Kiko Estrada excited to act with uncle Joko Diaz

Reigning Mrs. Universe South Asia Joyce Penas Pilarsky will be the Reyna Helena at the Santacruzan of the Sta. Rita de Cascia Parish, Philam Homes, Quezon City to be held on May 28.

Sta. Rita de Cascia is the Patroness of Impossible Causes. She is also the patroness of abused women and the heartbroken.

According to Mrs. Pilarsky, this project was put up by the parish to present the Santacruzan to the millennials.

“This is one of our best Catholic practices. What is also good about this, aside from the tale of St. Helena looking for the cross together with Constantine, the virtues of Mama Mary are also incorporated. We have to show our young generation our traditions. They should be introduced to it and for us, the older generation, we should not forget it,” said Mrs. Pilarsky.

She added that the Santacruzan is not just a display of beautiful gowns. The event will also inform the public about the cultural, historical and religious elements of it.

Mrs. Pilarsky will wear a fully-beaded gown with hand-painted flower designs which she herself designed.

She really exerted effort to make her own gown because she wants to look fabulous. She wants to inspire mature women like her that they can still wear gowns and carry it with aplomb. The beauty queen said it will make women of her age feel good about themselves.

“I would also like to find out if the young ones will like what they will see in the Santacruzan. I hope that with me joining the event, I might be able to inspire women, both young and old, to be healthy and fit, just like me,” Mrs. Pilarsky said.

If they will like her outfit, it might inspire them to channel their creative energies and try their hands in designing clothes. Who knows, they might also become successful designers in the future.

What makes this Santacruzan different is that all participants or sagalas are senior citizens. “Isn’t this exciting? Through this Santacruzan, we are empowering the elderly.”

Mrs. Pilarsky is an award-winning fashion designer, not only locally but also internationally. She was grand champion at the Los Angeles Fashion Week Design Competition two years ago. Her creations had been featured in several magazines and earned rave reviews from fashion critics.

In the last Miss Universe contest held in Manila, a gown that she designed was supposed to be worn by Miss Jamaica, but the Miss Universe contestant failed to do so. However, everything was ironed out after a dialogue.

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Kiko Estrada is taking his career seriously, so much so that he is sacrificing having a love life, at least, for the time being.

As one of the stars of “Mulawin vs Ravena,” Kiko says he is very grateful to have been chosen to be a part of this mammoth teleserye which premiered on Monday at the Kapuso Telebabad block.

“I don’t know if the character I am playing is really bad or good. But I believe he is a gray character. He is bad because there is an underlying reason why he is bad. He is also good because there is a reason why he acts that way,” explains Kiko during the press conference of “Mulawin vs Ravena.”

He is thankful for the good breaks coming his way. According to Kiko, he has a new teleserye coming soon and he is also set to do two movies for Regal Entertainment. He was last seen in the horror movie “Pwera Usog” with Sofia Andres.

Kiko was linked to Barbie Forteza, who broke up with him. He said they were an item for three months (as far he remembers) but Barbie ended their romance because, according to the “Meant to Be” actress, the guy had no time for her.

But Kiko reasoned he was busy with work then, as he was headlining the afternoon soap “Sinungaling Mong Puso” opposite Rhian Ramos. Since the split, he hasn’t had the chance to talk with or see Barbie, but he wishes to do so, so that they can be friends again.

Right now, Kiko is loveless. It is work that keeps him busy. He is happy to be working with his uncle Joko Diaz, who plays his stepdad, in “Mulawin vs Ravena.”

“He was like a second dad to me. I am the first grandson of the Diaz family and I was treated like the youngest son of the family. I call him Manong Joko and we are close. I am looking forward to doing scenes with him in ‘Mulawin vs Ravena,’” said Kiko.