I rarely go to showbiz events but when I do, I make sure I’m prepared and ready to have a blast! Just like at YES! magazine’s 7th anniversary and PEP’s (Philippine Entertainment Portal) grand launch last February 28 at the NBC Tent, The Fort.
I had a couple of outfits made by two of my favorite Filipino designers—a royal blue Grecian-inspired dress by Randy Ortiz and a blingy hot pink shift by Rajo Laurel.
I asked my makeup artist Steven Doloso to come to my condo at 5:30 PM and I requested my friends to come exactly at 7 PM. After all, this was not only YES! magazine’s 7th anniversary, bibigyan din ako ng Bravo Award. Exciting! What kind of award is that?
Well, according to the Editor-in-Chief of YES! magazine, Jo-Ann Maglipon, “The BRAVO award is named after a section in YES! magazine that features the good work that stars do—not for anything they stand to gain from, not for more fame, not for more money—but for OTHERS. The award is thus given to the star who, those of us in YES! believe, most consistently and outstandingly performed acts of selflessness and generosity for the year. That is you.”
I was beside myself, I just won a KAWANGGAWA award! Ngayon, gusto ko pong ipagpatuloy ang pagsisikap kong tumulong sa kapwa. I will start organizing the 2nd Celebrity Bazaar soon.
I consider myself a Summit Media, publisher of YES! magazine, baby as parati naman nila kong pini-feature on their magazines. (By the way, get the March 2007 issue of Good Housekeeping wherein I talked about traveling tips with kids and favorite holiday destinations).
Going back to the YES! event, as usual, I was running late. I wasn’t even close to being finished with my makeup when the doorbell rang at exactly 7 PM—talk about American time, geez! It was Ella (Ana Roces)! Siyempre, chika-chika kami.
Ana looked so good in her Petite Monde pastel pink dress. Parang hindi nanganak, girl! Sabi ko nga, if I could borrow her body for a day, and she just giggled. Five minutes later, Miray (Almira Muhlach-Alvarez) walked in looking just as stunning in her silver cocktail dress. Ano ba itong mga mommies na ito, parang mga walang anak?!
We chilled out muna by switching channels from 24 Oras to TV Patrol World. At around 7:30 PM, La Greta (Gretchen Barretto), arrived in her sheer Valentino dress whining at how the house seemed so quiet without the kids—Lorin and Venice. Sniff. Sniff. (Yes, I miss them, too.)
Anyway, that was my cue to change my white robe to my Randy O. dress, copper stilettos and jewelry in like five minutes! I don’t like to be the cause of delay naman.
Then, Raymond (my handsome bro) and Nicole (Anderson) also arrived, and made themselves at home in the kitchen while I was getting dressed.
Moments later, we were cramped into two vans and made our way to the NBC Tent. Chika-chika, kwento-kwento. Ana was like, “I always wanna be with you guys. You’re so fun to be with and full of life!”
We arrived at the Tent and the paparazzi were clicking away. Someone quipped, “Dawn [Zulueta] is there! I said, ‘Where?” Siyempre, with my blind eyes and the glare of the camera lights, I couldn’t see a thing!
As an afterthought, along the vein of this whole Pantene thingie, I might as well give my statement once and for all. Walang kamatayan kasi ang mga tanong about this since I was a witness to it all. 
For the record, let it be known that Gretchen and Dawn are both friends that I respect. I’ve known both of them since nineteen-kopong-kopong and have always looked up to them as beauty icons. Whatever happened to them was unfortunate but I firmly believe that there’s always a chance for redemption. I’m so sure that one of these days, magbabati rin sila.
Life is too short, we should love life and value family and friends in spite of our shortcomings and differences. Kaya Gretch, Dawn, and even Tita Angeli (Pangilinan-Valenciano) and Tita Lolit (Solis), magbati-bati na sana kayong lahat!
Which reminds me, kahapon, on the set of Philippine’s Next Top Model, sobra nang umiinit yung mga eksena! Everybody’s getting competitive! Uy, the teaser is out na for Top Model on RPN-9, but I will save the juicy tidbits for my next blog.
Bye, Girlies!