Fairy Tales Do Come True

Duchess Catherine Fairy Tales Do Come True By ANA KRISTINE B. VALENZUELA MOD June 2011 Some fairy tales start with “Once upon a time, in a faraway land...” This one starts in 2001 at the University of St. Andrews where William, second in line to the throne of Commonwealth realms, was taking up geography, and Catherine Elizabeth Middleton was studying History of Art.

Kate and William were only friends, taking up a subject or two together, up until Kate modeled in a student fashion show that made the prince notice her and tell a friend, “Wow! Kate’s hot!” A year after, their friendship blossomed into something special. They shared a flat for the last two years of their college life. Although they broke up in 2007, their friendship remained intact, as they had often been seen together. The couple announced their engagement on November 16 last year. Prince William proposed to Kate at a secluded lake by Mount Kenya. After years of romance, the couple said “I will” at the Westminster Abbey, where William’s grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, was wed, last April 29, 2011. The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Rowan Williams, officiated the ceremony. Like everyone else, William noticed how Kate looked in her Grace Kelly-inspired gown by Sarah Burton from Alexander McQueen. “You look beautiful,” William told his bride when she reached the altar. Kate followed the old adage. She had something old—the lace of her gown came from a 19th-century Irish tradition; something borrowed, which is a 1936 Cartier Halo tiara and was Queen Elizabeth II’s no less; something new—her diamond earrings were a gift from her parents; and something blue, which was a ribbon of blue interwoven into her gown. Meanwhile, William wore his Irish Guards Mounted Officer’s uniform in Guard of Honor Order with a Forage Cap. He had on a red tunic which featured the Irish Guards’ arrangement of buttons in groups of four, a gold and crimson sash, and gold sword slings, although he did not carry a sword. “We were supposed to have a small family affair,” Prince William said to Kate’s dad, Michael Francis Middleton. Unfortunately, their celebrity status forbade them to do so. Two thousand of the couple’s friends and family, and dignitaries watched them inside the abbey, and an estimated two billion from their television screens around the world. Kate’s wedding promise was similar to Princess Diana—“Love, comfort, honour, and keep” him, omitting the word obey from the vows. Kate’s sister, Pippa, was her maid of honor, while Harry, William’s brother, stood as his best man. People were trying to match the two up, but it seemed like they weren’t hit by Cupid’s arrows. Prince Harry reportedly told his on-and-off girlfriend, Chelsea Davy, “You’re next.” After their wedding, the newlyweds were given the title Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. TOTAL ESCAPE! THEIR wedding may be so public, but William and Kate, now known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, managed to escape to the islands of the Seychelles—specifically to the North Island—for their honeymoon. The Duke and Duchess weren’t the first celebs to seek the solace of Seychelles. Among those reported to have enjoyed the privacy of the romantic destination were Bill Gates, who was on Fregate Island; Paul McCartney and ex-wife Heather Mills on Cousin, another island in the Seychelles; and Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt on North Island. David and Victoria Beckham have also vacationed there. The islands boast of private villas, each with its own guest relations officer, a butler, and a chef all ready to give you, well, a royal treatment. Kate and William spent their first night as husband and wife at the Buckingham Palace. Then, days after, hand in hand, they walked to where a helicopter waited for them to ferry them to their honeymoon escape. Kate donned a light blue dress, dark jacket, and platform shoes, while William wore a casual pale blue shirt and navy jacket. The union of William and Kate has revitalized the British monarchy as hundreds of thousands cheered the couple throughout their wedding rites. Millions more watched the royal spectacle on television, witnessing the couple pledge “I will,” during the nuptial ceremonies at the Westminster Abbey, and delighting over the couple’s much awaited kiss—two kisses, actually—on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. Kate, escorted by her dad, rode a Rolls-Royce on her way to her altar date with William. At that exact moment, the sun lit her way, a sign, television hosts exclaimed, that the heavens must be blessing this royal union.

Catch!

Catch!
By ANA KRISTINE B. VALENZUELA
Photography by Angelight Classic Portaits

as MOD goes back to its tradition of featuring fresh faces, we feature four girls who toss a lot of promise. They’re running, jumping on their way to fitness, wellness, and, for sure, to fame and fortune. Catch them if you can! Meet Crissia Del Atienza, Abbygale Monderin, Monique Manuel, and Karina Tamminen. An Accountancy student at the University of Santo Tomas, Crissia was Miss Puerto Galera and represented the municipality at the Miss Philippines Earth 2010. Abbygale is a Nursing senior at World Citi Colleges and a Binibining Caloocan title-holder. Monique, who has been modeling for four years, represented Bataan during the Miss Earth 2009, where she ended as one of the runners-up, and is one of the candidates in this year’s Binibining Pilipinas. Finland-born Karina is a volunteer nurse.

