Dionne: Adjusting, Adapting to Showbiz Life

She has always wanted to act in front of the camera. As young as five years old, she has already been exposed to this kind of world. From beauty pageants to local TV acting, she tried them all in the hope of reaching her ambitions.

And now, she is living her dreams, little by little.

However, Pinoy Big Brother alumna Dionne Dennia Monsanto still can’t believe it.

“Wala pa gyud mi-sink in. Di mosulod sa akong huna-huna nga naa nako diri. Usahay gani, remindan pa ko ni Ate [Aileen Siroy]. Magshock ug magkatawa gud ko usahay nganong moduol ug motutok gyud ang mga tao.”  

There was this one time, during the premiere show of “My Kuya’s Wedding” in Manila, wherein she was particularly amazed to see that one of the seats bore her name.

“Ako gud gi-textan si Ate nga mura nako’g artista kay naa gyu’y pangan akong lingkuranan,” Dionne laughs.

Now under Star Magic, this Cebuana beauty has turned into a Manila girl. But how well has she adjusted to her new environment?

“Ok ra baya pero ang lisod kay ang traffic. Naa gud ko nagpuyo sa Makati nga naa sa south. Unya ang ABS-CBN, naa sa Quezon nga naa sa north. Tig-pikas tumoy so mo-leave gyud ko 1 ½ hours before sa appointment.”

She usually rides a taxi cab from her condominium to the complex. But if pressed for time, she takes the MRT.

As to the language, Dionne doesn’t see much problem in the way she communicates with other people. The people in Manila even commend her because she doesn’t have that “Cebuano tone.”

Though she admits she has yet to enrich her Tagalog vocabulary so she can understand deeper words and that she can fully express herself.   

Dionne is part of the new breed of artists in the show business industry. Along with this popularity come controversial issues as well. Even before Dionne can come out of the Big Brother House, she has been involved in one already.

However, she has overcome that. “Gi-accept nako nga sayop to akong gibuhat atubangan sa mga tao. My family, friends and supporters helped me feel better.”

So far, she has done cover for UNO Magazine August Issue, acted in Your Song, and appeared in ASAP ’07. Right now, she’s working on Super Inggo 1.5 and a movie with Aga Muhlach and Anne Curtis.

In the fantaserye Super Inggo, she plays the role of the villain Salona. Because of an unfortunate past experience, she has become bitter and vain about her hair. Her husband cheats on her and kills her through all her hair products. But one day, her hair comes alive. She gains more life when she kills and gets energy from other people.

Meanwhile in the movie with Aga Mulach and Anne Curtis, she is the love interest of AJ Dee. A UP graduate, she is the bright and sarcastic co-worker of Aga.

“I feel so blessed with all these [breaks]. I owe it to people who continue to support me. My family and friends are always there for me. I feel so thankful with the blessings I receive. I always do my best every time such opportunities come. These people deserve nothing but the best from me. My sincerest gratitude to the Dionnesses, ABS-CBN and the Municipality of Consolacion,” Dionne shares.

She adds that she wants to explore more of her acting skills and try other roles. She also believes she has so much to improve.

“Experience-wise, I believe I’m flexible. ABS-CBN Cebu has helped me a lot.  I want to pursue my other interests. Hopefully, next year, together with the Dionnesses, we can make my foundation.”

Since the time Dionne got out from the PBB house, she has changed. More than her 95 lbs weight and no-boyfriend status, for her, she has become a better person.

“Holistically, I have improved. I became more appreciative especially with simple things. I learned to love my family even more because they are my driving force. Work-wise, I became more patient. Daghan na kaayo ko og naagi-an that is why I’m savoring this moment.”

Indeed, she has learned a lot from all the experiences she had.

“There came a point in my life when I felt giving up. I thought I was too old for the [showbiz] industry. I’m thankful I didn’t. I wanted to reach out to people, by entertaining them and setting a good example. In everything we do, there will always be obstacles: people, time or instances. But if we are persistent in what we do, if that makes us happy, then, go for it.”

Dionne has always wanted to be on TV, to act, to entertain and to share her advocacy. Her dreams are coming true.

And right now, Dionne may still be adjusting and adapting to the kind of life she has chosen. But she is definitely getting there.