PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal) was able to talk to beauty queen turned actress Carlene Aguilar on the set of Rosalinda at the Alabang Medical Center in Muntinlupa City.

Carlene was ecstatic to say that, hopefully, she would be able to finish her Arts Studies course at the University of the Philippines. This was the reason she's still undecided whether to accept the project being offered to her after Rosalinda, which will end in November.

"Kasi kailangan ko rin tapusin yung school ko. Nagte-thesis na ako, so hindi ko rin alam kung kukunin ang next project ko," said Carlene. 

The former Bb. Pilipinas-World is currently focusing on her thesis. As a former beauty queen, Carlene wants to tackle a different kind of beauty pageant for her final paper—gay beauty pageants.

"Kasi sawang-sawa na ako sa beauty pageant, para maiba lang," she explained. "Kasi, di ba, 'yong mga Pinoy mahilig sa beauty pageant? Parang naa-amaze ako kasi 'yong transformation na ginagawa nila sa katawan nila. 'Yon na ang career nila kasi doon lang din nila ma-assert 'yong identity nila bilang tao mismo. At saka doon lang sila parang natatanggap, kasi nae-entertain ang mga tao. Kasi kapag normal na naglalakad lang diyan, parang yung iba mandidiri pa.

"Sa study ko, pino-propose ko pa lang. 'Tapos this coming semester, ia-approve ang [proposal] ko. Pero sabi naman ng teacher ko, okay naman na daw ang paper ko. So, mas lalaliman ko pa 'yong pag-aaral."

In the second semester, Carlene said that she would give extra effort to finish everything on time. "Kailangan ko nang tapusin ito kasi seven years in the making. Sobrang dami ko nang LOA [leave of absence], AWOL [absence without official leave] noong buntis ako. Kaya nga sabi ng teacher ko, 'Parang awa mo na, tapusin mo na!'"

Although it's hard to juggle her time between work and studies, Carlene never thought to take a break again from school.

"Kahit na sobrang stressful, masarap din naman kasi iba ang nabibigay sa 'yo na fulfillment," she said.

She added that it's just a matter of proper time management. 

"Depende kasi kung paano mo i-manage 'yong time mo. Kapag hindi mo talaga kaya, hindi mo talaga maayos, wala, kailangan mong i-stop. Depende naman kung ano ang pina-prioritize mo, e, kung work or school. Kasi school can wait, pero yung iba, inuuna muna ang school."

BETTER RELATIONSHIP WITH DENNIS. Aside from school, Carlene also devotes a lot of her time  attending to the needs of her two-year-old son Calix Andreas. "Malikot na, nakakasalita na siya, ginagaya niya ako palagi. Tapos medyo matigas din ang ulo." 

She is grateful that she has Calix Andreas after all the controversies before with his father, actor Dennis Trillo.

"Buti na lang nandiyan siya," said Carlene. "Kasi kung wala akong anak, tapos nangyari 'yon sa akin, siguro mas malulungkot ako."

Instead of sulking about the issue, the 27-year-old actress diverts her attention to Calix, who gives her joy after a hectic schedule in work and in studies.