MOD sits down with these four lovely ladies to talk about beauty, wellness, life, and everything in between.
MOD: How do you stay fit?
Karina: Gym, cardio, and muscle weights. Before, I was into martial arts, like krav maga. It’s self-defense, but it’s also a good exercise.
Monique: I do a lot of running. I try to do it maybe once a month. Back in grade school, I did a form of martial arts called Kuntaw. It’s founded by a Filipino, but it’s more popular in the Middle East. I made it to brown belt and I joined competitions as well. Unfortunately, one time during training, na-twist and na-dislocate yung knee ko. Since then, hindi na ako nakapag-martial arts. Nag-therapy ako for like a month for that. Thankfully, okay na yung left knee.
Abbygale: I jog every morning and then in the afternoon I play badminton.
Crissia: I don’t have time to go to the gym because I’m really focused on my studies. I just do a couple of exercises in our village, like jogging, because there is a field there. When I was in grade school, I was really into volleyball, but now I don’t have time for that anymore.




What’s your daily diet like?
C: I don’t have dinner.
A: No rice. I’ve stopped eating rice since June. Kasi ako, pag kumain ng rice, madami talaga. So far, I’ve lost 20 pounds with my no-rice diet. Iwas din sa chocolates and other sweets, and more on water. I drink more than 10 glasses of water a day.
M: Since I started working out at the gym last year, I’ve been following this diet program that comprises of more protein like meat and dairy products. As for meat, I just eat chicken, pero steamed lang. I have a cheat day naman eh. For five days, I have to follow my strict diet plan and I’ve managed to do just that. I eat carbohydrates as well, like rice. For your body to absorb the protein, it needs carbs. If you don’t eat carbs, the protein will be used by your body for energy. When you say diet, it should be healthy, like fruits, veggies, protein, and a little bit of carbs.
K: I don’t eat rice. It’s not that I don’t want to, but since I’m from Finland, our staple food is potatoes. Basically, I eat white meat and veggies. It is still weird for me—rice for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
What’s the first thing you do in the morning?
M: First thing that I do in the morning, tignan ko yung sarili ko sa mirror for a while. Ha-ha. I also drink one glass of water. It started out just a habit, but then I heard that it’s good pala. You sleep for almost eight hours, your body burns a lot of fats, and then, when you wake up, hindi ka naman exhausted, but your body needs to be hydrated with water.
K: Same thing. Yeah, I drink water. At least three glasses of water.
C: First, I do a bit of stretching. My class kasi is at 7 a.m., so I have to prepare agad. Since I’m studying in UST and I live in Taguig, I really have to wake up early.
A: I read the Bible, drink lots of water, exercise, wipe my face with ice, and weigh myself because I’m weight-conscious.

How do you handle stress?
M: I worked in a corporate setting before so I know that stress is good for me. I don’t consider it as a pressure, although somehow nape-pressure ako. Emotionally, I think of it as a positive energy since when you’re stressed, you end up doing your best. It’s because you let stress drive you. When I’m stressed, the more I strive hard. I also pray at the same time. Somehow if you have that spiritual capacity, the more you can do your work and the more you can do it efficiently.
K: I agree with Monique, stress is good. But of course, too much stress is not healthy. In small amounts, it’s healthy for me as it keeps me motivated.
A: Whenever I’m stressed, I pray and read the Bible. Laughter also works.
C: Stress is inevitable, but as a student, I have to cope with it, simply because I need to be successful in every activity that I engage in. So I just look at it positively. I always smile and pray.
How do you cope with anger?
C: When I am angry, it’s really difficult for me to repress my feelings. I show it. When I’m angry, I say things that are not pleasing to the ears and might hurt others’ feelings. But there are times that I simply keep quiet and pray that it will pass.
A: I talk to God, ‘Lord, ano ba itong feelings na meron ako?’ I just want it to go away. Kung meron man akong taong nakagalit, I first say sorry to that person, and then to God. I don’t want to last a day without saying sorry to that certain person.
M: Before, I used to be a nagger. But as I grew older, I’ve learned to handle my anger because it won’t do you good eh. If you kindle your fire for a particular period of time, ikaw din yung talo, and I always think, what will happen after? What will be the consequence if I say this to that person? When I’m angry, I breathe and pray.
K: I can’t remember the last time that I’d been really, really angry. If I’m upset, I just stay quiet and think through the night instead of saying things I might regret later.


