Face of Allure: Tippy Enriquez
MANILA, Philippines - Mary Stephanie “Tippy” Enriquez easily fills the room with her vibrancy, which makes her alluring beauty shine brighter. Her positive disposition allows her to share joy and happiness with people around her. “Being happy is very important since it is our fuel for living. The things that make you happy are usually free: family and friends,” says Tippy.
Tippy, the youngest of two daughters of PLDT executive Cesar Enriquez and wife Gertie, takes the lessons she learned from her parents to heart. “My mom would always tell me to ‘enjoy life and share your blessings’ and the best lesson I got from my dad is the importance of goal setting and hard work,” shares this beauty of Lebanese, Spanish and Filipino descent, who also believes in the importance of giving the gift of time to her parents. “I always make time for my parents no matter how busy I am. I value them more than anything.”
After graduating with a Humanities degree from the University of Asia and the Pacific, Tippy wanted to dabble in many things — teaching, becoming a makeup artist or working in the fashion or media industry. She started her career in retail and had jobs as a tutor and pre-school teacher. She then landed a job at a TV network, but while in the process of trying to find herself in her chosen career path, Tippy felt something lacking. “I wanted to experience everything that interested me so I won’t have regrets in the long run. My job at the TV network was fun and exciting because media have always fascinated me but after working there for two years, I still felt there was something missing,” she shares.
It was after going on a hiatus that Tippy came into realization that teaching is what she wanted to pursue. “After my corporate job and my vacation in Canada last year, that’s when I realized that I needed to be with children and go back to what makes me tick, which is teaching,” she says. Now, Tippy manages Tutoring Club, a tutorial center with individualized programs for Reading, Writing and Math. “I really love my job and wouldn’t really classify it as work — it’s more a passion, a labor of love. Although I don’t teach everyday, I get to interact with children and see and monitor their progress on a holistic level,” explains Tippy, who also hopes to finish her Education units next year and take up her master’s degree as well.
Throughout Tippy’s journey, she connected with the essence of who she is. “The greatest achievement for me personally has been finding myself, where I am at this journey. It’s not yet over but the fact that I was able to find my way back to my passion, which is teaching, means a lot to me and has given me contentment,” she says.
One of the guiding principles that keeps Tippy going resonates clearly: “Live life the way you want to live it. No one can tell you how you will live; decisions come from you so choose wisely.”
Photography by Mau Aguasin • Styling by Mikka Velasquez • Makeup by Ria Aquino for MAC Cosmetics • Hairstyling by Eddie Mar Cabiltes for L’Oréal Professionnel • Dresses by House of Laurel, 6013 Villena cor. Mañalac St. Poblacion, Makati City • Earrings by Joanique available at 458 Showroom, Adalla St. Palm Village Makati City • Shot at MA Studio, 7467D Bagtikan St. San Antonio Village, Makati City (0918-9022777)
