When a US-based actress married to a non-showbiz person comes home, the first question that pops in the mind of showbiz-watchers is: What has gone wrong with her marriage? Cases in point: Ruffa Gutierrez coming home from Turkey accusing husband Yilmaz Bektas for “maltreating” her; Sheryl Cruz, from San Francisco quietly splitting from husband Norman John Bustos (a sheriff with the San Francisco Police Department); and Nikki Valdez, from Canada insinuating that her husband is having an affair with another woman.
So what has brought back Princess Punzalan? Nothing of that sort.
She arrived on Jan. 5, her sixth visit in five years, from California where she and her husband, Jay Field, have recently moved into from another state where they had resided after they got married in Cavite in 2005. Both of them are Christian.
“No,” Princess told Funfare in an exclusive interview, “hindi ako hiwalay. Masaya ang buhay namin ng mister ko,” even if they don’t have a child yet no matter, Princess added with a laugh, “how hard we try….Well, I guess it may be because I’m getting old kaya nahihirapan ako magbuntis.” They are thinking of adopting a child.
Elaborating on why she came home, Princess said, “It’s been taking me a long time to get into a nursing program because there’s hardly any available seat. For example, in one community college, only 40 seats were available and there were more than 800 of us competing for them. Lagi akong hindi napipili until recently. My husband told me that since my schedule would be very hectic as a student, I might as well take a vacation before school opens. So here I am. The course kasi will take me two years to finish.”
Mr. Field is from Michigan who used to work as the commercial attache at the US Embassy in Manila. He now works for a company that supplies maps to GPS (Global Positioning System) companies all over the world.
“Masarap siyang kasama sa buhay kasi hindi siya mahirap kausap,” said Princess. “He understands my feelings as an artist. He’s very supportive, especially when I need an outlet for my creative craving. I can talk to him directly about what I want to do, what I need to do.”
In short, life in the US for Princess is virtually a “Field” of roses.
“Imposibleng dumaan ang isang araw na hindi ako tumawa. He’s funny, he has a great sense of humor.”
Her month-long vacation (until Feb. 4) turned out to be a working one when she accepted an offer to play Richard Gutierrez’s mom in the trilogy My Valentine Girls produced by Regal Films and GMA Films, with Eugene Domingo among the female leads.
“The shoot doesn’t take long so why not?,” said Princess who did a GMA soap the last time she came home.
Yes, why not? Fans eagerly look forward to the re-appearance of the versatile actress who, together with the likes of Cherie Gil, reinvented the image of the TV kontrabida (initially in ABS-CBN soaps like the late ‘90s Mula sa Puso) into a glamorous and desirable one, paving the way for their colleagues (among them Eula Valdez and Jean Garcia) to follow suit. Princess and company have turned kontrabidas into lovable creatures.
“But in My Valentine Girls,” qualified Princess, “mabait akong mommy.”
Back in the US, Princess has been putting in harness what she has learned from the scriptwriting classes of Ricky Lee that she attended.
“I’ve been developing scripts habang wala pa akong ginagawa.”
Hmmmm, stories about love inspired by her own life which is so colorful it could have been serialized on her late mom Helen Vela’s drama series Lovingly Yours, Helen.
“No naman,” Princess blushed, “pero, yes, I’m sure maraming kahawig sa mga nakita ko at na-experience ko. But for sure, maraming aral ang matututuhan ng mga manonood.”
Princess said she didn’t have a hard time adjusting to life in the US, thanks to how she and her two brothers were brought up by Helen.
“Mama raised us to be independent; pinalaki kaming maayos. For example, she would tell us, ‘Kung kaya mo rin lang gawin, huwag mo nang iutos.’ If you can reach for a glass of water, do it yourself; don’t ask the maid to do it for you. Things like that.”
Back in the US, Princess will enter Santa Monica College.
“I really wanted to be a doctor but it would take me years to finish the course,” said Princess. “’Yon ang gusto kung pag-aralan while I was thinking of what course to take up during my first six months in the US. But my husband said, ‘Your hair might be turning white before you can finish the course,’ kasi ang tagal mag-duktor, di ba? Besides, it’s expensive to study medicine in the US, baka hindi namin mabayaran ang loan. After two years, I plan to take up a course in surgical nursing para katabi ko ang mga duktor habang nag-o-opera sila. That way, para na rin akong duktor, di ba?”
(E-mail reactions at rickylo@philstar.net.ph or at entphilstar@yahoo.com)