Heart happily adjusting to newfound freedom

Curtain-raisers:

 It might take some time before Wally Bayola may be taken back by Eat, Bulaga! — that is, if ever that happens. The show is wholesome and pam-pamilya and Wally’s “offense” negates that image. A Funfare DPA said that Wally now goes around incognito, unshaven and with a full hair. “He’s a victim,” added the DPA. “It’s not his fault that that video went viral.” The “suspect” has been pinpointed.

 Two months ago, a controversial lady celebrated the birthday of her child in a grand style at a posh venue in Makati. As highlight of the affair, she gave her child a brand-new SUV. The sad part? She forgot to settle the final payment for the party. In her present predicament, how could she?

 No love was greater than that of “J” for her ex-actor-boyfriend “J.” Every time “J” got home drunk, “J” would lay him in bed, clean him with hot towel and change his clothes. She was barely 18 when they started going steady. She will never forget “J” because it was to him that she lost her innocence.

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She has learned how to write checks, pay the bills and do the grocery, including doing the household chores.

But more than that, Heart Evangelista said that her newfound freedom has taught her how to enjoy her private space now after she moved to her new condo unit in the New Manila area, Quezon City. Nope, dispelling persistent suspicion, her boyfriend, Sen. Chiz Escudero, is not living with her. Chiz has his own “bachelor’s pad” a few minutes away, with his twins (his ex-wife Tintin is happy in her own private world with her dancer-boyfriend).

Did Chiz make suggestions on how she should fix her condo unit?

“No, he didn’t,” said Heart. “I only asked him about the lights. That was all.”

The good news is that Heart has made peace with her father, but she begged off from discussing how it happened. “Basta,” she said, “okey na kami…since July pa.” Hopefully, before the year ends, Heart shall have kissed and made up with her mom with whom she bumped heads over Heart’s romance with Chiz. But as they say, love will find a way and peace will reign at Heart’s home as it should on Planet Earth. “Some details still have to be sorted out,” was all she shared.

Her career is going great. Her new GMA soap, Magkano Ba Ang Pag-Ibig?, has premiered a few days ago, with Dominic Roco and Sid Lucero as her leading men. Oh yes, Heart admitted having been “good friends” with Sid and despite that brief “past,” they are comfortable working with each other.

In her Viva movie Trophy Wife, Heart has steamy love scenes with Derek Ramsay who is reported to have recently broken up with Cristine Reyes…after only a few months of very open romance which Derek said was “forever”…who is also in the cast of the love triangle story directed by Elwood Perez. Cristine plays the wife and Heart the mistress.

“I was nervous before we shot the love scenes,” admitted Heart whose fears were unfounded. “They were not that torrid after all. I was relieved.”

Asked if she has to ask Chiz’s nod before doing daring roles, Heart shook her head.

“Not really,” she said, “I just let him know. He’s actually very broad-minded and he doesn’t meddle in my work and vice-versa. He might strike people as conservative but actually he’s not. When I wear something a bit sexy like this,” referring to her black dress with a semi-plunging neckline, “he doesn’t object, it doesn’t shock him at all.”

Neither does Chiz inquire about her leading men.

“He’s not seloso. He’s self-contained, secure with himself.”

Adding that she felt that she has finally found Mr. Right (after a few, hmmmm, “false alarms”), Heart denied rumors that they are getting married this year. “Not in our plans,” she stressed.

Their current joint venture is painting. “Nakikisali na siya. I hope to finish more paintings because I’m planning to hold a one-woman exhibit.”

Isn’t it a nice idea if they pose for each other simultaneously?

Laughed Heart, “Nakakatakot, kasi baka kung ano ang ma-drawing niya sa akin.”

Meanwhile, Heart is happily adjusting to living independently.

“At first,” she said, “I was so overwhelmed that I cried. I was worried about not being able to pay my bills on time, baka mag-bounce ang checks, and little things like paying my taxes and making sure that my bank account is in order.”

Heart is thrilled now that she does and signs her own checks.

“I just sign them with ‘LL,’ initials of my own name.”

What’s up?

 The World Association of Radiopharmaceutical and Molecular Therapy with the Philippine Society of Nuclear Medicine as host cordially invite you to the 8th International Conference on Radiopharmaceutical Therapy to be held at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Hotel on Nov. 17 to 21. World luminaries in Nuclear Medicine and PET will share their expertise dealing with molecular diagnosis and targeted therapy in Oncology, Endocrinology and Cardiology. For more information, call Dr. Eric Cruz at 0917-8877530 or Dr. Emie Barranechea at 0917-8111008, 925-2891 or 646-1959.

 The Philippine Council for Quality Assurance in Clinical Laboratories will hold its 10th annual Convention on Oct. 7 to 10 at Crowne Plaza Hotel, Galleria Manila, Ortigas Avenue, Pasig City. With the theme Nurturing The Culture of Quality in the Clinical Laboratory, overall chairman Ronaldo Puno said, “The organizing committee has painstakingly prepared an array of interesting topics and invited high-caliber speakers to provide worthy learning experiences. For details, log on to www.pcqacl.org.

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