What keeps you going?
K: Faith in God.
M: It’s easier for a person to get a life, because somehow you are bound for the next day, but to get a meaningful life and for it to last a lifetime, it’s hard. It’s when your values come in. If you know your purpose in life, somehow you will prosper. So kung makakatulong yung ginagawa mo, every day, you work towards achieving that goal. My goal is to establish my own business. Every day is a factor towards achieving my goal.
C: For me life is a test. It is only a test.
M: Ang hard naman ng view mo sa life. He-he.
C: We can’t always be happy. There will always be obstacles to our happiness. All you have to do is stay strong and keep in mind that everything happens for a reason.
A: Life is a gift. Whatever mistake ang nagawa mo, there will always be tomorrow, para matama yun.

Good Morning Venus

Good Morning, Venus!
By ANA KRISTINE B. VALENZUELA
Published MOD March 2011

YOU KNOW her story. Born in Qatar. Growing up without a father. Hand-to-mouth life in Bicol. Darkness, her many nights. Then, just as she was about to see some limelight, a controversy, a buzz about mistakes, and it seemed she’s back in the dark.

And then splash!

Unlike beauty queens who, after representing the country in pageants abroad, seem to have been etched out of the public’s consciousness, Miss Universe Fourth Runner-Up Venus Raj continues to make news. And she’s delivering the news. Her new morning.
Venus recently joined the reformatted ABS-CBN morning show, Umagang Kay Ganda, as one of its hosts. “Okay sa akin ang hosting. Sabi nga nila, pagka-hosting, normal lang. Napapakita mo lang yung personality mo," Venus told entertainment site push.com.ph.
She added that she has no problem with the early call time. “It’s okay, because I do jogging at around 5:30 in the morning. So it’s like I’m only jogging, that’s what I think about. Plus, I am a morning person, so I don’t have any hesitation waking up early.”

Venus is excited to have started a showbiz career, via ABS-CBN. Unknown to many, she almost became a Kapatid, having been offered to be a part of Willie Revillame’s Willing Willie on TV5 as a co-host. Her mom, however, was determined for her daughter to be a Kapamilya. “She told me, ‘Anak, ang gusto ko, sa ABS-CBN ka talaga. Kasi kung hindi, hindi na talaga ako manunuod!’ She was serious when she told me that. Kaya kami ng kapatid ko tawa ng tawa, at alam ko na talagang ang saya niya na nasa ABS-CBN na ako,” she told ABS-CBN.com.

She may be focused on her hosting gig now, but Venus isn’t closing her doors on acting. “If I am given a comedy role, why not? For me, it is okay. Maybe even a dramatic role—it would also be okay for me. Or if I get to do comedy with a different role, why not? I’m willing to improve whatever it might be that would need improving. I would study different kinds of roles,” she said.
Venus also has some leading men she would want to work with—Piolo Pascual and Coco Martin.

She said of Coco, “I was still in college when he visited Bicol. I remember my barkada and I really followed his entourage just so I could get a glimpse of him. I only got to look at him for just a short while! I remember telling myself, ganito pala yung feeling na hinahabol mo talaga yung artista para magpa-picture. I wasn’t able to see him up close, so I wish that would happen soon.”

Whatever her career or lovelife status may be, Venus truly hopes in the Lord, like she did when the Binibining Pilipinas decided to sign her up with ABS-CBN. “All I’m praying for to our Lord is that He leads me to where he wants me to be going. So I know that this is where I am now, and this is what he wants for me. I’m really thankful that it is with ABS-CBN,” she said.

Sarah Geronimo: The Making of an Idol

Sarah Geronimo: The Making of an Idol

By ANA KRISTINE B. VALENZUELA

Published MOD November 2010

SHE may seem like your typical demure girl, always smiling, answering questions—even controversial ones--in a gentle tone, but Sarah Geronimo has no qualms singing for an audience or acting out a scene in front of the camera.

