo who are at their best as they spoof Ate Vi’s films. D’ Lucky Ones is guaranteed to make the viewers laugh from beginning to end."