FEBRUARY 2013:LJ REYES

This is a lot different from yourpakpak shoot in 2009—the first time you appeared on our cover. Were you surprised at how today’s photos turned out?
Actually, hindi—and oo. Confidentkasi ako with the team, and si Doc Marlon gusto ko talaga siyangphotographer. Pero hindi naman ako nag-expect na, uy, sobrang ganda pala yung kakalabasan ng photos. Every time I do a pictorial I’m pulled both ways, may kaba at excitement.

Did anyone tell you that you were going to be taking your panties off in the water, though?
Hindi! Ha ha ha! Naging spontaneouskasi ang lahat. Pinadalhan niyo naman ako ng pegs pero naging spontaneousyung shoot. Nung nasa water nga kami, sabi ni Eds [the stylist], “Ibaba ko ha?” Ako naman, “Okay.” “Baba ko pa kaunti.” “Okay.” “Baba ko pa…” “Okay.” Okay lang ako nang okay, kasi comfortable ako with the people around. Pero siguro kung iba yung mga tao, baka hindi rin ganoon yung kinalabasan.

The rest of the staff who didn’t need to go in the water were freezing from the Antipolo winds, so we can only imagine how you must’ve felt.
Cold! Lamig na lamig talaga ako dun! Pero mas malamig actually nung pinaahon na ako sa tubig at pinahiga sa ground sa tabi ng natural pool.

We think part of the reason we’re surprised at how much of adiyosa you ended up looking like in this shoot is because back in 2009 you were just 22.
Oo, bagets!

And now, motherhood and four years later they say mas blooming ka. Would you attribute this to maturity?
Well, feeling ko, like for example yung shoot kanina, it’s a mixture of maturity and familiarity, kaya mas komportable na akong gumalaw. Before kasi, pinapaalala nga ni Doc na sumisigaw pa ako bago yung shoot,pampawala ng kaba. Halos maiyak na ako sa kaba. Pero ngayon, wala lang. Naglalakad lang ako, tapos—ay, nakikitaan na pala ako! Ha ha! Parang wala na sa akin.

Unlike other artistas, we also can’t pin your “image” to a specific box, you even look so much different from when we saw you last.
Well, um… Bakit nga ba? Siguro dahil nagkaroon ako ng baby? I think more than that. When you grow older,yung experiences mo, things that you learn from different people that you meet, it molds you. So from my first cover in 2009 and then ngayon, yung experiences na yun, pinaghalo-halo mo, pinagsama-sama mo, as it accumulates, nagiging ganoon ka. Kaya right now, yung experiences ko has produced this, eto na ako ngayon.

You were saying earlier that you’ve never really had pa-tweetums roles to start with, but you aren’t also just the pa-sexy lang type. How would you want to be seen?
Siguro I just want to be an actress lang. As in, gusto ko marami akong magawang  magagandang films that I will be proud of, mga projects and TV shows, yung kaya kong mag-shift ng hitsura in an instant.

What kind of films will these be?
It will range from comedy, to drama, to action. Andami kong gustong i-try sobra. Sa sobrang dami kong gustong gawin, wala akong isang dream role lang. I want to try a lot of things, like gusto ko gumawa ngsomething like Shutter Island ni Leo DiCaprio. Gusto ko ring mag-rom-com. Andami kong gustong gawin, sobrang dami.

What projects are you busy with now?
I’m doing something with GMA, pero hindi siya teleserye. Ano siya, sa news, GMA News TV. Para siyang… you know how, yung HBO naglalabas sila ng originals nila—HBO original series? Yung GMA News and Current affairs mayroon silang gagawing similar in line with the elections. I don’t know if I’m allowed to say it na, pero basta yun, I’ll be part of it.

Last time we did the shoot was December, which was...
…my birth month! Yes.

And now it’s for February. Are you the type who celebrates Valentine’s?
Minsan kasi mahirap para sa schedule namin. Kailangang mag-adjust. Minsan lumilipas na yung holiday bago ma-celebrate, wala ng time. But of course, you will find time. Hindi ako mahilig mag-celebrate nang bonggang-bongga. Very simple akong tao. Simple celebration lang.