“I’M not shy when I’m on stage–singing and dancing. That’s the time when I’m the most confident. That’s when I lose my inhibitions. I can do anything up on stage,” Sarah says.

Maybe that is why even at the start of her career, Sarah had already earned praises from big-named stars, seeing the potential in her at an early age.

Maricel Soriano her costar in her first film project, Filipinas, commented during the film’s promo tour, “That girl will go far. She’s only 14, right? For someone like Sarah na first time mag-pelikula, mahusay siya. Bibilib ka sa kanya. Maaaring ang ibang tao may iba pang expectations sa kanya, but for me, okay na okay siya.”

During Sarah’s 2005 solo concert, The Other Side, at the Araneta Colisuem, Regine Velasquez, Sarah’s idol, already crowned her not just as the pop princess but as the country’s pop queen, as she was able to match the Asia’s songbird’s belting power during their rendition of Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston songs. “Madaming tao ang nagmamahal sa 'yo at isa na ako duon na laging maasahan mo sa suporta," said Regine.

Indeed, Sarah has proven herself well to her peers as much as to her fans. To all this success, she credits her family.

Like with learning To Love You More, her winning piece in the Star for a Night singing search and which eventually became her signature hit. After an unfortunate incident, Sarah never wanted to belt out this piece. It was her father, Delfin, who pushed her to persevere on learning the tune. With enough determination, she sang the Celine Dion original and won the top prize in the contest.

Now, she continues to grow more as an artist, as she molds her acting prowess, working with actors who she knows she can learn from. She tells ABS-CBN.com, “As an individual na artist mas nakakapag-experiment ako to explore sa career and hindi ka nasa-stuck at hindi ka nakukulong sa isang kahon. Maganda na ganito. ”

In her latest prime time starrer, Idol, she is paired with Sam Milby and Coco Martin. The team-up seems to be growing on Sarah as she comments to ABS-CBN.com, “Pareho nga akong kinikilig sa kanila. Kapag ka-eksena ko si Sam may kilig, kay Coco iba din ‘yung kilig.”

She talks more fondly about her leading men to ABS-CBN.com. “Nakakusap ko na rin si Sam magkaibigan na rin kami. Alam ko kung gaano siya kabuting tao. Thankful ako na nagkaroon kami ng ganitong chance na magkatrabaho dito sa isang napakagandang proyekto. Masaya rin po katrabaho si Coco at minsan nga ang tawag ko sa kanya Direk Co kasi napaka-professional. Para siyang direktor."

With her versatility, noteworthy performances, platinum albums, sold-out concerts, and box-office movies to her name, Sarah reminds us that she is indeed a certified Idol.

Secrets, Secrets

Hair Care. “Siyempre bilang performer, napaka-importante how my hair looks. But with my hectic schedule hindi ako makapunta ng salon or makapagpa-treatment kaya I really need the best hair products available. With Sunsilk, my hair is softer and you can really see the difference from before Sabi ni Yuko (Yamashita, hair expert) i-avoid ko daw ang too much friction, like sobrang towel drying or even aggressive brushing, para laging smooth and straight ang hair ko.”

Money Management. “Ang laking tulong po ng Cebuana Lhuillier sa buhay ng pamilya ko noon. Nagsasangla si mommy before to tend to our expenses. Ngayon naman nandito ako para magbigay inspirasyon din sa ibang tao.”

Who's Afraid of Daiana Meneses?

Published MOD October 2010 Halloween Issue

By ANA KRISTINE B. VALENZUELA

She may be your next-door television aswang. But no need to be afraid of Daiana Menezes.

She's juts here to do what she likes to do, to pursue her dreams even after several rejections.

“I got declined many times. I got told by several agencies I was not their type,” says Daiana Menezes, relating her start as a model in her home country Brazil. “People didn’t really accept me as a model because I was too short compared to the average model in Brazil. I am only 5’7 and most of the models are 5’10.” But rejection somehow opened windows of opportunities for the Brazilian beauty.

Daiana found another audience. “There was this other agency which does international work and they got me for Thailand,” she says. The agency said her features-- rosy, white skin, and sharp nose--fit well for the Asian market. Thus, she began working as a model in several countries—Hong Kong, China, Singapore, South Korea, and Thailand. In 2006, she landed a shampoo commercial here in the Philippines.

