Bangs Garcia: Living Wisely

CEBU, Philippines -  Whoever Bangs Garcia will end up marrying someday is one lucky guy.

 Why not, when while other girls her age are still in that “happy-go-lucky phase”, as she puts it, the 23-year-old actress is already preparing for her and her future family’s financial security. She’s been investing her showbiz money in profitable ventures left and right. And well, that sensual face and being listed as among FHM’s Top 25 Sexiest Women of the Decade aren’t so bad either.

 When the “Cinco” star gave The FREEMAN a peek into her personality during a backstage interview at the SM City Cebu Event Centre, she was a revelation. Once a Tanduay calendar girl and a staple of male guilty pleasure reads such as Maxim and FHM, many who don’t know better would automatically relegate her as another ‘starlet’ whose only talent is to shed off clothes. Or someone whose reading material consists of only a tabloid.

 Bangs, who talks a mile a minute, began by telling the story of how she got her screen name. Unlike other upstarts who made a name by flashing their face on TV and print, she first caught public curiosity by concealing it under strands of hair.

 When she started, no one knew what she really looked like—her character as a mysterious punk rocker in the youth-oriented show “Let’s Go” had bangs that covered her face so much so only her nose and lips were seen.

 “Nung time na yun, uso yung rock bands so eksakto yung pasok ko. Naging trend yung bangs ko sa mga kabataan,” she said.

 At first, she wasn’t very enthusiastic with her role for how will she gain a following when her face was barely seen?

 “Aminado ako na ayaw ko yung role ko kasi gusto kong maging artista pero paano ako makikilala nito kung nakatakip yung mata. Nagkaka-rashes ako dahil sa bangs. Mahirap din mag-acting ng walang mata dahil minsan kahit wala kang sinasabi, pwede mo nang ipakita na galit or masaya ka using your eyes. Ang ginawa ko na lang, I exaggerated my mouth movements and hand gestures. So para akong cartoons and anime talaga. Natuwa naman ako na nagkaroon ng tatak sa tao dahil sa fact na hindi nila nakikita yung mata ko,” Bangs, whose real name is Valerie, related.

 During the second season of “Let’s Go”, her bangs were styled in a way that her left eye could be seen. Her fans became more curious and wondered if there was something wrong with the right side of her face. “Bakit daw nakatakip yung right. Baka daw kirat ako o may peklat. Nakakatawa kasi yung ibang followers ng ‘Let’s Go’, pumupunta pa sa ABS-CBN para lang makita kung ano ba talaga yung mukha ko behind the bangs.”

 Her full face was finally revealed in the action-drama series “Palos” where she transformed into a sexy actress. The Close-Up To Fame runner-up was later on cast as support in such shows as “Kambal sa Uma”, “Katorse” and “Precious Hearts Romances”. Then came her big break as lead in the afternoon soap “Magkano ang Iyong Dangal?”.

 Bangs is proud that among the then fresh-faced casts of “Let’s Go” that was aired in 2007, she is among those who has remained active. “I’m really happy kasi yung iba nawala na eh. Ang natira na lang ako, si Alex Gonzaga at si Joem Bascon. And then si Juniper, yung baby namin dati na nagkaroon na ng baby, si Eda Nolan na taga Cebu, nawala siya dahil nagka-baby siya. Ngayon, I think she’s coming back.”

 Right now, she is taking it easy after “Magkano ang Iyong Dangal?”. If deals push through, we should see her star in another horror-comedy and a sexy movie.

 Asked which actress she’d like to pattern her career after, she easily named Claudine Barretto because she admires her versatility. “Nakita ko siyang magbida, magkontrabida at horror, at magaling siya sa lahat. Siya yung parang icon for me as an actress. Until now, kahit nag-asawa siya, she still managed to be an icon for Filipinos,” she explained.

 Being born and raised in Davao, Bangs understands Bisaya but said she can’t speak it fluently since her dad is from Bicol, while her mom is from Nueva Ecija. She studied in Ateneo since age four until second year in college where she took up Nursing. If ever she goes back to school though, she plans to take up either Marketing or Management.

