MANILA, Philippines?Unlike many other show biz personalities, young actor Gerald Anderson was never inclined to endorse any political candidate in the forthcoming election.

?Whatever opinion I may have on the candidates, sa akin na lang ?yon,? Gerald told Inquirer Entertainment.

?I don?t plan on influencing others about my president of choice. I?m just hoping for the best.?

However, the actor is an endorser of 16 products, the latest of which, Dermablend?s Guava Tea Tree cleansing soap, was launched last Saturday.

Gerald also said that, while he works with Kris Aquino in the drama show ?Kung Tayo?y Magkakalayo,? the TV host never tried to convince him to help campaign for her brother, Liberal Party standard-bearer Benigno Aquino III.

How?s the working relationship among the cast members? There?s a rumor that Kris and Coco (Martin) are not seeing eye-to-eye.

Coco, Tita Gina (Pareño), Kim (Chiu) and I all came from ?Tayong Dalawa.? We?re like a family already. Gabby (Concepcion) and Albert (Martinez) are like my older brothers now. I don?t think Coco and Kris have a problem. If there ever was, I surely didn?t notice.

Do you think you?re ready to work with someone other than Kim?

We?ve both learned a lot from each other and from the people we?ve worked with for the past four years. I personally want to know if I could still be as effective an actor without Kim. I?m sure Kim would like that, too. But I trust the plans of the network bosses. They know what?s best for me.

Who would you prefer to work with in a project without Kim?

I really want to work with someone who has been in show biz way longer than I have. She can give me a lot of acting tips.

What?s the secret to an effective on-screen partnership?

I guess people saw that Kim and I had chemistry and are true to each other, and they liked that. I think it also helped that we love and appreciate our fans very much.

What were the problems you encountered when you were just starting?

I wasn?t used to having people closely watching my every move. Facing all the intrigues was also difficult.

What?s your advice to the Melason love team?

Jason (Francisco) and Melai (Cantiveros) should spend time to figure out if the love they feel for each other is real. Sometimes, there?s a tendency to get carried away in a situation. They should be honest with themselves and with each other.

Was showing some skin on your latest movie (?Paano Na Kaya??) difficult for you?

The production people had a hard time talking me into wearing nothing but boxers for the most part of the movie. In the end, I said OK lang, cute lang ang eksena. It turned out to be really funny, too.

You?re turning 21 on March 7. What can people expect from you this year?

I?ll be in a mini-series. Kakaiba. I surprised even myself on this project. It?s an off-beat role.

Today I?ll be hosting a dinner party for ?cancer warriors.? It?s my way of giving back.