After more than two years of living in Manila, Priscilla proudly says: "Pinoy ako."
Uploaded: March 11, 2009
Since March 2006, Priscilla Meirelles has been living in Makati. She says it's very convenient for a model like her to live in this city.
"Makati is where everything happens. When it comes to modeling work, everything is around here. They have agencies, even the office of my agency. Everything is near here. Even the studios. Everything is in Makati."
In the 45-square-meter condominium unit that she's renting, the living room is dominated by an upholstered accent chair (left) and a damask sofa (right).
A china jar is used as the center table. An elephant ceramic pot stands near the accent chair. The side cabinet with glass doors contains the magazines in which Priscilla has appeared on the cover.
This place was already fully furnished when Priscilla moved in. She added the Christmas tree and the stuffed toy dog.
Priscilla moves around the metropolis in a white Mazda. She uses an international driving license, so she can drive pretty much anywhere in the world. She's proud that she knows Manila like the back of her hand.
"I think I know a lot more than most Filipinos. I need to drive around, I need to find weird address. I bought, like, this book and this guide, Manila the map and everything. I'm pretty comfortable driving here."
She has also learned how to deal with unscrupulous policemen.
"Before, I used to give gifts. If you do something wrong, like, they ask you something. Before, I'm a foreigner. Nowadays, I say 'No, no more. Pinoy ako. No more. No more. Pinoy ako.'"
These photos of Priscilla were taken by some of the country's biggest fashion photographers: (clockwise from top left) by Xander Angeles, by Sara Black, by Raymund Isaac, and again by Xander.
A framed photo of Priscilla—taken by Jeanne Young (a namesake of the former actress)—stands near a porcelain lamp with navy-blue fabric shade. Both the framed photo and the lamp, along with a giraffe woodcarving and an Eiffel Tower paperweight, are on top of a contemporary side table.
"I love to cook," says Priscilla. But she hasn't cooked anything for boyfriend John Estrada yet. "He cooked for me. Once or twice. But I haven't. It's funny. We always go out to eat."
She admits, "I'm getting very Filipino. I eat rice. But when I have a shoot, I stop it immediately. If I have a pictorial, something like that, I have to look good and slim and in very good shape. After that, I eat again! Basically, I eat a lot of proteins, meat, and salad."
In her kitchen, you will find a Sanyo microwave and a National refrigerator. Her ref is stocked with food—but not the healthy kind. It's full of junk food, mostly chocolate!
"I don't know if it still happens right now, but the girls are raised in a way that the girls can find a good husband.
"They find a good husband, they find a good provider, a good life, and you know they take care of home. They're shopping a lot, they take care of kids, maybe they do something, but basically they're wives.
"I can't, I don't see myself adapting to that reality, because I grew up in a family, I grew up in an environment, where my mom works, my dad works. They both are very successful business people, and they complement each other.
"Everything's half. Because when you're married, you're already depending on that person emotionally a lot, plus financially. It's hard. You're already suffocating yourself."
The bedroom has a chest of drawers, sheer curtains, and a duvet-covered bed. On top of the drawers is a Samsung television set. On top of the bed is another stuffed toy dog.
Priscilla says she loves dogs. She would love to have a real dog, but her jet-setting lifestyle doesn't permit it. "It's unfair to the dog. I think it's really hard, 'cause even before, when I live with my parents and we had a maid, my mom was, like, 'You have a dog, so you should take care of it.'"
In her relationship with John, Priscilla is true to her feelings. "It's funny because, with John, I'm very me. Every way. My past boyfriends, I was, like, you know, I feel like a lady. With him, sometimes I'm crazy. I feel like doing anything. I don't feel the necessity of being a lady 24 hours. I can be myself. If I'm sad, 'I'm sad!' If I wanna jump, 'I wanna jump!' I say it. I let it go out. Before, in my past relationships, most of the time—like, 100 percent of the time—I keep it to myself. With him, no. I let it go."
