LJ Moreno, Jimmy Alapag explain decision to return to PH after 6 years in US
MANILA, Philippines — Celebrity couple LJ Moreno and Jimmy Alapag are now finding their footing again in their home country six years after they flew to the United States for Jimmy's NBA career.
In an interview with Karen Davila, LJ said living in the US was difficult because they had little family support, with relatives living six to seven hours away from their home in California.
“Medyo mahirap siya kasi walang family. Aside from walang help, ang hirap kasi although California kami, our family was six, seven hours away, so di ba dun parang busy lahat ng tao,” she said.
The former actress said she often had to take care of their children on her own while Alapag was away for work, particularly during the NBA season.
“'Pag NBA season minsan two weeks straight wala si Jimmy, ako lang. It's just me with the kids and now apat na ’yung kids namin. And all three were doing sports. So talagang driver, yaya, everything,” she said.
When Alapag received an offer to work in the Philippines, Moreno initially tried to manage her expectations but eventually grew excited about the possibility of returning home.
“So ’yun, that's why nung nagkaroon siya ng offer dito sa Pilipinas, nung una medyo inano ko na ’yung sarili ko kay Lord, siguro this is ano talaga, this is where You want us, so hindi ko muna iisipin ’yung Philippines,” she recalled.
“Nung nagkaroon ng offer parang ayaw ko munang ma-excite, tapos as the days went by parang sobrang nai-excite na ako and we started talking about it,” she added.
NBA stint
For Alapag, his stint in the NBA provided a valuable professional experience, allowing him to work alongside some of basketball's most respected figures.
“Dun sa NBA grabe ’yung experience, I mean amazing to get an opportunity na you're around the best basketball minds in the game tapos ’yung players, di ba? You know, being around with future Hall of Fame basketball players, amazing, amazing experience,” he said.
However, the former professional basketball player said he and his actress wife eventually had to weigh his career opportunities against the time he could spend with their children.
Their eldest child is 13, followed by their 11-year-old daughter and two younger sons, aged eight and three.
“But for us, especially our kids, maliit sila. Our eldest is 13, our daughter is 11 and then our two younger boys are 8 and 3. So at that age, we talked about it as a couple, as a family na it's just as important for me to do what I love but at the same time not lose the connection with the kids,” Alapag said.
He recalled how their eight-year-old son would become emotional whenever he prepared to leave for work.
“Last season in particular sobrang hirap, ’pag alis ko even the night before, mag-ayos ng gamit, our 8-year-old, umiyak siya, 'Dad, where are you going?' And it's a heavy feeling,” he shared.
For Alapag, the experience prompted him to reconsider how long he could continue pursuing his career at the expense of time with his family.
“It's parang you love what you do but how long are you willing to do it if it's at the expense of your kids? So we made the decision as a family to come back,” he said.
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