Rufa Mae Quinto (in blue) moved back last December 2008, to the house she grew up in, a five-room, two-story structure in Cubao, built in 1969. She left home six years ago and tried living solo. Now, she says, she wants to reconnect with her siblings.

She’s overjoyed about her return to the house and the reunion with her family. “Ang saya,” she says. “Hindi ko na-realize na ganoon ko sila ka-miss until nakasama ko sila ulit lahat."

(YES! March 2009 issue)

Seated, (left to right) Sister Kyla, youngest on her mom’s side; P-Chi (as Rufa Mae is known to family and friends); Lola Luisa, her paternal grandmother; and 12-year-old niece Patrizia Mae, elder child of brother Archie.

Standing, (left to right) Brother Glenn, second to the eldest on her mom’s side; Mommy Fe; eldest and full brother Archie, with Lea, his wife of 13 years; sister Giejan, second to the youngest on her mom’s side; and brother Vincent, eldest on her mom’s side.

Inset: Five-year-old nephew Patrick, Archie’s son, who was throwing a tantrum when the family portrait was taken.

Most of her siblings, by the way, were initially too shy to be photographed. P-Chi chewed them out: “Susko, bakit kayo mahihiya? Mga nag-aral naman kayo. Matitinong tao naman kayo. Ano ba kayo?”

(YES! March 2009 issue)

The renovation of the house took three months—August to November 2008—to complete because it also entailed major repairs and repainting.

The ceiling of the living room, for instance, had to be redone and repainted to regain it’s old glory.

“Pero hindi namin binabago,” says P-Chi. “Kasi uso na ulit ang ganitong yari ng bahay ngayon, e.”

P-Chi’s Kuya Archie, who took charge of the whole process, adds: “Medyo tumagal, kasi noong una, renovation lang, pero marami na rin palang kailangan i-repair. So, madaming mga binakbak.” Laughing, he adds: “Actually, hindi pa ito tapos na tapos, kaya nagulat ako noong sinabi na magpi-pictorial na kayo. Sa entertainmant room lang, may babakbakin pa kami diyan.”

(YES! March 2009 issue)

The orange abstract painting on the wall, which was originally gracing the wall of her Acropolis home, was by artist Blaine San Luis of the Art Circle Gallery. It’s the first thing that grabs your attention once you enter the Quinto residence in Cubao.

Lola Luisa gives a brief history of this house in Cubao, Quezon City, and of the house-hopping that she and her family have gone through:

“Eto ang unang bahay namin ng asawa ko. ’Tapos, nakabili naman ako sa Sikatuna [Quezon City]. E, di, lumipat kami sa Sikatuna. Medyo lumaki sila doon ng Kuya Archie niya.

“’Tapos, lumipat kami ng Pampanga, doon sa pinakamalaki kong bahay na nabili. Kasi nagba-buy-and-sell ako ng mga PX goods noon. May tindahan ako sa Metro Mart sa Angeles. Saka nagbibiyahe ako ng Hong Kong, Japan. Noong araw, napakalakas noon…

“So, ’binenta ko ito sa kapatid ko. ’Pinamana ngayon ng kapatid ko sa anak niyang doktora, na inaanak ko.

“E, nagpagawa ’yong inaanak ko ng bahay sa BF [BF Homes, Parañaque]. ’Tapos, ’binenta niya ito, nitong artistang-artista na si P-Chi—kay P-Chi na. Kasi hindi ko na kailangan. Matanda na ako. Kay P-Chi na ito.”

 (YES! March 2009 issue)

The cabinet below this mirror holds several photo albums, as well as loose photos, that record P-Chi’s happy childhood and her rise to stardom.

The archivist of the star’s showbiz memorabilia is her Lola Luisa, who makes sure her granddaughter has photos all around the house.

Musing on her popular apo’s achievements, the cool grandma sighs: “Siguro, ang Panginoong Diyos, hindi ’binibigay lahat at one time. Kailangan, meron namang palpak na isa. Binigyan na siya ng magandang mukha, katawan, pera, kasikatan… pero ang lovelife niya ang palpak.”

(YES! March 2009 issue)

P-Chi actually sold her home at the Acropolis Village in Quezon City because she intended to buy a new home. “Gusto niya kasi mag-upgrade ng bahay,” Archie recalls. “Ang problema, meron siyang mga pinagpipiliang bahay na hindi pa tapos. E, may bibili na noong Acropolis. Inisip niya kasi, pag pina-hold niya ng one year ’yong buyer, mahirapan na naman siya magbenta ulit.

