The one that got away for actor and visual artist Jao Mapa was Rosanna Roces, according to his revelation during Susan Enriquez’s interview with him on her vlog.

According to Mapa, the relationship reportedly began while the two were filming “Matrikula”, the only movie they were paired in, which was released in 1997. It was the height of Roces’ superstardom, while the 90s actor, then known as one of the “fourth Gwaping” stars, was transitioning into more mature roles.

The movie underperformed at the box office, and Mapa admitted during the interview that taking on the project turned out to be a wrong career decision.

At the height of their romance, it was also reported that Roces was willing to give up her career and fame for her love for the actor.

Another dish from the vlog was Mapa’s admission that he had a private video of himself engaging in a sexual act that was later leaked and circulated online. Mapa attributed the incident to his reckless youth and impulsive decisions.

One of the urban legends surrounding the Mapa-Roces romance that Enriquez’s team was unable to verify was a supposedly naughty response Roces gave when she was asked about Mapa. Her alleged reply: “Sa kanya lang ako umaray” (“It was only with him that I felt the pain”).

Was Roces referring to the pain of a broken heart following their separation, or was the remark meant to suggest something else? And, more importantly, was she even the one who said it?

Since “Matrikula,” Jao Mapa and Rosanna Roces have never appeared together in another project.