Meeting interesting stars through The STAR

In line with the Philippine STAR’s 15th anniversary, I came out last Saturday with a list of 15 male showbiz personalities who were introduced to me through my involvement with this paper. Below, I’m running a list of the 15 female celebrities whom I met and became friends (some for life) since I began writing a column for The Philippine STAR.

Rosa Rosal – When Rosa Rosal and the late Tony Santos, Sr. were reunited in an episode of Lovingly Yours, Helen in 1987, I wrote in my review that Ms. Rosal was a great actress – except that "her wig and false eyelashes often get in the way of her performance."

A few days after my column came out in this paper, I got a card from her thanking me for my positive review. But she added that she sported neither wig nor false eyelashes. Months later, I happened to spot her shopping at the ground level of Rustan’s department store. I thought many times over if I should introduce myself to her. Finally, I mustered enough guts and approached her. She almost screamed when I told her my name. "Are you the one?!" she said in a voice probably loud enough to be heard in the store’s second floor. She then made me hold her hair to show that it was not a wig. Immediately after, she tried plucking her eyelashes with her fingers to prove that these were real. We then burst out laughing. I knew that very moment that we were already friends.

Soon, we were sending each other presents on special occasions like birthdays and Christmas (she starts her Christmas shopping in October). When my mother left for the US, she assumed the role of my foster mother and I began calling her Mommy II. In fact, Rosa Rosal and Marichu Maceda are the only two people who can scold me and make me stand in a corner to atone for my mischief.

Gloria Romero – If Rosa Rosal is my Mommy II, Gloria Romero is Mommy III to me. On the phone, she would engage me in guessing games every time she’d call up the house. She is the sweetest person I’ve ever met in my whole life – whether in or out of show business. The only person I know (aside from Boots Anson Roa) who doesn’t have a mean bone in her body.

Toni Rose Gayda – Since her mother Rosa Rosal is Mommy II to me, then she automatically becomes my sister. In fact, I often tell my friends (jokingly, of course), "Tingnan n’yo naman ang nanay ko at ang kapatid ko – mga mestiza."

Toni Rose is always the first person I run to every time I have a problem. I always tell her to pray for me because I notice that if she’s the one praying, God always seems to listen.

Although she has this image of being scatterbrained (she once brought to the mall the remote control of their TV set at home – thinking it was her cell phone), she is a highly-principled person. She is very loving and very lovable – and I’m willing to give my life for her if ever and whenever necessary.

Chat Silayan – I met Chat when I needed her to accept an award from the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino on her father’s behalf. It was easy for me to approach her because she read (and I suppose still reads) The Philippine STAR. Later, I became close to her when Norma Japitana asked me to do a personality profile on the former Binibining Pilipinas winner and Miss Universe runner-up.

I became very fond of Chat maybe because she reminds me of my sister. No, I’m not saying that my sister is also Miss Philippines material. But they have the same dark and round eyes. However, they differ in temperament. My sister is feisty, while Chat is calm and basically peace-loving.

Chat is also very caring and thoughtful. She tried to save my soul once by inviting me to join her Catholic Charismatic group, Elim, which was founded by the father of former teen star, Dondon Nakar. I may now be a fallen angel, but I know that Chat and Toni Rose will always be there to pray for my salvation.

Loren Legarda – Early in my career as a television reviewer, I wrote in my column about Loren being stiff and uptight in front of the camera. (I’ve always maintained that was my karma. When I began hosting my own show, I was the one who became stiff and uptight on television.)

That remark got an immediate response from her. She wrote me a letter and thanked me for writing about her – promising to do better in future episodes of her then magazine show, PEP Talk. Eventually, we met in person and we became fast friends.

As a friend, Loren is generous, loyal and sincere. When she became a senator, I thought she would be unreachable. I was wrong. On the contrary, she became even humbler and more accessible.

I actually trust very few politicians. But Loren, I trust with all my heart. She is honest and has a lot of principles. I’m not saying this because she is my friend. I’m saying this because I know her very well. In fact, it is no longer necessary for me to heap her with praises because her record speaks for herself and the public has already seen her performance in the Senate the past three years. However, I always find myself still saying this because she is very dear to me and I’m very proud of her accomplishments. (To be concluded)