Mahirap ka bang i-date?
I-date? Hindi ’no! Fishball lang puwede na! Ha ha ha! Kasi ako naman, it’s not where you go, it’s what you do,yung buong experience, enjoying what you do with that person. Hindi ko gustong dalhin mo ako sa isang fancy restaurant and we have nothing to talk about, and I don’t laugh at your jokes. No, hindi ako mage-enjoy, ayoko nang ganung date.

How should our readers be taking their women out on Valentine’s?
Siyempre ang girls, iba-iba. So for me, just know what your girl likes and what she doesn’t. Ang bilis-bilis ma-please ng girls. We’re very sensitive and emotional. So i-touch mo lang yung likes niya, okay na yan. 

And in the bedroom?
I think, um… Ha ha ha! Nakakatawa ’to. Hindi naman grabeng adventurous, pero siguro…um, don’t be boring.

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JANUARY 2013:MARIAN RIVERA

The question everyone is itching to ask: Why only now?
Why? You told me that this would be a special issue because it will be your anniversary. You also said that it would be different, mas maramingconcepts sa loob, mas makabuluhan at pinaghandaang mabuti. I admit, it took me a long time to say yes to FHM pero this time kasi nag-swak na ang gusto kong mangyari sa gusto niyong mangyari so everything fell into place. I guess it’s a sign na worth ityung paghihintay nang matagal dahil sobrang ganda nung konsepto and it’s also what I wanted.

It’s not like you weren’t ready for this. Still, for the last five years when we were courting you it seemed like you weren’t.
Hindi naman sa hindi ready. There are just things you don’t take for granted, kailangan pinag-iisipan mo rin yung mga gagawin mo and what its effect would be to the people who’ll be seeing it. In fairness naman sa FHM you showed exactly how this shoot would turn out, you were honest and you gave me everything I wanted, so walang dahilan para tanggihan ko ang pagko-cover.

Maybe you had personal reservations when it came to men’s magazines in general? We’re not going to lie—there is much skin to be seen inside. A lot of the big stars don’t seem to be comfortable going sexy beside them.
Siguro ire-revise ko nalang yung tanong mo: Ano ba ang concept ko ng“sexy”? You can say that I’m the type of girl who is always true to herself; I never tell people any differently. I have no pretensions coming here to do this cover kaya I was able to do what was asked of me, kahit anong ibigay ninyo sa aking damit isinuot kobecause I came here knowing what I was capable of doing and what was required of me. I don’t have to prove “sexy” to anyone because I believe it comes out naturally.

A million plus of our readers certainly agree with you, having anointed you the Sexiest Woman in the Philippines in 2008.
Aba nahiya naman ako! That was about the time when Marimar came out, and back then I guess I
wasn’t too sure of myself—sexy ba ako? Siguro ngayon I can say that I’m more confident with the idea. Why? Because now I go to the gym regularly, I do boxing, just being conscious of my health and wellbeing. So now if someone says I’m sexy, I’ll say thank you!

Talking of Marimar, they’re showing reruns on cable channel Fox Filipino and there is no doubt it was the best time to watch a woman on TV! You practically gave the original Marimar, Thalia, a run for her money.
I guess I just worked hard on the role. Naniniwala kasi ako na magagawa mo ang isang bagay pag minamahal mo kung ano yung ginagawa mo, nagre-reflect yan sa’yo. When they gave me the title role of Marimar I knew that it was the opportunity of a lifetime, that it would give me a chance to show people who Marian Rivera really was so hindi ko na pinakawalan ang pagkakataon, I gave it a hundred percent. Whatever was asked of me—‘O, Marian sumayaw ka,’ ‘O Marian magpa-sexy ka’—I did it with no second thoughts. Go lang nang go! Athigit sa lahat minahal ko talaga yung trabaho ko. I am proud of the projects I do and give everything because I am aware of what its impact might be to the people watching. In fact, during the time of Marimar, ang tawag ng mga tao sa akin Marimar hindi Marian. Malaking bagay yun for me. 