 While her dad was strongly against her entering showbiz, Bangs shared it was a blessing in disguise that she did because it became an avenue for her to help her family and improve her relationship with her estranged father.

 “Ang papa ko sobrang taas ng pride niya eh. Kahit may trabaho ako dito dati, nagpapadala pa rin siya ng pera. Dati ang gastos at materialistic ko kasi. Binibili ko lahat ng gusto ko kasi naiinggit ako sa mga kasama ko.”

 She continued: “Napapansin ko hindi na sila nagpapadala ng pera hanggang sa inamin sa akin ni mama na na-bankrupt na yung leather business namin. For the first time, narinig ko yung daddy kong humingi ng tulong sa akin. Sobrang na-touch ako kasi hindi kami close eh. There was a time that I hated him. Sobrang overprotective niya kasi ako yung youngest daughter. Siguro masyado lang nila akong alaga na ayaw nila ako mawala agad sa kanila or akala niya mag-aasawa ako ng maaga...I don’t know, basta naging overprotective siya. So hindi kami close. Mama’s girl ako.”

 It was during her stint in “Palos” that their three leather branches in Davao closed shop. Her dad’s unexpected cry for help broke the ice between the father and daughter. “Ako nagsusustento for a while. Luckily ang papa ko, civil engineer siya so he had a fallback. Ang ginawa ko, tinulungan ko siyang bumalik sa Saudi, where he is right now. From there, our relationship improved a lot. Hindi pa naman super close pero it’s good that we have communication now. Before we didn’t. We lived in the same house but we didn’t talk.”

 Bang’s dad would be proud hearing his youngest talk of all her investments.

 “Natutuwa ako kasi nakikita ko kung saan napupunta yung pera ko. Right now, I’m gonna buy a house of my own. Ayoko din totally umasa sa showbiz. I need a fallback so nagbi-business din ako. Dina-diversify ko yung pera ko. I invested in insurances. Meron din akong barkada sa Citibank so may mga investments din ako sa bank. Nag-invest din ako sa oil. Meron akong friend na nag-import ng mga used oil na nire-recycle. Ngayon naman, pumapasok ako sa buy and sell ng mga kotse. Pero ang pinakaplano ko talaga is real estate. Gusto kong bumili ng mga condos and apartments near schools para ipa-rent ko sa mga students.”

 Bangs said her wise approach to finances now was a result of her being independent at 17 and being very carefree with money at that time.

 “Ang dami kong lessons na natutunan sa pagiging practical. Naging gastador ako. Tapos yung parents ko na inaasahan ko, sila mismo nawalan ng pera. So hindi pala palaging may pera, dapat paghirapan mo,” she stressed. “Marunong ka dapat mag-value ng pera. Dapat mas wise ngayon ang mga artista kasi hindi all the time may projects. Sa showbiz kasi, pag may work, sobra-sobra ang work. Pag wala ding work, sobra-sobra ding walang work.”

 Being one of the youngest among the Garcia clan also proved to be an advantage for she has many adult relatives advising her on where she should put her money. One of those she considers as mentor is her elder sister, whom she says is her “major icon” when it comes to hard work.

 “Sobrang sipag niya. Kung pwede siyang magtatlong trabaho kaya niya eh. And I used to be a very shy girl. Hindi kayo makakapaniwalang mag-aartista ako sa sobrang mahiyain ko. Kung hindi dahil sa pag-encourage ng ate ko, hindi ako magiging artista. And she reads books like ‘Rich Dad, Poor Dad’, ‘How To Be Successful In Life’, which is binabasa ko rin.”

 Bangs believes in reading intellectually stimulating books because she wants to continue acquiring knowledge even while she’s out of school. “Yung tipong pang-EQ ba. Kasi kahit hindi ako nakapag-graduate, gusto ko hindi ako maghihirap.”

 She said gone is the girl who purchases anything that catches her fancy. She knows better now.

“I want to save up for my future. Kaya ang daming businesses na pumapasok sa isip ko ngayon. Gusto kong lumaki yung kids ko na hindi naghihirap. Yung ibang girls this age, happy-go-lucky pa rin. Ako, ayoko na nun.”