Maja Salvador, a star as talented as she is sexy, opens up about the boys in her life--and their grand gestures to make her feel special.
But first: Is Maja dating now?
The very frank ABS-CBN star says, "Hindi. Mga eight months na akong single. May mga nagpaparamdam, may mga nagyayaya, pero wala pang amor."
She is in no hurry to even go out on a date. "Okay naman ako. Pero wala pang butterflies sa stomach ko to say yes na lumabas."
Is she open to entering a new relationship with a fellow artist?
Without pausing, she answers, "Hindi natin alam, e. Na-try ko na yung showbiz, na-try ko na yung hindi showbiz. Kung ano ang para sa iyo, yun na."
One fine afternoon in September, Maja plays nice to PEP.ph (Phililppine Entertainment Portal), and talks candidly about the boys, the men, the stars, who became close to her through the years.
MATTEO GUIDICELLI
Maja recalls the high point of her relationship with Matteo Guidicelli, which lasted two years.
"Ano bang pinaka-bonggang ginawa ni Matteo? Siguro yung Post Its.
"May kasalanan siya, 'tapos yung buong room ko pinuno niya ng Post Its. Ginaya niya si John Lloyd sa My Amnesia Girl."
In the 2010 movie, the character of John Lloyd Cruz fills up the room of Toni Gonzaga with Post Its declaring his love for her.
Maja continues: "Napanood niya, 'tapos ginaya niya. Maa-appreciate mo kasi buong room naka-cover ng Post Its.
"Kaya ang feeling ko nun, ako si Toni Gonzaga," she says with a smile.
PEP.ph asks, almost irrelevantly: Who cleaned up the walls after?
Maja grins, "Ako rin!"
CARLO AQUINO
Maja will always be grateful to Carlo Aquino for being there at a difficult time in her life.
"Si Carlo ang nandiyan nung namatay ang daddy ko. Panahon niya yun."
Actor Ross Rival, from the famous Lou Salvador Sr. clan and the father of Maja, died on November 16, 2007.
"Siya ang nagdala sa akin sa ospital papunta sa daddy ko. Sa kanya ako nag-MMK," she says, mentioning the Kapamilya anthology Maalaala Mo Kaya famous for its weepy dramas.
"Totoo pala yung mga napapanood natin sa MMK na lupasay. Nung namatay ang tatay ko, ganun."
Carlo was there for her. "Siya yung nandun. Kaya kilala rin siya ng mga kapatid ko."
Carlo courted Maja after ending his relationship with Angelica Panganiban, and although they never became an item, she will always remember him for seeing her through those dark days.
GERALD ANDERSON
Maja and Gerald Anderson were a tight couple for two years. They picked up a relationship in 2013, and broke up in 2015.
She recalls for PEP.ph their much-talked about date when Gerald rented a helicopter to bring her to Tagaytay.
"Nakasakay na ako ng eroplano pero hindi pa ako nakasakay ng chopper noon.
"Valentine's Day nun. Sabi niya, mayroon kaming lunch.
"Akala ko sa rooftop ng isang hotel. Pagkabukas ng mga guards, may chopper. Tumakbo talaga ako--palayo!
"'Tapos hinila niya ako. Nag-chopper papuntang lunch date."
Maja on John Lloyd: "Kung anong meron ang mga dyowa niya, meron din ako! At mas bongga pa!"
JOHN LLOYD CRUZ
John Lloyd Cruz was the leading man to Bea Alonzo and Maja in the 2007 movie One More Chance.
Maja makes clear: "Si Lloydie, hindi ko man siya dyowa, pero ang tawag ko sa kanya Tatay.
"Siya yung kapatid ko na sana kapatid ko talaga.
"Siguro hindi ako ganito ka-inspired sa trabaho ko kung hindi dahil sa kanya.
"Hindi ko siguro napahalagahan ang trabaho ko kung hindi dahil sa experience niya, sa mga kuwento niya."
She trills: "Ang sarap niyang kausap tungkol sa buhay. Sobra."
When asked what John Lloyd did for her that she finds most memorable, she exclaims: "Ang sosyal nun! May makita lang ako...
"Kritiko ko yun. Hindi kasi ako mahilig sa watch. Sabi niya, 'Ano ba iyang relo mo?'