Apart from FHM finally aligning with your intentions, what other things got you into thinking it’s time to do this cover?
Siguro it’s about time din na may bago akong i-offer sa mga nagmamahal sa akin na matagal na nilang hinihiling. Like you said, a lot of readers have been wondering why I still wasn’t doing the cover, so now ibibigay ko na sa kanila. Siguro masasabi ko na this time buo na ang loob ko.

The thing about doing the first cover, and after so much clamor, is that when it comes out you see it and you think, "I can do better than that," so you come out the second time more daring. We know that has happened with our second-and third-timers. Would your second cover be more daring than this?
Ha ha ha, tumawa talaga ako! Ha ha ha! I’m not closing my doors or anything kasi hindi naman bago sa akindoing covers for magazines. I also wear bathing suits in some of those shoots. It’s just that iba lang talaga angdemands on me doing a men’s magazine kaysa sa women’s magazines.

We guess you’re talking about our reputation. Maybe the second would come much later than wewould want. Still, wouldn’t it be nice to be 40 and doing it all over again? Like Dina Bonnevie!
Paano ko ba sasagutin yan? I’m sure when I’m 40 I would be married with kids already so I would also have to think about my husband and the children. Kasi mahirap magdesisyon ng pansarili lang. I’m not selfish; all I want is that in everything I do maraming matutuwa at wala akong masasaktan.

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DECEMBER 2012:MEG IMPERIAL

This is your first-ever magazine cover—and it’s FHM. How did you get ready for all this? Did some heavy convincing and internalizing take place?
I researched about FHM, yung past covers. I looked at the pegs also and checked kung kaya ko ba or hindi. Siyempre I checked my limitations din. Sinabi ko rin sa close friends ko, nagtanong ako: “Okay lang ba kung ganito ako, kung makita ako nang ganito?” Parang nag-survey ako sa sarili ko. Ha ha! Naninibago sila pero at the same time mature na rin naman kami, so, sige. Yes, I internalized. Kailangan kasi kumportable ako sa shoot, wala akong dinadala or iniisip. And I went to the gym. Hindi man ako pumayat agad-agad in time for the shoot, I feel physically fit. Feel ko ang sexy-sexy ko. Nakakaganda din ng aura yun, ha ha!

We stalked your Tumblr blog and you said something about growing up and out of your tweetums image. We guess an FHM cover your first stab at adulthood?
Yes. It’s about getting out of my comfort zone, actually. Ever since kasi ang binibigay sa akin, since bagets ako, is pa-tweetums. Hindi na ako masyado nag-e-enjoy dun kasi ever since, I wanted to be a dramatic actress talaga. Mahilig ako sa heavy drama. So naisip ko, if I don’t start going for mature roles, hindi ma-chachallenge yung sarili ko sa pagarte at hindi ko matatawag ang sarili ko na artista. Kasi hindi ko magawa yung mahirap eh, I’ll always be doing the normal bagets roles I usually do.

Most celebs your age rely on get- famous-quick schemes and they seem to be doing well, too. Is it really that easy to become famous?
No, because I started when I was nine. Yung iba kasi, biglaan ang pagsikat. Pero ako, naniniwala ako na pag pinaghirapan mo, mas tatagal. Hindi lalaki ang ulo mo, kasi you know where you started, you know what you went through. Pag sinayang mo yun sa pagtaas mo, mahirap na.

And how are you safeguarding yourself against the fame monster? It seems pretty fun to be swept away by fame, actually.
My mom is always there to guide me. If she notices something is off, pagsasabihan niya ako. Napapansin ko rin naman yun sa sarili ko, pag medyo umiiba na. Ha ha! Minsan kasi pag marami ka nang naririnig madali nang yumabang, pero ako, lumalabas lang lahat sa kabilang tenga. I don’t let it sink in. If it’s criticism, I know it’s for the better, so I just do better the next time para hindi na nila masabi yun.