“It was in 2007 that I decided I do not want to be modeling anymore. Adjust, get used to the place, and then leave--I got really tired of doing that. So when I got the chance to get a regular job here in the Philippines, I grabbed it. I love the country that’s why I decided to settle here. Eat Bulaga just came along,” she says, referring to the noon time show which made her popular.

She settled in Manila and had an easy time adjusting to the Philippine way of life. “Here in the Philippines, you have a mix of the Latin culture. You arealso kind of Americanized in a way, so it is easy for me to adjust here, ” says Daiana, adding that the Philippines is like Brazil in Asia. “I super feel at home. I could not even say na grabe ang traffic dito. Every country has its problems, ‘di ba?”

Apart from her hosting gig in Eat Bulaga, Daiana also plays as Vic Sotto’s leading lady in the TV5 sitcom Ang Darling Kong Aswang. She has nothing but praises for the comedian. “He is the most professional person I have ever worked with. He really knows when he has to joke, when he has to work,” she says. “Plus he doesn’t mix personal life with work. People don’t know that. People think that once you’re there, you’re going to get involved with him. No, it doesn’t work that way. He is such a professional guy on the set. Trabaho muna tayo.”

As for rumors that she’s the cause of a rift between lovebirds Vic and Pia Guanio, Daiana just look at them on a positive light. “I’m thankful about that issue because it will increase our ratings. Vic and I are just acting in the show but people think we are already having a relationship. So, wow, effective pala yung ginagawa namin sa show. I just take it as a compliment. Maybe people are thinking what we are doing is for real because we have good chemistry,” she says. “Plus, Pia is a good friend of mine. Pia was the one who recommended me to play the role of wife to Vic because she trusts me. We’re still friends.”

Daiana adds, “Vic teaches me a lot -- how to act, how to do the scene, position myself in front of the camera, every little detail -- which I think I wouldn’t learn if I was working with somebody else. He is a teacher.”

Even with all the intrigues, Daiana says that she doesn't miss anything back home, apart from her family.

“My dad, even if he was really well-off, he didn’t give me whatever I wanted. He made me work for it. That’s why when I first got here, I didn’t have a hard time working for what I wanted. Hindi naman mahirap. I’m used to taking a taxi for work. I make ipon. So I was able to buy two cars and my own place. In two and a half years, I have almost everything a 23-year-old person would want to achieve in life. So super blessed talaga ako,” she says.

Those agencies back home must be scratching their heads.

How to be a beautiful vamp

Do you work out?

I don’t go to the gym. I cannot afford to go to the gym because I have work and it wouldn’t be consistent and I’m tamad. I’m honestly really tamad to work out. But I control what I eat when I see that I’m gaining weight.

Beauty secrets?

The only thing I do is to remove my makeup before I sleep. Even if I get home really late and I’m so tired from work, I do that. And I really try to sleep, because if you get a good night’s sleep, you are going to look fresh the next day. But once you lose your sleep, you are going to lose years of your life.

Beauty regimen?

Water lang talaga. I remove my makeup with makeup remover. I use Dermaline soaps when I shower. I use their feminine wash. I’m Caucasian and our skin mature earlier than that of Asians. What I do is I go weekly to Dermaline and have my treatments there--facial masks and laser hair removal,

Beauty product you cannot live without?

I use Dermaline soaps a lot, like gluthathione soap. I would never leave home without mascara. Even if I don’t have any makeup on, you will always see my pilikmata--I make an effort to do so. I don’t even wear fake eyelashes. I really put on maraming mascara.

Who does your hair?

I’d rather do my hair than let a hairstylist do it because I know my hair better. Working as a model for five years has taught me how to fix my hair and do my makeup. I’m very particular with it, let me do it na lang. In Eat Bulaga, each of us do our own makeup. One time, when I was modeling for a fashion show, a hairstylist used an electric curler to curl my hair. But pinaso ako sa shoulders. I wanted to cry. So now, either I really know the hairstylist or I would just do my hairstyling.

Beauty Advice?

Don’t expose yourself to the sun without any sunblock, because you would get pimples, wrinkles, and freckles.

