"We’re happy to have Donita for another year doing crazy cool stuff," says Cheah Chee Kong, vice president for Network Editorial Strategy, or simply Cheek to everyone in Asia. He flew to Manila and met with Angeli Pangilinan-Valenciano of Genesis Entertainment, Donita’s Philippine-based management company and Tan Sian Ju, Editorial Advisor for the Philippines to chart out plans for the new contract.
This week, Donita is in town. Coming from a two-week holiday in the US with her family, she flew to Singapore to tape her MTV shows for the first week of January, then came to Manila to shoot a couple of commercials for a brand that has yet to be divulged.
The past year was good for Donita. She opened 2000 with a Sharp minidisc TV commercial in January and a taping of a television robotics special and the momentum carried onto the succeeding months. She flew to different places such as the USA, Guam, Hong Kong, Malaysia, China, Japan and the UK for various activities including hosting the First Chinese Music Video Choice Awards in Beijing, the Asian TV Awards, and being a muse in the International Polo Competition in London where she met Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth. In Beijing, she was given special notice by MTV International president, Bill Roedy. She also interviewed various celebrities like Jon Bon Jovi, 98 Degrees, Westlife. She was chosen as guest editor for CLEO Magazine and appeared in countless covers including international magazines such as Elle, Female and FHM.
She was also at the launching of the 24-hour MTV Channel in the Philippines late last year together with MTV Asia president Frank Brown and Peter Bullard.
She took part in a seven-day US Jet Tour for a popular drink and renewed her contract with Globe Gentext as official spokesperson. Her secret commercial was aired in Turkey for a special release. Due to her travel schedules, she has had to forego countless local offers and to date has turned down over 10 movie offers. Even local television shows continue to call Genesis but because she resides in Singapore, she can only fly in now and then to do events and host special projects assigned to her by MTV.
Being the only female network VJ based in Singapore, Donita balances her time hosting a radio program, MTV’s Most Wanted and Fresh, and regularly doing church and various fundraising activities such as her involvement in the Breast Cancer Foundation of Singapore. Her 13-week television miniseries, Money, was well received as it was produced on film by Television Corporation of Singapore, drawing her even closer to her fans in Singapore.
Another offer for another series perhaps sometime this year? Only time will tell. As long as she has enough time off from her MTV activities and other personal pursuits Donita will be there, ready to tackle something new, doing well at it and, yes having fun.