Andi Eigenmann gets emotional over late parents never seeing the life she built in Siargao

Andi Eigenmann opened up about the hurt she continues to carry, knowing that her late parents, Jaclyn Jose and Mark Gil, never got to see the happy, fulfilling island life she built for herself  and her family in Siargao.

During her sit-down interview with Karen Davila, Andi, 36, became emotional as she talked about losing both her parents and how their absence continues to affect her.

"It's been a struggle, of course," Andi said. "I feel like I am always able to talk about my life here, my island life, as though it's such a perfect or happy life.

“I'm happy and content. But there's now that big hole that can never be patched up because of the fact that my mom and my dad never got to see this life,” she admitted.

Mark Gil passed away at 52 in 2014, while Jaclyn Jose died at 60 in 2024. Although Andi lost both of her parents when she was already an adult,  she described the experience of becoming an orphan as a painful and difficult journey.

She shared that her connection to showbiz, even after stepping away from the industry, will always be tied to her parents. As the daughter of two respected actors, she felt she should honor the legacy they left behind.

"I feel like I’m supposed to be their legacy," she shared. "And sometimes, I ask myself, should I keep going so that I can uphold their name, give it life even long after they're gone?"

Andi then realized that honoring her parents does not only mean staying in showbiz. For her,  living an authentic life that reflects the values they instilled in her is another way of keeping their memory alive.

She hopes her parents can see her flourishing in the life she chose, and that their strength and genuineness inspired her to become the same.

“And somehow, it gets easier. But I miss them. And I feel like me living here, on an island, being who I am, finally finding myself and being secure in this. I hope that I'm making my dad happy.”

Andi stepped away from showbiz in 2018, after her last film appearance in "All Souls Night." She found a quieter life in Siargao with her partner, professional surfer Philmar Alipayo, and their children. 

Away from the spotlight, she embraced a slower lifestyle centered on family, nature, surfing, and the businesses they built and manage on the island.

Andi admitted that she often imagines what it would have been like if her parents had been able to visit her in Siargao — her father fishing with Philmar and trying out surfing, while her mother, whom she described as glamorous, staying at Maison Bukana.

She lamented, "I'm sad that they never got to this point, that they never got to visit me here, or see this life that I've built for myself.  

"But I sure hope they're proud."