After a year marked by relentless momentum, Carlo Aquino is allowing himself to look beyond packed schedules and box-office deadlines. One of the busiest actors of 2025, Aquino balanced a successful television run with It’s Okay To Not Be Okay while completing several film projects, including The Time That Remains and his Metro Manila Film Festival entry, Bar Boys: After School.

Speaking to members of the press during the MMFF Parade of Stars on 19 December in Makati City, Aquino said that 2026 marks a more intimate chapter in his life—one centered on family, faith, and long-held personal goals.

Aquino shared that he and his wife, actress Charlie Dizon, are prayerfully trying to start a family next year.

“Nag-ta-try kami and praying na sana mapagbigyan. Siyempre mag-ta-try kami, pero nasa Kanya pa rin yung ultimate decision kung bibigyan niya kami ng blessing na ganun,” Aquino said.

Already a father to his five-year-old daughter Enola Mithi from a previous relationship, Aquino said he feels emotionally ready to welcome another child, adding that he has no strong preference as long as the baby is healthy.

Away from the spotlight, Aquino revealed that he and Dizon are also saving for their future and working toward shared goals, including building a dream home. Creatively, both have ambitions beyond acting. Aquino said he hopes to direct in the future, while Dizon has expressed interest in developing a Korean rom-com–style adaptation.

For Aquino, directing is no longer a distant idea but a growing aspiration. He said he is drawn to stories that blend romance with suspense and thriller elements, though he has yet to name specific collaborators.

The actor closes out the year with another milestone as Bar Boys: After School screens as an official entry in the Metro Manila Film Festival, opening in cinemas nationwide on 25 December. The film also stars Odette Khan, Will Ashley, Glaiza de Castro, Sassa Gurl, Klarisse de Guzman, and Mikael Daez, and is directed by Kip Oebando.

As 2025 draws to a close, Aquino said he is embracing a future defined not by a single role, but by balance—between career, family, and faith, all unfolding in their own time.