The Queen of Talk Is the Queen of News

The Queen of Talk Is the Queen of News By ANA KRISTINE B. VALENZUELA Published September 2010 CAN’T deliver the news because I make too much news,” Kris Aquino said in an interview with Jessica Soho last year. Indeed, every move that Kris makes, people talk about. Her role as First Sister to her brother, President Benigno ‘Noynoy’Aquino, doesn’t give her much break from the media glare. We see her every day as she hosts Pilipinas Win na Win, television’s newest noontime bonanza. She’ll endorse a juice brand, and people will refer to it as ‘Yung juice na ine-endorse ni Kris.’ She’ll have an album and it will hit gold even before it gets a release date because of reservations. She’ll speak out about the latest issue about what she calls the teleserye of her life on TV and next thing you know she’s at the top of tomorrow’s headlines and the hot topic of Internet forums and office chitchats for weeks.

Like the ruckus of the Facebook page on Kris Aquino’s Despedida, as Kris did say that she will leave the country if she becomes an interference to her brother’s administration. But Kris paid it no heed. “Kagaya po ng pangakong iniwan ng Dad at Mom sa ating bayan, Noy, ikaw at ako ang nasa posisyon para ipagpatuloy ang lahat ng kanilang nasimulan. Noy, you know all that…during our last conversation with Mom, nangako ako sa kanya. Whatever support you needed, I will be there for you,” Kris said, addressing Noynoy during their mother’s burial rites. The latest controversy that the Queen of All Media is now facing is her separation from her husband, basketball star James Yap. Kris said that the decision to end her five-year marriage was not spur-of-the-moment. “Matagal naming sinubukan. James and I really tried to make this work. On my part, with finality, I can say ako ay sumuko na,” she said on The Buzz. “Kung anuman ang dahilan why this marriage, on my part, I’m saying it’s over, the only person I will owe an explanation to and the only person who can demand from me, ‘Bakit kayo naghiwalay?’ is my son,” she added, referring to her son from James, Baby James. According to Kris, she did not want to publicize the reason behind the failure of her marriage, but instead will tell Baby James her side of the story one day. She also hopes that her estranged husband will tell his side as well. “The worst thing I can do for Baby James is, when he’s 7 or 8 years old, and mahanap niya sa YouTube ‘yung explanation kung bakit naghiwalay ang nanay at tatay niya. He deserves much more than that. He deserves to hear it only from me and only from James,” she said. Kris is seeking legal separation from her husband. Her lawyers found some loopholes to nullify her marriage, such as that the civil rites taking place in Quezon City, with then Mayor Feliciano Belmonte presiding over the ceremony, but with Kris acquiring her marriage license from Makati City. Unfortunately, it seems like there is no more hope for a Kris-James reconciliation, as men are being associated with her left and right. Since her separation, she’s been romantically linked to Gabby Concepcion, Gerald Anderson, Coco Martin, Robin Padilla, Senator Chiz Escudero, and Makati Mayor Junjun Binay. Kris quickly dismissed these stories as mere hearsay but was also quick to praise her friend, Junjun Binay, who she met while she was grieving for her mother and he for his wife. “He’s been good to me. A true friend. Kung tatanungin n’yo ako, nasa kanya ‘yung mga qualities that I admire in a man,” she said. Kris, however, wasn’t shy about hinting on the possibility of romance, saying “Ito, kinaklaro ko po, next year... pag alam ko na okay na ako, na I’m sure naitayo ko na ang Pilipinas, Win Na Win!, kung alam ko na kumportable na ang mga kapatid ko na mag-entertain ako o makipag-date ako, kung lahat sila hindi na naha-heart attack at naha-high blood sa the mere thought of it. And ang pinaka-importante, kung sigurado ako na si Josh at si Bimby well-adjusted. And if Junjun were to say, ‘Kris, gusto mo bang mag-dinner?’ I’d say yes. Why? Dahil alam ko na hindi niya ako lolokohin.” Well, we all have to wait and see on what will happen with Kris’s marriage to James and her friendship with Junjun. Whatever it might be, whatever move she makes, it is guaranteed: it will be news. And people will be talking about it. Vicki Belo on Kris: Kris is intelligent. I don’t think people get it because of the way she talks, but she’s smart. The nice thing about her is she’s an active endorser. She’s the one who thinks of ideas on how to promote the (Belo) clinic and then she goes like, “You should do this, you should do that.” Ang dami niyang input and she’s fun to have around. She’s also observant and goes down to the nitty-gritty level. Just recently, she texted me, “You should get (Pilipinas Got Talent winner) Jovit (Baldivino) because I think he’ll be like Nora Aunor in popularity. He’s really good, but he has bad skin and you can fix it.” Talagang may malasakit siya sa clinic and she’s the same with other products she endorses like Goldilocks. She was telling me, “You know their cake is good, you should try it.” Nakakatuwa. Of course, she’s also a good opinion maker.

