"Girls my age shouldn’t follow what I did," said Valerie, now 18, who never thought of, well, "discontinuing" her pregnancy. "They should listen to their parents. I’ve learned my lesson the painful way but I have no regrets. I’m thankful that my family stood behind me. They were there to support me during my darkest hours."
That "indiscretion" derailed Valerie’s career which began four years ago. After giving birth the normal way, Valerie (who has one of the most beautiful faces among today’s young actresses and an acting style reminiscent of a younger Dawn Zulueta) picked up the pieces of her nearly-shattered life and resolved to move on without looking back, facing the world with optimism.
"I couldn’t undo what happened," said Valerie whose comeback early this year was kicked off by an episode on GMA 7’s drama-anthology Magpakailanman in which she told all (well, almost!), hoping that (impulsive) teenagers like she was would learn a thing or two from her experience. "Why waste my time sulking? I’m very positive; I don’t dwell on the past, especially the sad ones."
She’s cast in two GMA 7 shows, Love to Love and Majika (as Umbra).
"I prefer playing roles na medyo kontrabida because they are more meaty and more challenging than bida roles."
She’s slowly but surely veering away from the goody-goody image she had started cultivating when she was new in the business, heralded by a sexy cover pictorial for the July 2006 issue of FHM magazine which ranked her No. 44 among the 100 Sexiest Women (in the Philippines), with Katrina Halili finishing No. l.
"My manager, Tita Becky (Aguila, also the manager of Jennylyn Mercado) asked me if I was ready to do FHM in December last year when I turned 18," recalled Valerie. "I begged off. I wasn’t ready yet. It was only last April when the pictorial was done. It’s not bold at all, just sexy – sexy na hindi naman masagwa."
Valerie is 5’6" tall, weighs 110 lbs., measures 34-26-35.5, and wears small-size shirt and size-eight shoes.
How do people react to the FHM pictorial?
"Nagulat sila. It’s the first time that I’m shown wearing swimsuit – at two-piece pa! I haven’t even worn a swimsuit on TV."
How did you prepare for the FHM pictorial?
"I went on a diet. I worked out at the gym. I boxed. I avoided rice; if I can’t help it, I eat only very little amount."
How many pounds did you gain when you were pregnant?
"I weighed 152 lbs. After giving birth, I weighed 132 lbs. Besides boxing, I also played tennis and badminton thrice a week. Now, I do it only once a week. I became sports-minded."
How much sleep do you get per night?
"Regularly, I sleep eight to 10 hours. Matakaw ako sa tulog. Otherwise, when I’m busy, I get much less than that."
What’s your favorite sleeping wear?
"Pajamas."
What’s the last thing that you do before you go to sleep?
"Listen to SpongeCola. It’s the CD on my player. I listen to it all the time. I even listen to it to put myself to sleep, kahit medyo maingay ang music nila."
And the first thing that you do when you wake up?
"I pray and look forward to a nice day."
How much liquid do you take?
"I drink a lot of water; I’m not fond of softdrinks. Juices, yes."
No hard drinks?
"Occasionally. Hanggang Bailey’s lang ako."
Do you smoke?
"No, I don’t."
Any favorite food?
"Filipino food. Salpicao."
Fruit?
"Mango."
Do you take vitamins or minerals?
"Vitamin E and vitamin C."
What part of your body do you think needs some improvement?
"My butt. Wala pa ako n’un."
You can try Dr. Vicki Belo’s butt-enhancing treatment (like Keanna Reeves and John Estrada).
"Maybe I should, pag hindi nakuha sa workout..."
What part of your body is your favorite?
"My eyes."
What part of a man’s body do you notice first?
"His face. The smile."
Any of a man’s body part that turns you off?
"Yes, chicken legs! There are so many guys around with chicken legs. They look unsightly when the guy is wearing shorts, di ba?"
How do you cope with stress?
"Spending time with friends. Watching movies. Listening to music. Shopping."
What’s the last movie that you’ve seen?
"Superman Returns."
Who’s your favorite fantasy figure?
"Si Superman! Si Brandon Routh. Crush ko na siya since last week after I saw the movie."
And what kind of music do you listen to?
"Band music. That’s the rage now, di ba?"
Any favorite hideaway?
"My room. I read, listen to music, watch DVDs or just do nothing."
Are you vain like most good-looking girls?
"I am, to a certain extent. I see to it that I’m properly dressed when I go out. But at home, wala. Sometimes, I don’t even comb my hair."
How long does it take you to fix yourself, from taking a shower to dressing up?
"Matagal – two hours! I take my time dressing up. I try on several dresses before I decide on one. I dress up according to my mood."
Do you apply anything on your face/body?
"Just lotion."
What’s your favorite color?
"White. It looks clean. I also like red."
Name three guys you think have nice bodies.
"Marco Alcaraz. I saw his body during our shoot at a resort last week for Love to Love where he appeared as a guest. Palagi siyang naka-shorts. Superman, of course! And Orlando Bloom."
And three women...
"Angelina Jolie. I think magiging-tomboy ako if I see her in person. Lindsay Lohan. And Paris Hilton."
Using only body language, how would you make a guy know that you admire him?
"Eye contact lang. At konting tipid na ngiti."