Maghahanap na naman. Bumili na lang siya ng lote. ’Yong bahay, planning stage pa lang.”

Thus, her decision to move back to Cubao.

P-Chi owns several other pieces of property, one of which are condominium units she could very well live in. But she really wants to rejoin her family this time.

(YES! March 2009 issue)

Thoush she owns two condominium units—one in Greenhills, San Juan, and another in Makati, both just a few minutes’ drive from Cubao—P-Chi thinks staying in Cubao with her family is not just fun but, even more so, economical.

“Any time nga, puwede kong tirahan ’yong mga ’yon, e,” she says of the condo units. “Kaya lang, mahirap din ang buhay ngayon. Kailangan mo ding maging wa-is. Tutal, itong kuwarto ko na ito, parang pad na, e, di ba? Malaki pa. Pati banyo ko dito, mas malaki pa sa luma kong bahay, e. Makakapagtipid ka din, ha.

“Kasi, dalawa ang mine-maintain kong house before—ito saka ’yong Acropolis. E, ngayon, isa na lang. So, at least, kung magpapagawa rin ako ng house sa Corinthian later on, ’yong tinitipid ko, mapupunta na naman sa isa pang mas magandang investment, di ba?”

(YES! March 2009 issue)

This den or entertainment room used to serve as a home office. P-Chi says she made huge savings by having her Kuya Archie, who’s starting his own contracting business, take charge of the renovation: “Ako tagasabi kung ano gagawin o ano gusto ko. Si Kuya ang taga-execute.”

Part of the savings came from the recyling of the furnishings. “Like iyang sofa sa den,” P-Chi points out. “Sa Acropolis ’yan dati. Iyong sa sala, dati na ’yon—pina-reuphoslter lang. May ibang gamit pa dito, galing naman sa condo ko sa Greenhills.

Magaling naman si Kuya, na-mix-and-match niya. Ako nga ang magulo, e. Minsan, nagugulat sila, iniiba ko ang ayos.”

(YES! March 2009 issue)

This dining table, which can seat eight people, also came from P-Chi’s Acropolis house. She plans to have a new house built within this year, on the lot that she owns inside the posh Corinthian Hills in Quezon City. But she’s still a bit confused about the look she wants to achieve. “Gusto ko modern na Victorian,” she says.

“Hmm, mahirap yata ’yan, ’Neng,” we tease her.

“E, basta!” she laughs. “Hindi ko pa masabi. Modern something. Hindi ko pa naiisip.”

(YES! March 2009 issue)

The door behind the dining table leads to three key areas—the kitchen; the bedroom of Lola Luisa, who prefers to stay here on the ground floor; and a back door that leads to another house, where P-Chi’s Mommy Fe and brother Vincent live.

(YES! March 2009 issue)

“Kapatid ko may gawa niyan,” says P-Chi proudly of this 2003 floral painting gracing a nook in the dining area. She’s referring to her brother Pancho, a graduate of fine arts at the University of the Philippines.

(YES! March 2009 issue)

For the YES! photo shoot, P-Chi invited her three siblings on her dad’s side. Only one of them made it—Tonyo, the eldest, now an importer and exporter of tuna, besides being the Sangguniang Kabataan chairman of his barangay, West Triangle in Quezon City.

Seated with Tonyo (right) are his wife of five years, Jaymee Rose, and their only daughter, the 10-year-old Alissandra Jeline.

(YES! March 2009 issue)

The second-floor landing has a floor-to-ceiling display cabinet that holds several of P-Chi’s framed photos, showbiz memorabilia, and self-help and inspirational books. Among the titles on her shelves are Lies Women Believe: And the Truth that Sets Them Free by Nancy Leigh DeMoss; The Purpose-Driven Life by Dr. Rick Warren; Love Signals by David Givens; and Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus: The Classic Guide to Understanding the Opposite Sex by John Gray.

(YES! March 2009 issue)

The second-floor landing is spacious enough to hold an anterooms or a receiving area. Archie, however, has converted this area into his home office for his Leisure Quest travel agency.

“Dati, sa ibaba ang office,” he explains. “Since ginawa nang entertainment room iyon, inakyat ko ang office dito. May office naman akong inuupahan. Extension lang ito bale.”

(YES! March 2009 issue)

Lola Luisa, a banking-and-finance graduate of Far Eastern University, prefers staying on the ground floor, in what she calls her green room. Why green, we ask? “It’s the color of money!” she jests. “Dollars!”

