"I got bored with showbiz that's why I went back to school," Paula Peralejo candidly said about her life-changing decision.

Courtesy of Paula Peralejo

Paula Peralejo and the joy of going back to school

Paul Mata

Thursday, January 31, 2008
09:46 PM

Paula Peralejo never intended to join show business. Her elder sister Rica was part of the famed kiddie-teen show Ang TV and Paula just enjoyed watching her during tapings of the show.

One day the cast lacked some extras for the classroom scene. Rica's road manager Lulu Romero picked out Paula to change into a school uniform.

"I was basically, ‘kidnapped,'" Paula remarked over a lunch at a campus café in Quezon City.

It was only when her mom mentioned that she was getting paid from 300 to 500 pesos per episode that she agreed to join the show regularly.

"Going to showbiz was my excuse ‘coz I didn't want to go to school," she recalled when asked what enticed her to join show business.

Fast forward to 2008 and the 23-year-old Paula is proud that she is about to earn her Philosophy degree this coming summer from the University of the Philippines. Yearning to learn more, she plans to attend a seminar on Philosophy for Children in the U.S. this coming May.

SHOWBIZ WHIRL. Paula was eight years old when she joined the quintessential show, Ang TV. She enjoyed doing the show so much that she transferred to a school that could accommodate her busy schedule. She was able to balance school and showbiz up until she was in Grade 6.

But when the first day of high school came, Paula didn't find it to her liking.

"Pumasok ako ng high school. Noong pumasok ako, wala, hindi ko na-trip-an yung school ko. So, showbiz was going to be my work. I'm going to work. Give me work because I'm gonna stop school," she said.

From then on, she became part of ABS-CBN shows like Gimik, Home Along da Riles, MTB (Magandang Tanghali Bayan) and Tabing Ilog. She occasionally appeared as a guest performer in Maalala Mo Kaya and Ipaglaban Mo.

It was in Tabing Ilog that she met Trina Zuñiga, who was able to balance both school and show business. Trina told stories to Paula about school with a lot of enthusiasm.

"I got so inspired. She didn't stop school. So, I was like, ‘Astig naman'! Iba yung buhay niya. Parang sabi ko, ‘Oo nga, parang ang bobo ko na,'" she realized.

So, Paula decided to go back to school. She took the PEP Test [Philippine Educational Placement] to determine her academic aptitude for high school. A program of the Department of Education, PEPT measures one's level of knowledge and, based on the test results, grants official certification that enables the holder to enroll at a higher level of studies. She took the test thrice and was later able to enter college. She enrolled in Veterinary Medicine at De La Salle-Araneta in Caloocan in 2002.

COLLEGE LIFE. Initially, the petite actress was able to handle the pressure of balancing showbiz and school. But she decided that school was too important to miss out.

"Not many people know this but I quit Tabing Ilog because of school. Siguro before I left, siguro mga one more episode na lang. Imagine... ang taping sa Pagsanjan. That's so far, Laguna. And my school was in Caloocan. Taping namin was Wednesday. Ang pasok ko ng Thursday, 8:30 a.m. I-re-release nila ako sa Pagsanjan ng mga 8 a.m. Sa tingin mo pa-paano ako ng 8:30. Hindi, di ba? Kahit nga helicopter, hindi aabot.

"So, after a while, ang dami ko nang absences, although mabait talaga yung prof ko. Ayoko yun. Ayoko yung bumalik ako ng school to get the artista treatment. No, I said, ‘I'm quitting.' If you can't release me on time always, and you're gonna mess up with my school schedule.

"Hindi ko na nga nakuha yung everyday sa school. T-Th-S na lang yung nakuha ko. Yung M-W-F, may Wednesday work ako. Tapos, sinisiksik ko na lahat from 8:30 a.m to 6 p.m. para lang maka-full units ako. Tapos I-re-release nila ako ng ganoon. So siyempre, the rest of the day, antok-antok ako. Parang may certain day na nakatulog ako sa mga benches."

Paula spent two years in De La Salle-Araneta but later decided that Veterinary Medicine wasn't to her liking. She transferred to the University of the Philippines in 2004.

She says that she's enjoying her stay in the country's premier university.

"Mahilig talaga ako pumasok. Natutuwa kasi nagkakaroon ka talaga ng social awareness. Kahit na itago mo yung sarili mo sa mundo, hindi puwede kasi magkakaroon at magkakaroon ka ng ideas sa mga nangyayari. Ang saya kasi dati, wala talaga akong pakialam. Proud pa ako na wala akong pakialam," she said.

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