MANILA, Philippines - Just when everyone wasn’t looking, sexy singer-comedienne and erstwhile Viva Hot Babes member Ella V. quietly slipped out of the country to tie the knot in the US and settle there.
In 2007, Ella met a Fil-Am guy who was visiting the Philippines for the first time. Shane Manalang traces his roots to Pampanga, where his parents hail from. However, he was born and raised in California that’s why he knew very little about Philippine showbiz.
Shane had no idea, too, that Ella is a celebrity. He was simply swept off his feet by the charming Manileña from the time they met at Embassy at The Fort. They kept in touch and decided to maintain a long-distance relationship. Whenever Ella had road shows in the US, she would find time to visit Shane in California.
The visits happened a number of times until Shane proposed marriage to Ella early last year. He gave her a two-carat diamond ring. On March 21, 2008, the couple exchanged “I dos.” Ella subsequently gave up her showbiz career and settled in the US with Shane, who works as a physician’s assistant in Los Angeles. She is now a greencard holder by virtue of her marriage to Shane.
“Showbiz was very unstable,” Ella shares. “I would do shows occasionally and earn P5,000 per appearance. I am the breadwinner in the family and sometimes, what I was earning wasn’t enough.”
Ella says her husband does not mind if she continues her showbiz career. In fact, if there’s a good offer for her in local showbiz, she wouldn’t mind going back to Manila for work, although only temporarily.
“Shane agreed that I can always accept acting offers, only no more bold roles this time,” Ella states.
In the recent Fiesta Mo sa Florida event in Orlando, Ella displayed her flair for singing and knack for comedy before Filipino audiences. She brought the house down with her hilarious antics and one-liners which proved to a hit with the crowd. There was even an American guy who joined her onstage and gamely played her “kissing” routine in the song Torete.
“I’m thankful that whenever there’s a chance for me to do shows here in the US, there are promoters who still get me,” Ella grants. “That way, parang nasa showbiz pa rin ako.”
At present, Ella keeps herself busy by working as an administrator in the care home owned by her in-laws. The facility houses children with physical and mental disabilities.
“The care home is the business of Shane’s family and I work there six hours a day,” Ella allows. “My parents in-law are very nice to me. Shane is also very loving and he understands me. He supports me in everything I want to do. He is happy and flattered when he sees there are Filipinos in the US who recognize me.”
Ella laments, however, that they have yet to have a baby. She had two miscarriages this year, but that doesn’t stop her from trying to have a kid. “A baby will complete our family,” Ella maintains. “If we will be blessed with one, we will really be very happy.”
Ella leads a domesticated existence in the US, far from her celebrity life in Manila. She cooks for her husband (pochero is his favorite dish), drives her own car (a classic Jaguar), goes to the supermarket and helps maintain the household which she shares with her in-laws.
Ella rose to fame as a sexy singer-comedienne and a member of the all-female singing group Viva Hot Babes, with Jaycee Parker, Myles Hernandez, Maui Taylor, Katya Santos, Andrea del Rosario and Jen Rosendahl.
When she was still in showbiz, Ella appeared in a few primetime series on GMA 7, like Joaquin Bordado, Asian Treasures, Sa Piling Mo and Ysabella. She also did films like Enteng Kabisote 3, Caregiver, Boso, Gamitan, Alas Dose, Lastikman and First Time.
Ella posed nude for FHM, where she also landed in the Top 100 Sexiest Women in 2004, 2007 and 2008. She has maintained her sexy figure after she underwent liposuction with Dr. Vicki Belo five years ago.
“Thankfully, I didn’t gain weight after I went to the States,” Ella says. “I’m proud that I’ve had lipo. I always flaunt it whenever I do shows. I thank Dr. Belo for it. If I don’t get pregnant in the coming months, I plan to go back to Manila for a visit this December. Iba pa rin talaga sa atin.”