MANILA, Philippines — Actress Kaila Estrada is earning praise from Filipinos for her portrayal of Max Alvero in the ABS-CBN action-drama series “Incognito.”

Max in the show is a hacker and the cyber ops specialist for a private military company, having previously been discharged from the military for insubordination and desertion.

Central to Max’s story is the death of her fiancé, a fellow solider killed in the operation she was discharged for, leading to a focus on her grieving away from the screen.

In a conversation with members of the media including Philstar.com at a launch for Barefaced, where Kaila was unveiled as the local skincare brand’s first celebrity ambassador, the actress gave her perspective on grief.

“I feel like there is beauty in turning pain into power,” Kaila began.

She acknowledged that grief is very difficult to go through and everyone has experienced it in some capacity, from loss of a loved one to heartbreak.

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“I feel like there is beauty in using [grief] to empower yourself, that’s possible, it shows resiliency,” Kaila continued. “That’s a great way to make use of and grow from [grief], to heal, to find power in it and use it for good.”

Asked if Max would experience such a change, Kaila teased that viewers will slowly and gradually see her character’s healing journey.

“As of right now, nandoon pa rin ‘yung grief, you can still see her grieving at this point of the story. But gradually, you’ll be able to see how she copes with it,” Kaila said.

The actress added that the change she hopes to see is for viewers to see themselves in Max, that they be inspired to heal on their own, too.

Kaila admitted Max’s story is a heavy one, though reiterated everyone has some experience with grief.

“Maybe I didn’t experience grief exactly like how Max did, but definitely I know what loss feels like. I feel that helped anchor me to her character, and it was an important tool for me to be able to connect with Max as a character,” Kaila ended.