There are some love stories that never become relationships, but somehow stay with us.
For Ryan Bang, one of those stories is his almost-romance with Yeng Constantino, a chapter that first came to light on It’s Showtime in 2022 and unexpectedly resurfaced years later, this time through a concert, a flood of memories, and a tearful Ryan asking a question that went beyond Yeng.
“Makakahanap pa kaya ako?”
And through it all, it was Vice Ganda who was there to remind Ryan that perhaps he doesn’t need to look for love at all.
It began with something as simple as a concert date.
Ryan recently joined Vice Ganda at Yeng’s “Biyaheng Bente” 20th anniversary concert at the Araneta Coliseum. Supposedly, Ion Perez was to be Vice’s date, but he was reportedly stranded in Quezon, leaving Ryan to take his place.
Little did they know that the concert would bring Ryan face-to-face with a piece of his past. During the show, Yeng herself brought up their unfinished love story, revealing that Ryan had once been her crush but suddenly stopped pursuing her.
“’Yung kay Ryan kasi, nangyari sa amin, seenzoned niya ako. Crush na crush kita noon. Sa sobrang gusto ko siya, basta pumunta ka lang sa restaurant akong bahala sa ‘yo kasi crush kita, eh,” Yeng revealed.
For those who may have forgotten, this wasn’t the first time Ryan and Yeng’s almost-love story had been discussed publicly.
Back in 2022, it was Yeng who first opened the door to the subject during an episode of It’s Showtime, while commenting on a Tawag ng Tanghalan contestant. She quipped, “Minsan, kahit hindi mo nga naging jowa, e, basta nagparamdam na sa ‘yo tapos biglang nawala, naku, napakasakit talaga. ‘Di ba, Ryan?”
Vice Ganda then asked Ryan to share his side.
“Unang crush ko kasi si Yeng. 2010, ‘no, Yeng? Nanligaw ako kay Yeng.”
But Yeng was quick to correct one detail.
“Hindi kita binasted! Hindi kita binasted noon.”
According to Yeng, Ryan simply stopped pursuing her.
“Tumigil na lang siya magpadala ng kape,” she recalled.
And apparently, that sudden disappearance had affected her, too. Yeng admitted that she was sad when Ryan stopped courting her and even maintained that something between them could have actually blossomed.
“Siyempre ngayon, iba na, may asawa na ako. Pero noong time na ‘yun, kilig na kilig talaga ako sa kaniya.”
Ryan, meanwhile, remembered just how much effort he had put into that courtship. He related, “Tuwing Thursday yata noon sa ‘PBB’ (Pinoy Big Brother), may taping ka, nagpapadala ako ng kape. Tapos nagsimba pa tayo together tuwing Linggo. Bago ko nakilala si Yeng, hindi ako nagsisimba, eh.”
Ryan later explained why he eventually stopped.
“Akala ko ayaw mo sa ‘kin. Kasi noong panahon na ‘yon, gumigimik kami, sila James Reid. Siyempre minsan lumalabas ako tuwing gabi. Inaya ko siya ilang beses eh,” he shared and added that Yeng didn’t join him in partying. “Kaya akala ko ayaw niya sa ‘kin.”
And it was at that moment in 2022 that Vice Ganda offered Ryan a piece of advice that, in hindsight, feels even more meaningful today. The
host said, “Huwag papasok sa mundo ng kahit sino na akala niyo walang nangyayari sa kanila, akala niyo walang epekto sa kanila. Kahit sino mang pumasok sa mundo natin, may epekto yun.”
Vice also pointed out that if someone decides to stop courting another person, it is better to communicate it directly rather than simply disappear.
Ryan took the opportunity to apologize then. “Yeng, pasensya na. Dapat pala nagpaalam ako sa ‘yo. Nagtanong ako sa ‘yo. Pero siyempre ‘yung nanligaw ako sa ‘yo, galing naman talaga sa puso ko ‘yun. Ikaw yung pinaka-unang crush ko sa buong buhay ko! Ikaw yun!,” he confessed.
The story might have ended there — a sweet, slightly bittersweet memory of a romance that never happened.
But on It’s Showtime yesterday, September 2, the story took on an entirely different meaning.
After attending Yeng’s concert with Vice, Ryan found himself overwhelmed by memories.
“Thank you Mommy, kasi sinama mo ‘ko sa concert ni Yeng. Naflashback sa akin lahat,” Ryan smilingly said.
For Ryan, seeing Yeng perform wasn’t simply brought him back to a time when he was younger, when he had little money, no car, and seemingly very little to offer but somehow, someone like Yeng had made him feel that he could still be loved. Yeng even serenaded him with “Sabihin Mo Na” during the concert.
During yesterday’s segment, Yeng’s “Salamat” started playing. And Ryan broke down.
Vice immediately asked why he was crying and went toward him to give him a hug. Ryan eventually explained what was really behind the tears.
He said, “Hindi kasi, sabi ko, makakahanap pa kaya ako ng tulad ni Yeng na noong umpisa ako, wala akong pambayad ng date, wala ‘kong kotse, ‘di ba, wala akong pera, paulit-ulit yung damit ko, pero minahal — may chance pala ako sa kanya. Makakahanap kaya ako ng ganun?”
It was no longer really about Yeng. It was about Ryan wondering whether that kind of love could still happen to him.
And once again, Vice Ganda had an answer.
He quickly advised, “Hindi ka makakahanap, ikaw ang hahanapin ng pag-ibig. Kaya hindi mo kailangang maghanap. Love will find you. Just wait. We just wait.”
Perhaps no one was better positioned to tell Ryan that than Vice. He had witnessed the beginning of the story in 2022, when Ryan was still looking back at what might have been. He was there at Yeng’s concert when the old memories came rushing back. And now, he was there when Ryan’s nostalgia turned into a much bigger fear about whether he would ever experience that kind of love again.
But Vice wasn’t about to let Ryan stay in that sadness. He continued, “Don’t cry, as I told you, so many people appreciate and value you. We see you. Nakikita namin ang kagandahan ng puso mo at ang kapogian ng panlabas mong kaanyuan. Lalo na ngayon ang pogi-pogi mo.”
Aww, don’t we all need a Mommy Vice in life to give us sound advice?
