Yesteryear’s 45 is today’s 25, so it’s not uncommon for women to have a baby in their 40s, isn’t it? If Halle Berry, who’s 41 — and a Type 1 diabetic at that and therefore insulin-dependent — can, why can’t Dina Bonnevie who’s five years shy of being a golden girl?
Very much in love with Habib (Dina won’t tell what his surname is), her Lebanese-Italian businessman-boyfriend (who’s into telecommunications) 10 years her junior, Dina told Funfare in an exclusive interview that she has been seriously thinking of having another child, her third. She has two by her ex-husband Vic Sotto (now the boyfriend of Pia Guanio whom Dina approves of, 100 percent, unlike Vic’s past girlfriends) — Danica who’s married to basketball player Marc Pingris and Oyo (who’s loveless months after he broke up with Angel Locsin).
“Danica will soon have a family of her own and, before I know it, Oyo will have his own, too,” Dina mused, “so I’ll be left home alone. I don’t want to live alone,” adding half in jest, “but will God give me another child? It’s easy to make a baby, isang gabi lang ‘yon, pero puede pa kaya ang matris ko?”
Marriage is another matter altogether. She has survived two failed marriages (the second was to Dick Penson who’s happily married to somebody else) but she hasn’t really developed a phobia for it. “I just don’t want to talk about it,” explained Dina. “Baka maudlot. If it happens, I will announce it to the whole world.”
The new endorser of Anlene, the milk recommended for older women (so that they won’t suffer from osteoporosis), Dina has a way of attracting younger men, one of them Diether Ocampo who actually courted Dina at her home. “He was my part-time stalker,” laughed Dina.
Vic has met Habib (during the blessing of Danica’s restaurant in Quezon City) and Vic gives him a thumb-up, and so do Danica and Oyo (who scrutinizes inch by inch every guy who sets an eye on his mom).
“Unlike your past suitors,” Dina quoted Oyo as saying, “he doesn’t try to impress you. ‘Yung ibang lumiligaw sa’yo nagpapa-impress, eh, mga bakla naman.” Then, recalled Dina, “Oyo mentioned two of my exes whom he described as ‘softies’ (malalambot) and suspected to be gay. True enough, not long after, Oyo told me, ‘O, di ba ngayon mga baklita na sila?’”
Dina met Habib (“A Phoenician,” meaning a native of Phoenicia, Dina stressed, “not an Arab”) in December 2005 at a party she was at first reluctant to attend but was persuaded upon by Danica who wanted to divert Dina’s attention from her telecommunications company which was having problems at that time. Dina was free and so was Habib who must have fallen so hard for Dina that he pursued her from Manila to Italy to Switzerland when Dina visited her Swiss mother.
It was in Italy where Habib learned by chance that Dina is an actress.
“Every Filipino we met was calling me ‘Miss D’ and Habib was surprised. ‘How come everybody knows you?’ he wondered.’Is there something that you’re not telling me?’Then, a Filipina told him that I’m a famous actress in the Philippines and he was stunned. Sabi niya, ‘I’m a very private person and I don’t like the public to be in my life.’”
Asked what she likes most about Habib. Dina said, “He’s a good cook, just like me. He babies me to the max. When I go to the pool, he insists on applying sunblock on my body. He would buy things for me even without any occasion. He’d buy me a dress and I’d say, ‘Why?’ He’d say, ‘Nothing. I just want you to wear it.’ Sweet niya, ‘no?”
Habib speaks French, so Dina is now learning how to speak the language. Danica can speak French a little and is also learning some more. Marc is half-French (father side) and half-Filipino.
If and when Dina and Habib decide to have a baby, it will be a mix of Lebanese-Italian (Habib’s side) and Swiss-Filipino-French (Dina’s side) blood.
“It should be a beautiful baby,” said Dina dreamily.
(Note: On Oct. 28, Anlene will stage a big dance gathering at the CCP Complex, like the one in the TV commercial, aiming to break the current record in the Guinness Book of World Records. Want to join? If you can do the “Anlene move,” you’re in. Show up at the venue on Oct. 28.)
Lorli Villanueva here for vacation
Here for a brief vacation is Lorli Villanueva from New York where she has been staying for years. She has an Off-Broadway cabaret show at the Triad Theater in Manhattan. A Fullbright-Hayes scholar, Lorli is the deputy chairperson of the Graduate Degree Program of Touro College in Manhattan where she also produces, directs and acts for theater, film and commercials. She’s a member of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) of America.
Lorli has appeared in a feature role as housekeeper, beating more than 100 applicants, for the character Glenn Close played in Heights, a psycho-drama about deceit and betrayal among major players of the Hollywood film industry. She also starred in Balikbayan Box, an award-winning indie film. Having made New York her home, Lorli also sings for society ladies of Manhattan for a cause.
Last Wednesday night, Lorli was the main performer of a tribute dedicated to veteran lifestyle editor/columnist Gilbert Perez, held at Merk’s Bistro in Makati City.
(E-mail reactions at rickylo@philstar.net.ph)