Heart started her showbiz career at 15. Among her achievements are two box-office hit movies (Tanging Ina and My First Romance), numerous TV programs (ASAP) and Tanging Ina the Series) and her own album under Star Records.
Heart won the Awit’s Best Performance by A New Female Recording Artist award and was named one of Asia Pacific’s Young Achievers Awardee for Arts and Culture. Ivan Entertainment Productions and Circle of 10 Modeling Agency also named her Celebrity Endorser of the Year with her numerous commercial endorsements.
But behind the success and glamor, Heart’s values stand firm. Education is among her top priorities. She believes there is no substitute for quality education. This strong belief in the power of education inspired Heart to learn the basics of Business Management and the complexities of Information Technology (IT) while maintaining her professional commitments.
Her passion for learning coupled with A.B.E.’s internationally-recognized business and IT-based curriculum spell success. A.B.E. was established on Feb. 26, 1999 to meet the growing demand for world-class yet affordable business education in the Philippines. This gave birth to a fusion of Business and Accountancy education with state-of-the-art IT training.
A.B.E. is the first to give Business and Accountancy courses an internationally-certified curriculum. It is the only business school in the country accredited by the Association of Business Executives of the United Kingdom (ABE-UK). This is the new way of doing business, a new way of thinking and learning.
Called the Gilbey’s Girls – they are Thea from Germany, Catherine from London, Imee from L.A. and Maureen from Sydney – they are four carefully-selected models of different origins who flew into the country as spokespersons for Gilbey’s Gin. They came to promote Gilbey’s Search and Spin promo where Gilbey’s Gin will be giving away P300,000 cash and a cool stylish brand new Mini Cooper to the lucky Grand Prize winner.
"We are all delighted to find out that Filipinos enjoy Gilbey’s Gin, as much as it is being enjoyed all over the world," the Gilbey’s Girls chorused.
"It’s great to be here in the Philippines. We feel very much at home with the people who are friendly, hospitable and accommodating." While in the country, the Gilbey’s Girls will be going on tour for the Search and Spin promo and do the rounds of bars and supermarkets to promote the contest.
Hosted by KC Montero, the press launch was attended by officers and employees of Diageo Philippines, Inc., the Philippine distributor and representative of Gilbey’s and members of the press. Guests grooved to the hip and funky music of Fusion and were treated to sumptuous hors d’oeuvres. The cocktail bar was kept busy by guests who came back for more of the tasty, refreshing Gilbey’s Gin cocktails.
KC, together with Fe Mir, Gilbey’s product manager, shared interesting Gilbey’s trivia. According to them, Gilbey’s Gin is made from a secret recipe created by the Gilbey Brothers in London 132 years ago. The brothers were famous throughout Europe as merchants of fine wines and spirits that supplied royal houses and nobility. Gilbey’s Gin is known as the best tasting, smoothest, premium gin quality. It’s triple distilled and made with 12 botanicals, mainly coriander, nutmeg, rosemary, orange peel and of course, juniper – making it a real gin!