Angel Locsin: Where She’s Putting Her Money

Angel Locsin: Where She’s Putting Her Money

By ANA KRISTINE B. VALENZUELA PUBLISHED MOD August 2010

ANGEL Locsin has already proven herself well in showbiz so she endeavors on a new enterprise where she is putting her well earned money. And she is taking with her the things she learned from the entertainment industry as she fulfills a new role of an entrepreneur.

The actress recently ventured into the food industry by opening her own bar and KTV in Quezon City, which is called Fuel Up. “It’s my first time to do this, to engage in a business, specifically a bar. Lately I’ve been going out a lot because I really don’t know what the people are looking for. The crowd in Makati is different from the crowd in Quezon City, right?”

It is not only research that Angel is doing, as when it comes to her business, she is hands-on. “There are times that I go to the bar and oversee things. I even mix drinks. Of course it’s just a new business. I really have to assist my staff and we need to work hand in hand. We are like one big family there,” she says.

She fondly recalls one incident when she gladly helped out. “There was one time we were shorthanded, and our bartender needed assistance. Our customers wanted some drinks and to take pictures with me. Then, I thought, hmm… why don’t I help out? I asked them, ano gusto n’yo? Our sales went double that night. Every time someone would take a picture they would need to drink beer or take a shot first. It was fun, tapos na-enjoy naman nila, kasi ako ‘ yung nagmi-mix talaga,” she says.

Of course like any regular establishment, Fuel Up also encounters some dilemmas. She shares, “One time, there was a group who went on a field trip in our bar. We didn’t know what to do. Kasi ‘di ba, why would you have field trip in a bar? They were all minors. If we turned them away, they would be offended. Also, our regulars and walk-in customers were there. Even though they were so many-- a bus full! --they weren’t really ordering much. Probably because they were still minors. So we just talked to them and stated our rules. Of course some were offended. But we really needed to do that.”

“Success is not all luck. There are certain opportunities that pass us by, may mga tsamba, but then you also have to prove yourself,” Angel says. Of course we know that Angel proved herself well by not passing by opportunities such as the youth show Click, and in the fantasy series Mulawin where she played Alwina. Even more, she proved her acting prowess via an Emmy nomination for her role as she-wolf in the teleserye Lobo.

Up next for Angel is a movie with Aga Muhlach, tentatively titled Huling Sayaw, where she plays the role of a pole dancer ."When I was offered the role, my reaction was, ‘Are you sure that it is me you want to cast?’ In this movie, I had to do everything that I didn’t want to do, as in lahat.” Angel says. To prep up for the role, she had to take up pole dancing lessons.

“You wouldn’t be able to last in the entertainment industry if you don’t have the talent, proper attitude, and if you don’t work your fingers to the bone,” Angel says.

With this kind of outlook, it is no wonder why she has many projects and endorsements, among them top retail brand Folded and Hung and canned goods giant Century Tuna.

“Some think that showbiz is all glitz and glamour,” she says. “No, it’s not just that. There are days when you don't feel the emotion the director calls for, but you just have to emote it. That’s how draining the work is.”

Problems such as having minors in a bar you own or being cast in a challenging role may be a regular rough patch on the road, but this girl can seem to solve them well, with a dose of talent and a shot of perseverance. “It just takes hard work for you to do your job well. Research, be on time, and be professional,” she says.

Angel Talks Fitness and Money

What’s your daily diet like?

I have to have a cheat day, where in I eat whatever I want. Before, I chow down on a lot of junk food, but now, I don’t eat as much anymore. I stopped eating junk food this year.

Do you have a sports regimen?

I do biking and belly dancing.

How about your exercise regimen?

I jog. I work out. There’s a video called Insanity. You should watch it. The workout is super intense. It is not that new, but it is slowly gaining a following.

How do you budget your money?

I have an accountant who helps me with my budget. I don’t spend that much. I only treat myself with food actually and, oh yeah, shoes. If I don’t need something then I won’t buy it. I keep my payments in the bank and withdraw cash only if needed.

What is one thing that you are saving for?

I already have a house, so I’d like to have more investments.

Define Wealth

I am rich in family and friends. I consider myself blessed for having that kind of family who supports me. At the same time, they don’t tolerate the bad things that I do. They treat you as a normal person and not as a celebrity