"Maaga akong pumasok sa giyera ng buhay," Cristy Fermin says.
She has lost count of the number of trials and problems that came her way. But she remembers how she was able to overcome them all.
She gives much credit to her family, which has always been her source of strength. "Hindi ako pinabayaan sa anumang uri ng laban ng buhay ko. Pinagkakatiwalaan ko [sila] bago ko pagkatiwalaan ang ibang tao dahil alam ko na ang kapamilya ko, hindi ako ililiko sa anong mang masamang kamay, anumang maling desisyon."
"Lumaki ako sa isang pamilya na kumpleto," she added. "Wala akong kulang nung lumaki ako kundi kayamanan namin. Wala kasi, salat. [Mga magulang ko] teachers, magkano noon ang suweldo? 800 pesos, principal, 360 pesos, guro."
So it was pure joy for the showbiz writer to earn and share her blessings with family and friends. "Oo naman. ‘Pagka sinukat mo lahat ng tinulungan ko, makakapasok na ko sa kaharian ng langit."
Financial blessings started pouring in when Cristy Fermin, with then partner Loren Banag, established Mariposa, which produced six entertainment magazines: Gossip, Rumors, Teenstars, Scandals, Secrets, and Bitchy.
In 1987, Cristy was introduced to TV. Her entry was through Inday Badiday's Eye to Eye, where she occasionally appeared as a reporter.
She must have impressed TV executives with her onscreen bravura because she was chosen to host another showbiz gabfest, Movie Magazine. Other gigs followed: Showbiz Lingo in 1992 and Cristy Per Minute in 1995.
But in 1994, the TV personality encountered "setbacks." She figured in a near-fatal car accident. And later, she found out that she was facing 37 cases of estafa because of the trust she had given freely to a friend.
"Ewan ko ba, pinagkatiwalaan ko ng dalawang booklets ng tseke," Cristy narrated ruefully. Her friend, then a popular co-entertainment writer, had used the checks for his own gain and swindled Cristy of her hard-earned money.
And then in 2000, Mariposa's reign ended. Not Cristy Fermin's though.
Cristy proved tougher than anyone thought. She did not back down. She fought her battles with her head held high.
Her toughness is the legacy of Mrs. Lucila Salazar Fermin herself. "Matapang ang nanay ko, e. Ang tatay ko, hindi gaano. Ang tatay ko kapag bumabagyo, tumutulong sa nanay ko sa pag-aabot ng karton at kahoy sa tumutulo naming bubong. Nanay ko, nakaakyat."
Emulating her own mother was the only way to prove to her six sons, two of whom (Kevin Felisiante and Bulaklak Mandela) she adopted, that there is nothing to worry about and that she is made of sturdy stuff.
As a mom, she said, "Marami akong kapos bilang kasama sa buhay. Pero bilang ina, lahat siguro ng katangian ng isang ina na hinahanap ng anak, asa ‘kin. Unang-una, kabarkada ko mga anak ko. Bukas lagi ang isip ko, ang puso ko [sa kanila]. Napaka-liberal kong ina. Wala silang lihim na hindi muna nasasabi sa akin. Ako muna."
