Almost two years have passed without any communication or meeting between close friends I (Aiko) Melendez and Candy Pangilinan following a falling-out. According to Aiko, their friendship began when they were still teenagers at the University of the Philippines Diliman, where they both attended college. Candy was the first to “master initiate” her when she entered UP.

“Can you imagine? She actually tricked me because she was part of UP Theater Arts. She was one of the pioneers there,” Aiko recalled. The actress and public servant clearly remembered approaching Candy to ask for directions to the Theater Arts building — but Candy didn’t talk to her. “She looked at me from head to toe… and gave me the wrong directions,” Aiko said, laughing. “I had no idea that she would eventually become my best friend.”

From then on, the two became close, spending time together in lockers and supporting each other in their showbiz careers. Candy also shared that Aiko used to ask her for help with her acting journey. At one point, Aiko even requested that Candy be her best friend in a film, in which they starred alongside Christopher de Leon.

Aiko was referring to the 1999 film “Higit Pa Sa Buhay Ko” — which also became a turning point in their relationship due to a misunderstanding. According to Aiko, their rift stemmed from Candy being tactless.

“I want people to learn from this — that when you’re friends with someone, whether drunk or sober, you should still treat them as a friend. You have to be careful with your words. Because when I consider you my friend, I will defend you whether you’re present or not,” Aiko explained.

“Almost two years passed without us seeing or talking to each other. But maybe that comes with maturity. We reached a point where we didn’t even need to talk anymore.”

What went wrong? Apparently, they accidentally ran into each other one day at Greenhills. Candy said, “We saw each other, then your son Quenten hugged me. Then you said, ‘Hey, let’s talk, okay?’ I said, ‘Sure,’ but then you left because you had somewhere to go.”

Aiko then made a heartfelt promise to Candy:
“Maybe this misunderstanding is just one for the books — something to make our friendship stronger and better. And always remember, this is my promise to you, bestie: I won’t disappear again. I’ll be here every step of the way. Welcome back to my life.”