GMA-7 stars Gabbi Garcia and Khalil Ramos, collectively known as GabLil, are undoubtedly one of today’s favorite on-and-offscreen couples.
As they approach their sixth anniversary, the couple recently talked to PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) about how they maintain a healthy relationship.
For Khalil, their love comes with a commitment to constantly work on the relationship. The secret is to view it as a partnership.
The 26-year-old singer/actor said, "We’re really proud of how we built our relationship as talagang partners. Like we have each other’s back all the time."
Although they see each other as partner, Gabbi believes it is important to also give each other space to be their own person.
She said, “I feel like we have respect for whatever we want individually as well. We also respect each other’s family.”
BACKTRACK: HOW GABBI AND KHALIL MET
The two met on March 10, 2015, at the debut of Julia Barretto, Gabbi's friend since high school.
Back then, she was a Kapuso, he was a Kapamilya.
Gabbi told The Philippine Star, “We actually met during the debut of our common friend, si Julia [Barretto] and we were introduced to each other by a common friend, si Kathyrn [Bernardo]. “And he never stopped following me since then. Charot. Joke lang!”
First impressions of each other?
Khalil revealed in the same interview, “For me, she was just this really elegant, sophisticated person.”
Gabbi saw him as a “quiet, mysterious guy.”
But it was in 2017 when their firendship turned into a relationship.
GABLIL'S TRIP TO U.S.
Fast forward to 2022, the two have celebrated a lot of milestones.
They headlined the 2019 Filipino musical film LSS and the 2022 series Love You Stranger.
In September 2022, they traveled to the U.S. together.
Gabbi revealed, "We are super best friends. We hang out a lot.
"During our U.S. trip nga, we would just sit and we are like, 'Parang nakakatawa, para lang tayong magbarkada.'"
Both are self-confessed foodies, and their U.S. trip gave Khalil the chance to shine in the kitchen.
Gabbi shared, "Nung nag-Joshua Tree kami, wala masyadong hotel, puro AirBNB, you have to cook.
"We would do groceries and everything and he was the assigned cook. And he made so much. He made salmon, steak, liempo, and beef salpicao."
Since Khalil handled all the cooking, Gabbi took on the laundry duties.
GABBI AND KHALIL on handling fights
No relationship is perfect, and Khalil and Gabbi know this too well.
The couple shared how, at first, they would have disagreements, including frequent petty fights.
"Now that we are going on our sixth year together, we don’t usually fight, we have arguments that can be settled right away," Gabbi said.
One thing they have learned is that couples shouldn’t talk when they are at the height of their anger.
Gabbi and Khalil don’t necessarily go to bed mad, but they do remain careful about the words they say, even the tone of their voices.
Gabbi said, "We don't want to say bad words to each other. We don't want to hurt each other through our words. We try to wait it out and talk about it in the morning."
For his part, Khalil acknowledged that fights are part of the deal when creating a life with your significant other.
"It’s something you can’t really control. You’ll have misunderstandings, especially when you eventually spend the rest of your lives together and build a family."
Moreover, he emphasized how overcoming fights is a crucial skill to master as the relationship moves forward.
"We always say that the problems we are facing now are very little compared to the things we have to face."
It’s with these realizations that Gabbi and Khalil don’t over-romanticize their relationship. They see the "sana all" comments and how they are tagged as “relationship goals.”
Gabbi said, "We are just like any other couple. What sets us apart is that we constantly choose to make smart decisions. We always choose to be better people for our relationship."
Khalil added, “When I met Gab, my priority was to set my priorities straight. Men have very different challenges compared to women, and it's about how determined you are to get over those challenges and really commit."
He is very straightforward when it comes to his role in the relationship, and has advice for his fellow men.
"It’s when you can commit despite all the challenges and what society expects you to do. When you could actually tell yourself that this is something I want, this is something I am investing in, and this is something I want for my future."
GABLIL'S BUSINESS VENTURE: MEAT UP!
PEP.ph caught up with Gabbi and Khalil at the launch of their latest business venture called Meat Up! with Gabbi and Khalil, a food brand in partnership with CloudEats.
The launch was held last October 11, 2022, Tuesday, at The Brilliance Center in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.
Gabbi explained the concept behind their new food business.
She told PEP.ph, "It’s a partnership with CloudEats.
"It’s food bowls with steak for every occasion so you can make every day special with MeatUp."
Khalil added that they offer steak dinners made easy for date nights at home.
"When CloudEats brought up the idea of having a 'date night' type meals that you can order through Grab so you can have the date night experience at home, that’s exactly what we wanted.
"We love both going on date nights and one of our favorite meals is steak."
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