MANILA, Philippines — Amid reports of celebrities going bankrupt left and right due to drug or casino addiction, “Megastar” Sharon Cuneta proudly shared that she continues to grow her hard-earned money.
She, however, clarified at last week’s group interview with the press organized by her endorsement InLife Insurance that although she is rich, she is not debt-free.
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Her debts, she clarified though, are “good debts” and not from gambling or vices.
“Ba’t ako nagkautang? Dahil ba nagsugal ako? Never, never, never ako nagsugal. ‘Ni takot ako mag-slot machine… Vegas, nanghihinayang ako ‘pag 20 dollars natalo, tignan mo ‘yan, dapat ininvest ko na lang, kumita ‘yan!” she declared.
“’Yung utang ko hindi sugal, hindi bisyo, hindi katangahan. Ang utang ko properties din,” she stressed.
She specifically named property loans as her constant debts. She gave as example on how she distributed the money she got from a big contract she got from a TV station she did not name, but “was not ABS-CBN.”
“Because of my contract and how big it was, I invested, I put down payments, I borrowed from four (sources) to buy several properties. They were really utangs na properties. And then, the contract was renegotiated and I got out of the station. And I got back to ABS, and I wasn’t making what I was supposed to make, but I was happy with ABS-CBN, it was home.”
She shared how she was able to pay up her property debts: “Dahan-dahan nabayaran ko ‘yun, how? Nakabenta ako ng ibang bayad ko na… Ngayon may bago akong utang. Some I use to invest in other properties, some, I’m building my house now.”
If she would get a loan, she makes sure it is not on expensive cars.
“So, ang nangyari, naiwan sa akin ‘yung mga inutang kong properties. Hindi naman ako uutang nang ganu’n kung wala akong… Actually, ganito ‘yung thinking ko. Kung mayroon akong pambili ng let’s say 10 Mercedes Benz, by the way, wala akong mahal na kotse, kasi nag-dedepreciate ang kotse. So I’m still with my trustworthy van na matagal na. Hindi ako maarte sa kotse.”
Getting a loan for jewelry, however, is wise, according to the “Megastar.”
“I have jewelry, why? Because I know they will appreciate and I have girls, I have children.”
The key to having debts, Sharon advised, is to pay them up as soon as possible.
“I like a clean slate, ayaw ko ng nagkakautang. Once, I borrowed some money to build a house before in Wack-Wack. My loan was a five-year loan, and I paid it off in three years kasi natatagalan ako sa five, baka mamatay ako!” she quipped. — Video by Deni Bernardo
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