“Di ba, cute ng room niya, parang dollhouse?” P-chi says. “Kunwari, siya si Barbie.”

At 84, Lola Luisa is still a working woman. She has a passion for buying and selling goods, from imported shoes and bags from Hong Kong, to ball pens and sponges from Divisoria.

“Hay, naku!” she sighs. “Kapag nagkakasakit nga ako, nagagalit si P-Chi. Sinasabi niya, ‘Tumigil ka na nga.’ E, kasi tingnan mo, may ref ako sa kuwarto ko. Ang ginagawa ko pag nandito ako, nood ng TV, kain, higa. E, mananaba ako. Saka parang mas magkakasakit ako kapag hindi ako nagtrabaho.

“Ayoko kasing umaasa, ayoko nang humihingi. Parang namamalimos. Kahit sa mga anak kong mayaman, hindi ako humihingi. Gamit ko, sarili ko, ako ang bumibili. ’Yon kasi ang turo ng mamang ko, e.”

(YES! March 2009 issue)

P-Chi has an abundance of awards, including outstanding lead actress in a comedy series, from the 2004 Golden Screen Entertainment TV Award; best comedy actress, from the 2005 and 2008 Star Awards for TV; and best performance by an actress in a TV comedy program, from the KBP 9th Golden Dove Awards. But the abundance does not extend to her love life. She's loveless at the moment.

The award-winning comedy star says that someone who has read her feng shui for 2009 predicts she will be getting married this year.

Asked if she's ready for that, she says yes, then backs off. "Matatapos na ang Enero, ha!" she says, referring to the time of the YES! shoot. "Eleven months na lang. Kaloka! Pero siyempre, gusto ko serious na. 'Yong pang-last na... Nako, baka naman ma-pressure ang mga bagets!"

How very P-Chi.

(YES! March 2009 issue)

The whole second floor has narra-planks finish. “Dati na ’yan,” says P-Chi. “Hindi namin ’yan papalitan ever, kasi wala nang ganyan ngayon, e.”

The three-door panels near P-Chi’s bedroom door are actually extra closet space for rarely used clothes.

(YES! March 2009 issue)

P-Chi, here wearing a dress by Emilio Pucci and a pair of YSL clogs, has an imeldific collection. She says she loves shoes because she didn’t have much of those when she was young.

“As in, iisa lang ’yong sapatos ko noon,” she recalls. “Hindi naman kami mahirap na mahirap. Nakapag-aral naman ako. Kaya lang, palipat-lipat kami, saka unti-unti, dumami na kami. Kaya, hindi ’yong ganito na kaya kong bilhin ’yong shoes na alam mo ’yon? Siyempre iba ngayon na may trabaho ka na, di ba?

“Dati, simple lang, simpleng-simple. Pero nakita mo noong bata pa ’ko, di ba? Hindi rin naman kami laking, ano, mahirap. Negosyante naman ang lola ko. Never kaming walang kinakain, ganoon. Nakatikim naman ako ng ano noong araw—aircon. Aircon? Hahaha!”

(YES! March 2009 issue)

Name a popular fashion shoe brand and Rufa Mae Quinto, the actress, probably owns a pair. In her walk-in dressing room, P-Chi has an entire wall custom-built with a floor-to-ceiling shoe rack that can accommodate at least 200 pairs!

The brands we see here include Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Louis Vuitton, Gianni Versace, Guccio Gucci, Miu Miu, Jimmy Choo, Christian Louboutin, Fendi, Miuccia Prada, Bebe, Steven Madden, Marni, Nine West, Paul Smith, Cristobal Balenciaga, Dolce&Gabbana, and Givenchy.

P-Chi says that, when she goes shopping, she’s more easily drawn to shoes than to clothes: “Ang shoes kasi, puwede mong ulitin, e. Saka, nagagamit namin sa trabaho. Kailangan ko rin ng mga damit. Kaya lang, ang damit, hindi mo naman puwedeng ulit-ulitin. So mas nagi-invest ako ng mas mahal sa shoes.”

The prices of these shoes, by the way, depending on brand and style, can range from $200 to $2,000. Thus, given the  exchange rate (P47.62 to a dollar) at the time of publication, a pair would cost from P9,524 to nearly P100,000.

(YES! March 2009 issue)

Next to shoes, P-Chi has also been investing in expensive but durable and classic bags. And she takes care of them well.

