KRISTINE HERMOSA, CRUSH NG BAYAN
by Bayani San Diego.
Yes Mag. June 2000
Away from show business, the new
Crush ng Bayan unwinds like a normal teenager: pillow-fighting with
mom, playing with pets and, of course, texting both girl and boy
friends.
Kristine Hermosa, like most teenagers, is haplessly, hopelessly
addicted to texting. Of course, she can always reason out that a
cellphone is an indispensable communication tool—especially for a
fast-rising star who is constantly on the move, on the road, and
taping from dawn-to-dawn in far-flung provinces.
Here, we catch sixteener Kristine at dusk, at the end of a long
day.
Being a homebody and a self-confessed manang, Kristine would much
rather hole up in their townhouse when she is not occupied with
showbiz commitments.
Those commitments, however, are piling up. Being possibly the best
face in the pool of beautiful faces of the ABS-CBN Talent Center,
that’s to he expected. Already, she is the image model of Particles
apparel. She has her lunchtime show “MTB.” A member of Star Circle
Batch 4, she has been included in three big Star Cinema projects:
Minsan, Minahal Mo Ako (with Sharon Cuneta and Richard Gomez), Flames
the Movie Part II, and Rehab.
Like all showbiz neophytes before her, this model-actress has been
likened to established stars. In her case, to Zsazsa Padilla and Vina
Morales.
Also, Kristine earned the title “Crush ng Bayan” after being
linked with heartthrobs Mo Twister, Marvin Agustin, Onemig Bondoc, and
Jericho Rosales.
But these pairings, Kristine denies emphatically. Her mother Alma says
that these arose after
Kristine worked with the boys in various ABS-CBN shows:
“Cyberkada” (Mo Twister), “Sa Sandaling Kailangan Mo Ako”
(Marvin), and “Star Drama Theater” (Onemig).
As for Jericho Rosales, the fellow is now being groomed by their home
network as Kristine ‘s new screen partner both on the small and big
screens.
Kristine need not work so third, her 35—year—old mother points
out, primarily because her 36-year-old father, Maximillan Orille, is
an engineer working in London. Mom Alma says that the townhouse they
stay in, found iii one of the quieter and more guarded villages, was
one of her husbands first investments from his earnings abroad.
It is Kristine who insists on juggling showbiz (ABS-CBN Talent Center)
and school (ABS-CBN Distance Learning Center, where she is a
sophomore), because of the sense of independence that work has given
her.
At an early age, she has experienced how it is to he her own boss, how
to manage her own affairs.
“Sa talent fee ko galing ang suweldo ng driver at yaya ko,”
Kristine reports proudly. "Ako rin ang nagbabayad para sa Starex
[van] ko.”
Her biggest acquisition since joining show business five years ago,
the van has proven to be a wise investment for all those
morning-to-morning, out-of-town tapings and shows.
On this spread, the hardworking young lady is caught by the YES!
camera in a rare moment of relaxation hanging out with her mother and
eight-year-old sister Maxine, lounging in her bedroom while surrounded
by her Winnie the Pooh collection, playing with precocious pets Bogs
(a chow) and Bridge (a Pekingese), and, of course, texting 18-year-old
sister Kathleen and her friends.
Such carefree moments, often taken for granted by regular teenagers,
are heaven-sent for Kristine. These moments, precious and few, more
than make up for all the running around. They’re about family, after
all.
~ e n d ~