You sound really mature for a young woman, so now we’re thinking that we’ve misjudged your generation. Since it’s a long time ago for some of us, can you tell us what being 19 is really all about? What are you guys into?
Hindi talaga ako pala-gimik. Wala akong bisyo. Ha ha! I hang out with my friends, we have dinner, go
malling. Occasionally I do go to gimiks, when I get invited. Pero usually, taong-bahay ako eh. Sorry, hindi talaga ako palalabas eh! Ha ha! I draw, mga sketching-sketching. I watch movies, mahilig ako dun. Or nagsusulat-sulat ako. I go out with my friends from high school who are not from showbiz para maiba naman. Bonding lang. There are times when I’m out with friends and siyempre nakakailang pag may lumapit and humihingi ng picture. Parang nakakabastos din sa kanila, so ginagawa ko we stay in one place na lang, wala nang pagala-gala.

Your parents must be pretty happy about that. But isn’t this the age for all that? Shouldn’t you be all out on the town, exploring what the world has to offer?
Yes, it’s actually only now that I get to explore. Yung mga hindi ko na-try dati, gusto ko nang subukan ngayon.

Now that sounds intriguing and begs the following question: Like what?
Wait! Ha ha! Like going out alone, without my mom. Go out of town, ganun. Hindi ko masyado nagawa yun dati kasi strict si mommy, hindi niya ako pinapayagang lumabas. When I was in high school, hindi ako naka-experience kahit retreat. So, wow. Ha ha! As in! Dahil na rin I was starting in showbiz my mom was being very careful with me. So I had to agree with her, siyempre. Hindi ako nakapunta sa extracurricular activities noon, so ngayon, kung ano yung gusto ko, I can try. I go to workshops, to voice classes…anything na gusto kong subukan.

Oh, we thought you meant that you are currently enjoying an obligatory rebelde phase.
No, it wasn’t anything like that. I know naman what’s right and wrong. It’s not like dati hindi ko na-experience yung inom-inom, so now iinom ako. It’s not like that. It’s my choice na ayoko uminom. Gusto ko lang  mag-adventure. Lahat gusto kong ma-try eh, lahat ng hindi ko pa nagagawa dati at gusto kong ma-experience, like wakeboarding, having my own business. That one I’m already thinking about.

So none of that “You only live once” stuff those kids are going on about? No trying stupid new things for the heck of it?
Choice ko not to. For example, wine is okay, but yung lasing na lasing ka? That’s not me. As for boyfriends, I’m allowed na magpaligaw, but I feel I’m not yet ready. Gusto ko munang ma-enjoy yung kung anong meron ako ngayon sa career ko.

Boo. But we must take our hats off to you for deciding that. Still, you must have a type, a kind of guy you’d want to date, eventually?
I think it’s too idealistic naman if sabihin ko exactly what type of guy. It really all depends if makakasundo ko siya. I want kasi friends muna, tapos hayaan na ma-develop, para natural yung chemistry, hindi pilit. Parang, I like this about him, kaya kami.

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NOVEMBER 2012:RITZ AZUL

So what do you do to ease yourself during moments like this?
Pinapakinggan ko lang yung sinasabi sa akin ng mga tao. Like for this shoot, I listened to what my mentors from TV5 had to say. And when you, the FHM guys, say: “You look sexy. Be proud of it!” I just internalize it.

You know, it helped a lot that you believe people when they tell you you’re sexy. Makes the job easier for the both of us.
Ha ha! Thank you and thank you.

What’s the sexiest thing about you?
I think it’s not what you see. It’s what’s on the inside. Napapansin ko kasi these days, people are
after one’s attitude rather than their looks, which is good.

You say sexy to you is being young and hardworking. Let’s get to these things one by one. How is hardworking sexy?
May tapings ako ng teleserye at pictorials on the side, lahat sabay-sabay. But with the help of people around me, kaya kong gawin lahat yun because I want to and I believe I can.

And how is young sexy?
Well, I just turned 18 and…

Oh, we can see that. You say you’re also childish. In what ways?
Yung pagkilos ko in general. Minsan pinapagalitan ko na nga yung sarili ko para magbago na ako, ha ha! But you know, I’m also very mature when it comes to setting my goals in life.

What’s an example of childish demeanor you’ve most recently displayed?
During the shoot, for example. Iniisip ko na lang na at the end of the day, after all the hard work,
may reward na naghihintay sa akin: yung Java Chip Frappuccino na finally puwede ko nang inumin pagkatapos na pagkatapos ng shoot!