“Ang bags, pagka sobrang expensive na, ’nilalagay ko na doon sa itaas ng cabinet,” she says.

“Bina-box ko siya. Naka-box lahat ng mamahalin ko. Hindi ko siya dini-display.”

This prompts us to ask: You mean, these bags on the lower shelves aren’t expensive yet?

Laughing, she says: “Mahal din sila. Pero mas mahal pa ’yong mga nakatago, alam mo ’yon? Like ’yong Hermes—mahal ’yon, ha. Ang pinaka-latest ko, ’yong ostrich [Hermes Birkin bag], e. Ang mahal-mahal pala noon, susme! Ayoko namang magbisyo sa bag masyado. Pa-isa-isa lang.”

Hermes Birkin bags, according to the website suite101.com, start with a $7,000 price tag—or P333,340!

(YES! March 2009 issue)

This bathroom, and the rest of P-Chi’s bedroom and closets, are kept clean and well-maintained by her stay-in helper for 12 years, Blanca Sarmiento. Blanca loves P-Chi and her job. What she says she doesn’t like is the constant moving around.

“Nakakapagod maglipat ng bahay,” Blanca laughs. “Pagkatapos noong bahay niya, mag-eempake na naman ako.”

If she had her way, Blanca would like to stay longer in Cubao. “Masaya dito, e,” she says. “Madami kang kausap. Noong nasa Acropolis kami, pag aalis siya, wala na akong kausap. Malungkot.”

(YES! March 2009 issue)

P-Chi says she really loves cars, which is a not-too-common trait among women.

“Sabi ko nga sa ’yo, akala lang nila, porke’t maputi ako, at malaki siguro boobs… Hindi nila alam, mekaniko ako sa past life. Hahaha!”

She has a simple explanation for her macho fascination with cars. “Kasi, di ba, lumaki ako na kasabay kong lumalaki, mga boys? Noong bata nga ako, para akong lalaki talaga.”

Through the years, her garage has been home to a wide range of cars. “Road Trek, Suburban, Pajero, Montero, Expedition… Nabenta ko na ang mga ’yon. Kasi minsan, naga-upgrade ka. ’Tsaka sa ngayon kasi, walang garahe.”

At present, she owns two cars, a red Jaguar and a black Range Rover. “’Yong Range Rover, dream car ko ’yon,” she says. “Kasi, di ba, ’yon ang gamit ni James Bond?”

(YES! March 2009 issue)

These are the façade and the pocket garden (inset) of the Cubao home, which, P-chi says, looks like a dollhouse in the picture.

In addition to her condo units and the Corinthian Hills property, the actress owns lots in West Grove, Sta. Rosa, Laguna (where Sharon Cuneta lives), and in Angeles, Pampanga (where the Quintos hail from). We gather that she also owns a condo unit in Hong Kong, one of her favorite travel destinations.

Her Lola Luisa keeps telling the workaholic actress-producer, who also dabbles in concerts as a singer-dancer, to slow down a bit or even opt for early retirement: “Sabi ko nga, tumigil na. Wala naman siyang asawa, walang anak na pamamanahan. Tumigil na siya. Ang dami na niyang pundar… Masyado na siyang pagod.”

(YES! March 2009 issue)

P-Chi is wearing her gold Givenchy pumps, paired with her Eric Samson leopard print dress. This is the dress she wore in her When Erik Met Rufa post-Valentine concert with former boyfriend Erik Santos in 2007.

 A few hours after our January shoot, the actress sends us this lengthy but meaningful text message:

“I wanna thank you and I wanna share to you and to the readers of YES! the people I grew up with… my life as a daughter and sister… I wanna share the different side of P-chi… I left this house ’cause I got my dream house in Acropolis, I went solo. But I was just thinking about it, it’s not easy ’cause I grew up sleeping in one bed eight years ago with my siblings.

“Now I’m here and I’m super happy. I have my brothers to protect me and sisters to share the lessons I’ve learned in life. I have my pamangkins to play with when I’m at home. My mom is here to listen to my sob stories… my grandma who tells me what to do with my career and to cook for me and feed me before I leave the house to go to work.

“They keep me stronger. I feel loved now. I would say I miss my family. I miss being home—being me in my home sweet home.

“Alam mo, higit pa sa pangarap ko narating ko, kaya I am contented. Happy ako na umasenso kami, na na-entertain ko ang showbiz! Don’t worry, I will be a wife and mother too kasi God will give me a love that will last forever… hehe.”

(YES! March 2009 issue)