BEVERLY HILLS, California — When our friend Tim Evans (of the US Immigration, assigned at the Los Angeles airport) invited Raoul Tidalgo and I to his cozy pad in West Hollywood, he said he had a big “surprise” for us.
True enough, when the big “surprise” walked through the door, Raoul and I couldn’t believe our eyes. We had to blink a few times at the widely-smiling beautiful (nay, still ravishing!) lady as if glinding on the ramp. Eva Reyes, would you believe! Still looking like the Miss Republic of the Philippines of 1972. She came with designer-friend Marden Iglesias who was visiting from the Philippines.
A brief backgrounder courtesy of Funfare’s “other beauty expert” Celso de Guzman Caparas (back at work in Saudi Arabia):
A native of Lipa City, Batangas (Vilma Santos country), Eva was a Karilagan model when she won Miss RP, beating 29 other candidates. She represented the country at the 1972 Miss World contest in London and finished one of the 15 semi-finalists (along with USA’s Lynda Carter who became an actress). The winner was Belinda Roma Green of Australia.
Eva joined showbiz soon after and was promptly nominated for Miss RP Movies in 1974 (the winner was Boots Anson-Roa). She also starred in the TV drama series Tadhana (1973, with Gloria Romero) and was launched in the movie Nueva Vizcaya (with Zaldy Zshornack and Vic Vargas, both deceased) which won eight awards, including Best Picture, at the 1973 Manila Film Festival. Her other films are: Diwata (for which she got a Best Actress nomination), Dragnet (with Pres. Joseph Estrada), Dakpin ang Straggler (Vic Vargas and Eddie Garcia), Ganyan Daw ang Umibig (with Hilda Koronel and the late Walter Navarro), Baticobra at ang Flying Salakot (with Lotis Key and the late Chiquito), Captain Marvel...Boom Zhasam (with Victor Wood), Huli, Huli ‘Yan (with Dolphy), Ulong Pugot...Naglalagot (also with Chiquito), Target...Eva Jones (with Eddie Garcia and the late Rita Gomez), South Seas (with Vic Vargas and the late Troy Donahue) and Dugo ng Tarikan (with Eddie Garcia, Vic Vargas and Elizabeth Oropeza).
She quit showbiz in 1977 and migrated to the States.
“I came here to find myself,” Eva said. “And I’m happy with what I found.”
She got married in 1978 and got divorced in 1989. Asked who her husband was, Eva said laughing, “He’s an ex and we don’t talk about exes, do we?” She has two grown-up sons from that failed marriage, Michael (28) who studied at Oxford in London and Christopher (26) who is a member of Mensa (people with very high I.Q.).
She is self-employed, working as a head-hunter and living alone in a big house not far from Beverly Hills.
On the side, Eva does charity work.
“Last September, we held a fund-raising event for John 15 Foundation founder William Kerr,” said Eva. “Beneficiary is our Payatas Fund project. We plan to improve the living condition of the residents of Payatas. You know who was the special guest at the event? Hollywood actor Martin Sheen!”
Since Tim’s birthday was fast approaching (Nov. 19), he treated us to a hearty dinner (burp, burp, burp!!!) at P.F. Chang’s at the Beverly Center (the same Chinese resto where, I heard, Kris Aquino and James Yap had dinner when they were in Beverly Hills).
Over dinner, I engaged Eva in a “body talk.”
What kind of diet do you follow?
“I’m a vegetarian. I don’t eat fish or meat because I don’t want my body to absorb the suffering that the animals feel when they are being killed.”
Do you take any healthy mix?
“I blend apple, spinach, beans and carrots, and drink one tall glass at 10 o’clock every morning. That’s breakfast for me. At 12 noon, I drink three glasses of a mix of cucumber, celery, broccoli and, always a ‘must’, apples.”
How do you relax?
“I do yoga four times a week and alternate it with Pilates. I also meditate. I wake up at 5:30 in the morning and meditate on perfect health, on who I am and who we are as human beings. The good thing is that I have a positive attitude, a bright outlook on life.”
How much sleep do you get per night?
“I have to get eight hours. I usually sleep between 9:30 and 10 p.m. After meditating for 30 minutes, I go back to sleep and wake up at around 10 to take my first glass of ‘blended drink’. Luckily, I work at home, so I don’t have to go to an office and endure the traffic in L.A.”
Do you work out?
“I do, at around 12 noon right before lunch. There are three rooms in my house and one of them is a gym, upstairs. I do the balls. And then I work out some more at around 4 o’clock in the afternoon. I do a lot of Taichi.”
How do you cope with stress?
“I go to the spa every now and then. I’ve been attending seminars on enlightenment and spirituality... anything that improves the mind and the body, about new ideas. Believe it or not but one time I even walked on fire!”
How do you take care of your skin?
“You know, it’s important that you moisturize every night. I do that after taking a shower. But first, I apply organic oil all over my body. I clean my face before going to bed and, that’s it, moisturize.”
Is every part of your body, ehem, original?
“You mean, have I undergone plastic surgery? No, I haven’t. Not that I’m against it; it’s just that I don’t think I need it...yet.”
How much water do you take every day? They say that hydrating yourself is good for the skin.
“I take seven to eight glasses. That doesn’t include the ‘blended drink’ that I just told you about.”
You still look the same as you did when you won Miss Republic of the Philippines in 1972. Any part of your body that needs improvement?
“I would say...my legs.”
What part of your body is your favorite?
“My heart. Everything evolves from the heart.”
Have you maintained your Miss RP vital statistics?
“My measurements are almost the same, and so are my height (5’8") and my weight. I’m hyper-active and my metabolism is fast, so I hardly gain weight. I respect my body. It’s a gift from God and we have to take good care of it. You know, just because you see so much food on the table doesn’t mean that you have to stuff yourself.”
How often do you see your doctor?
“Not as often as I should.”
Your dermatologist?
“Once a month.”
How different is Eva Reyes then and Eva Reyes now?
“Oh, a lot! A world of difference! Before, I didn’t really know who I was; I didn’t know my values. Now, I know where I stand and what I stand for. I know the meaning of integrity and I know that I am responsible for everything that I do and for all my actions. Before, I just followed everything that was dictated to me. Now, I make my own choices and my own decisions. And one of my choices is to aim for the higher good.”
(E-mail reactions at rickylo@philstar.net.ph or at entphilstar@yahoo.com)