And the part where you act mature is when…
Kapag iniisip ko yung family ko at magiging future ko.

We are positive you’ll come a long way. You’re all natural and with that rare kumikikinang skin, who wouldn’t agree you’re cut out to be a big star?
Actually, hindi ko talaga naiisip na magiging showbiz personality ako. All I ever dreamt of was to be a commercial model on the side, then private life lang talaga. But then I thought maybe this was my true calling.

We hear you indeed started very young as a model.
I started joining beauty pageants back home when I was 13, then VTRs when I was 14. Two years din akong nag-VTR, wala akong nakukuhang commercial or print ads. So pa-extra-extra lang muna ako. But once I had my first commercial, ayun nagtuluy-tuloy na. One of those was that pantyliner ad, yung cheerleader ako: “Before I make my move, I think twice.” But I was doing Star Factor na by then.

How did you get into Star Factor?
I applied. Actually, laru-laro lang namin yun ni Nanay. She saw the auditions for Star Factor on TV5. Hindi nga ako nakapag-practice ng kanta or sayaw or what. Luckily, I got in. Okay na ako roon. Hindi ko rin in-expect na magiging fourth runner-up pa ako.

And why not?
Probinsiyana kasi talaga ako. Wala talaga akong kaalam-alam pagdating ko sa Manila. Para akong sanggol na namulat sa mundo. Kaya sa Star Factor, sobrang nahirapan ako. Hindi ako marunong kumanta, sumayaw, o umarte noon. Sobrang gulo pa ng utak ko. Pero inayusan nila ako. Tinulungan talaga ako ng TV5. Later on medyo natuto na rin ako.

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OCTOBER 2012:YAM CONCEPTION

It’s been a long time since we put on the cover a girl who’s entirely new. So we’re guessing
our readers’ first question would be: Who are you?
I am your normal girl, Yam Concepcion! My real name is Lorraine May Concepcion. I got ‘Yam’ from ‘May’, when you read it backwards—so it makes sense, ha ha! My mom actually thought of it.

You’re Viva’s first of a new batch of sexy stars, and a flag bearer at that with the movie Rigodon—we’ll get to that later. Wasn’t there any decision to change your name? There’s a guy named Sam, same surname. You’re Yam. Yam and Sam sounds like a cartoon.
They had wanted to change it actually. My manager, Claire Dela Fuente, wanted something else, like Lorine, or something like it. She actually said that people might mistake my name for Sam Concepcion because it’s not a very serious name.

How old are you? Looking at you we couldn’t be faulted if we said you just turned 18.
I’m 23.

Twenty-three seems ripe enough for a girl to enter show business. But you’re different because there was no teenybopper route for you. You’re going all skin! How are you taking all this in?
I’m a person who likes to challenge myself, to push it to the limit. That’s how you test yourself, see how you deal with everything that comes your way. I’m just trying to be strong and versatile. I’m risking it all, that’s how life is—you have to risk it and go out of your comfort zone, try different things and learn from it.

We thought you were a very brave girl doing this shoot. Toplessness wasn’t an issue, even during shooting breaks. But we couldn’t help thinking, "Is she brave or is she putting up a front? Deep inside she must be scared shitless." Were you scared?
Of course I was. At first I was so scared to do a shoot like this. Anything naman that’s very
challenging or different [is scary at first]. But I knew I had to be professional about it that’s why I tried to put up a front para madali akong katrabaho. Ayoko nung nandito na ako tapos biglang magiinarte pa. I’d rather work well with the people who are around me, I don’t want to be a pabigat to other people.

What was going through your mind doing the sexier poses?
In my mind I was thinking you should be proud with what you have and flaunt it. Just be confident with yourself. It’s just part of being a person, everybody has "that". And working with Xander [Angeles], and [executing] the concepts that were presented to me, I didn’t see it as something disgusting.

Our readers’ obvious second question would be: Where did you come from?
I come from a band actually. The band is called Ursa Minor. Monty Macalino, Mayonnaise’s vocalist, invited me to play a role in their music video called “Sinungaling.” My would-be manager Claire Dela Fuente saw me in that video and got me an interview with Boss Vincent Del Rosario. I had no acting experience prior to that video.

