Judy Ann Santos: It is important for an artista to smell good all the time, or else baka ma-blind item

MANILA, Philippines - When Judy Ann Santos Agoncillo glided into the room for the press launch of Champion Fabric Conditioner, she was clad in a flowing pink jumpsuit and nude strappy sandals, that gave her an air of ethereal femininity.  

But as soon as she took the microphone to welcome the afternoon’s guests, her grounded, salt-of-the-earth humor dispelled any illusions of goddess grandeur.  Judy Ann is as real and unpretentious as can be, and though she has been Mara Clara, Esperanza, Krystalla, Ploning, and Anessa, it is clear that it is her role as wife and mother that has made her feel truly at home. And she loves to share stories of her being at home. When asked how she makes sure she has a happy home, she answered frankly, “You don’t really plan that, it will just happen, as long as you are open with your kids, your spouse, and your angels.That is what we call our staff. So they will really feel part of the home. Sometimes we all go to Mass together, so that when it is time to greet ‘Peace be with you !’ the kids can hug them.”

Since cooking is her favorite thing to do, her kids are her sous chefs in training. “Yohan loves to bake, although usually I end up finishing it.  Lucho usually just drums with the kitchen tools, he is still young.  But we barter.  If Yohan wants pizza, I’ll tell her, ok, but let’s put vegetables on it.  They both know that after mealtimes, they have to bring their plates to the sink.”

As she introduced the TVC for her newest endorsement, she gushed, “It was shot like a beauty ad!  Ganun ka-detailed.  And I am really like that at home, I like to be barefoot, kasi hindi talaga ako mahilig mag-heels.”

She says of accepting Champion’s offer, “An endorsement is really not just about money.  I requested that I try the product first.  As an artista, it is very important that we smell good all the time, or else baka ma-blind item, so we cannot use any laundry product that will clash with our perfume.  So I asked for a sample and we used it on my blanket. At hindi ko na siya nagamit, because my kids loved the scent so much, that they used the blanket for themselves.”

As I observed Judy Ann, I was struck by the radiance and confidence that flowed so naturally from her.  Many writers still asked for her diet and exercise regimens, and so she obliged. “My family and I are as normal as normal can be. We still eat junk food now and then.  Once in a while, I’ll have a drink.  I used to do boxing, biking and pilates.  Sometimes I would still bike, but I prefer to do TRX 360 now because I can get a full workout in 30 minutes. What we want our kids to feel is that exercising is a natural, normal part of life.  We do active stuff with them. I teach them traditional games like patintero, tumbang preso, and hide-and-seek. So it is Yohan who will say, ‘Hey, we didn’t exercise today.’”

But she always had that confidence even when she was being called bibingka face and aparador.  She confessed, “I would cry too.  But what I did was that I waited for them to stop bashing me, and that was when I lost weight. I learned from all the negative things they wrote about me. And I guess, alam ko, that I really wanted to be part of this showbiz world, so I knew how to take it.”

Perhaps, that is why she is so at home with herself.  She was always firm in her convictions and aspirations.  And she has now created the home that she deserves.  â€œWhen I was single, I had two homes. My mom’s house and my car.  Basta stressed, may problems, I would just drive around.  But now I have my one home and that’s with my family.”