"May budget ka pambili ng sapatos at bag pero yung relo mo ganito. Inokray niya.
"'Tapos isang araw, walang okasyon, binigyan niya ako ng Cartier na watch. Limited edition.
"'Yan ang John Lloyd Cruz!"
She says playfully, "Kaya kung anong meron ang mga dyowa niya, meron din ako! At mas bongga pa!"
Maja adds that John Lloyd is such a generous person.
"Kulang na lang tumira ako sa bahay niya sa Batangas."
JOHN PRATS
"Si Pratty, crush ko yun dati. Sa It Might Be You yun, bagets-bagets pa kami."
That was 2003. But John was courting Heart Evangelista then, and as he would tell PEP.ph years later, in February 2013, "We were really young...at masyado akong nasakal."
So John Prats remained just a crush for Maja.
COCO MARTIN
Maja brought life to SPO1 Glenda "Glen" Corpuz, one of the leading ladies of Coco Martin in the ABS-CBN prime-time series FPJ's Ang Probinsyano.
"Si Coco, nung concert ko, nagpadala siya ng sobrang tangkad na bulaklak--sa concert ko sa MOA Arena."
That was a big thing coming from Coco, laughs Maja.
"Kasi kahit anong hingi ko ng regalo sa kanya, hindi niya ako binibigyan! Napakayaman, pero hindi ako binibigyan.
"Birthday ko, Christmas, wala. Kahit love letter wala.
"Ang explanation niya, kaya niya ako hindi nireregaluhan, kasi gusto pa niya ako makatrabaho."
Maja says she wanted to tease him.
"Gusto ko nga sabihin, 'So, lahat ng binigyan mo ng regalo, ayaw mo na katrabaho?'"
Then she muses mischievously, "Sana this 30th [birthday] ko, regaluhan na niya ako: 30 bags!"
Maja turned 30 on October 5, 2018.
PIOLO PASCUAL
Piolo and Maja often travel abroad for ASAP, the Kapamilya noontime show.
"Si Papa P, every time na out of the country, hindi ka niya pagbabayarin sa kainan. Kunyari, lalabas sa gabi, siya [magbabayad]. Bawal ka maglabas [ng pera].
"Kulang na lang, hindi na ako magdadala ng bag pag aalis kami. Hindi lang sa akin, sa lahat ng kaibigan niya."
She points out, "Kung sa regalo, I'm happy sa love na binibigay niya. Wala mang regalo na material, bilangin niyo lahat ng concert ko, nandun siya." 
MAJA, THE STAR
The daughter of the late actor Ross Rival and Thelma Andres was dubbed the Dance Princess by ABS-CBN.
And, through her 15 years as a Kapamilya, Maja has proven herself worthy of the title--and more.
For her acting skills in the horror film Sukob (2006), she received the Breakthrough Performance by an Actress trophy at the 2007 Golden Screen Awards and another as the New Movie Actress of the Year at the 2007 Star Awards for Movies.
Just four years later, the Gawad Urian and the Film Academy of the Philippines hailed her as their 2012 Best Actress for bringing life to a track runner in Thelma (2011).
On the personal front, Maja always thought she would get settled by age 25.
She is now 30, has just passed her 15th anniversary in showbiz, and is still single.
Settling down seems farthest from her mind.
"Hindi ako nape-pressure," she says. "Dati, pangarap ko twenty-five makapagasawa na, settled na.
"Pero pag nakarating ka sa age na yun, parang hindi. Ang dami mo pang gustong gawin.
"Saka ang dami pang nagmamahal sa akin. Ang dami pang gustong makita ako. So, huwag muna."
The star of the movie To Love Some Buddy adds matter-of-factly, "Saka wala pa kong dyowa."
This October 31, Maja co-stars with Zanjoe Marudo in this rom-com directed by Jason Paul Laxamana.
SHOOT PRODUCER: Nikko Tuazon
PHOTOGRAPHER: Cyrus Panganiban
ART DIRECTOR: Jeremiah Idanan
MAJA'S STYLIST: Rex Atienza
ASSISTED BY: Miguel Cruz
MAKEUP ARTIST: RB Chanco
HAIRSTYLIST: Chris Rodil
VIDEO TEAM: Rommel Llanes, John Henri Mariano, Mark Suarez
Special thanks to Keia Inciong of ABS-CBN Films' Black Sheep