Viva must have seen something special in you on the strength of just one music video. Did it take a lot of convincing from them for you to become their new sex symbol?
I wouldn’t consider myself a sex symbol. It actually took a year [of talks]. I had to psyche myself for it; I didn’t want to do something I wasn’t a hundred percent sure [I wanted to do]. All I had been doing back then was the band, going to college at Benilde, painting...

What was Viva’s pitch to you?
They told me that they wanted me to be sexy in the mold of Cristine Reyes, doing teleseryes, being the leading woman, things like that. But even before that, they actually wanted me to pose for FHM first!

That is right. We were supposed to have you on the cover last year pa.
But then I didn’t have anything going for me yet, ha ha!

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SEPTEMBER 2012:MELISSA RICKS

It didn’t happen, but we were supposed to shoot you walking the heavily pedestrian-ed Tsim Sha Tsui district with just a skirt and bra on.
Really? Nobody told me. Ang alam ko lang I had a layout in a bathing suit.
We didn’t have permits. But would you have done it?
If you made me do that in the street, I probably would do it. Pero sobrang bilis! Kasi there’s so many people passing, and we’re in a different country…

What were you doing before we dragged you here in Hong Kong?
I’ve been shooting Walang Hanggan almost every day since, I think, March. So yung Monday to Friday ko packed and wala akong masyadong time for other things. And the show’s been extended until October, so when this magazine comes out, the show will still be running.

In Walang Hanggan you play a villain…
I play a bratty spoiled girl, Johanna, wala siyang pakialam kung may matapakan siya or anything. Basta siya, whatever she wants, she’ll fight for it, lalo na when it comes to love.

You also did Nasaan Ka Elisa. It was almost nightly tortures, your role. Was it exhausting?
It was. Parang, “Oh my God, here we go again.” So every time nagpa-five-four-three-two-one I was, like, “Sige go na lang, para take one na lang hindi paulit-ulit.” Pero that was, I think, one of my difficult roles talaga kasi the whole sequence guide, all my scenes in one day would all be torture, screaming, crying. So by the time I went home I was so tired, tapos minsan papanaginipan ko na, “Oh my God, ako si Elisa!” There’s a lot of scenes na nakatali ako sa kama, ni re-rape ako. I’m screaming, and by the end of the scene, I’m like, “Oh my God. I want to go home.”

Was Nasaan Ka Elisa your first venture into “serious acting”?
Oo. Kasi, prior to that, my shows were with Matt (Evans), love team, love team, pa-sweet tapos iyak-iyak about love. And with Elisa mas may depth kasi I was on my own. Tapos wala akong connection to anybody in the story, except sa uncle ko (played by Eric Fructuoso), who was torturing me. Siya lang yung ka eksena ko. So it was either a make-or-break risk. But I took the risk pa din kasi everybody said it was a good story, and it was a chance for me to move into something new.

Does playing contravidas put a dent on your fanbase? Do more people hate you now?
Um, oo. I actually have a couple of haters, pero I’m very thankful na starting from sweet roles, people know na hindi naman talaga ako yung taong yun. And the contravida role they gave me is medyo nakakaawa siya, because all she wants is mapansin siya, and she wants to be loved. I’m very lucky because may mga tao, on Twitter for example, who would say, “Sobrang nakakainis ka, ang sarap gupitin ng bangs mo!” And then they would say “Pero love pa rin kita.” So I’m very happy na naiintindihan naman ng viewers namin, they understand that this is a character

And it was a long jump from when you first came out—we were supposed to say—in Pinoy Big Brother, but you weren’t from bahay ni kuya were you?
I was in SCQ [Star Circle Quest]! Ha ha ha!

But people always mistake you for a PBB alumni, including us, initially.
Yes, lagi nila akong pinagkakamalan kasi I was always with Gerald [Anderson], Kim [Chiu] and Matt before, as love teams, so they always thought that I’m with them. But I’m actually with the Star Circle Quest with Joross [Gamboa], Hiro [Angeles], Roxanne [Guinoo], and Sandara [Park]. I was the fifth placer. People really get it mixed up sometimes. Akala nila PBB Teens ako.

We noticed that you’ve been getting more contravida roles lately. Was that something you initiated, or did you just go with what they gave you?
Actually it was me. I had a meeting with the management before, and I said I wanted great characters, more offbeat characters. Kasi I enjoy playing the maldita roles more than I do the bida roles na laging umiiyak, nagpapaaway, nginungudngod. Mas gusto ko ako yung nag-ngungudngod, nagtataray, nang-aaway, nanampal. I think it brings more flavor and more excitement to the show. I told them that, and true enough they gave me Nasaan Ka Elisa, na medyo wild girl. And then after that they gave me this one as Johanna, a little bratty spoiled girl na I really, really like her character, even sa sense ng style niya, she’s very fashionista.

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AUGUST 2012:G TONGI

Welcome back, G! What got you coming home?
A lot of people ask me that, but it’s actually my husband who convinced me to come home. I mean, we got married here. Prior to meeting me, he had been here twice. And he’s always loved the Philippines. It’s just really me [who wanted to stay there] because, for one, I wanted to raise our children there. We have two children, seven-year-old Sakura Anne Marie, and Kenobi Benjamin, who’s turning five.

Strange names.
Tim and I were on our honeymoon in Tokyo and the cherry blossoms were just coming out. Sabi ko, “Uy, ang ganda ng mga sakura.” Tapos sabi ng asawa ko, “Sakura.” Siyempre iba yung accent. Sabi ko, “Maganda yan!” So yun na. It was so beautiful and it was blooming and we had a very quick love affair, my husband and I. It just describes the beauty of something that blooms so fast. Which isn’t actually a metaphor for our love affair because we’re still together, seven years ongoing. As for Kenobi Benjamin, my husband is a collector of all things Star Wars and Obi-Wan’s his favorite Jedi. I said, “I like Kenobi! “So his nickname is Obi. We wanted to make sure that people didn’t call him Ken so we made his middle name Benjamin. And so Ben. Haha!

Okay, so the husband convinced you to come home. Offers didn’t come into play?
There were a lot of offers but nothing concrete. A new network was asking me to come home, but I wanted to weigh all my options. I wanted to take my time. But what really got me excited wasn’t the work in front of the camera. There’s always work in front of the camera. It’s been kind of a given, though I’ve been very picky about the roles I’d do. But what excited me was the fact that I’d be given opportunity to produce content.

We heard about your documentary.
Viva knew that I finished school when I had signed with them. I showed them my thesis film in college, my short films, and they were very excited about that side of me. True enough, I spent my first month back going all over the Philippines, doing my documentary. I co-produced it with Michael Carandang, a friend of mine from LA. We brought the Basco Bros (LA-based actors, rappers, and one of the pioneering breakdancers in the Bay Area), all five of them here, and brought them to Boracay, Palawan, Davao. I partnered with DOT. I literally hit the ground running and took care of everything—sponsors, everything. It was such a creatively fulfilling endeavor that I’d never experienced when I was in front of the camera.

So you like behind-the-scenes work better than on-cam ones?
When you’re a talent, you get to work and do your job, You have your own responsibility, but overall, you don’t really have any say. As a producer, you start off with a concept, mold it, and it becomes your baby.

While you were doing all this, the husband and kids were…?
…Completely supportive. At first it was difficult for them to understand that mommy is leaving for the weekend because I’ve never really left them. But it was also a time for my husband and I to go all over the place. He was part of the production team so that was really fun.

How is the family adjusting to your life here?
My husband loves it here. I do miss the simple things: Going to the park, getting into the car and driving, the non-celebrity part. That’s a big part of who I am now, hanging out with my children. And I know that in the city, there’s not a lot of opportunity for that. Which is why every chance we get, we go to the province, to Batangas. It’s the same place I grew up in. Taga-Batangas nanay ko.

We’re hearing a lot about the husband. Tell us more about the lucky man.
He’s American pero feeling niya, Pinoy siya. He’s a bit of a historian. When I met him, he had artifacts from the Japanese time. Perang Hapon na Pilipino, he collects them. He’s fascinated with World War II, particularly in the Philippines. He has all the books, he’s just fascinated with the culture.

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