Toni is her own precious award

Every morning when she wakes up, the first thing that Celestine “Toni” Gonzaga loves to hear is not the chirping of birds but what her parents don’t get tired of telling her.

“They say that I’m beautiful and that’s music to my ears,” Toni told Conversations. “Of course,” she added with a sparkle in her eyes, “I believe them. Nanay at Tatay ko sila, eh!”

Yes, those eyes. When Toni’s commercial for Pond’s first came out, her detractors had a field day bashing her on social media.

“I think I’m one of bashers’ favorites,” admitted Toni with an I-don’t-care-so-what-else-is new(?) half-smile. She has a Twitter account opened for her by PBB (Pinoy Big Brother, the ABS-CBN talent search which she hosts) and a personal Instagram (one of the most widely followed). “Sobra!!! Isa ako sa pinaka-bina-bash at pinaka-hini-hate.”

As the hackneyed saying goes (translated from Filipino), “The more fruits a tree grows, the more people love to stone it.” The sad/bad news is when a star cries and crawls for attention and nobody minds her. In Toni’s case and those of other “most-hated” celebs, shrugging off or ignoring bashers (the envious and the idle minds) is the best weapon. As they say, mamatay sila sa inggit.

“I’ve learned the value of knowing what to ignore,” assured Toni. “Three or four years ago, I admit that I was oh-so affected by bashers. But now, go ahead, they can flood the social media with all the bashings that they want.”

In the meantime, Toni doesn’t allow herself to be distracted from her work. She has just signed up as endorser of Acer Liquid (specifically for the Jade model) line of smartphones. “It’s perfect for me because Acer features do match, and serve, my lifestyle,” said Toni. “It gives me everything I need for my work, and it even helps me bond with my friends and family by keeping me in touch with them wherever and whenever I need to. It has just become part of my life.”

On Oct. 3 (8 p.m. at the Mall Of Asia Arena), Toni will celebrate her 15th anniversary in showbiz with Celestine, a concert named after her produced by DSL Events & Production House, Inc. (the company owned and managed by Dulce Lukban and daughter Pops Fernandez), with Paolo Valenciano (Gary and Angeli’s son) as director and Homer Flores as musical director. (For tickets, call SM Tickets at 470-2222, or DSL at 0916-7150672.)

Celestine is a fitting tribute to Toni who, more than 16 years ago, literally broke into public consciousness by screaming her lungs out (“I love you, Piolo!”) in the Sprite commercial, a scene that she enacted at the opening of Star Cinema’s Starting Over Again, one of this year’s big-bucks hits said to have helped restore Piolo on bankable status.

Since she began in showbiz as one of the co-hosts of the Kapuso noontime show Eat, Bulaga!, before she jumped ober da bakod to the Kapamilya Network, Toni won most, if not all, of the awards there is to win — Princess of Philippine Movies, Box-Office Queen, Best Female TV Host, Best Talent-Search Program Host, Best Concert Performer of the Year, etc.

She’s not about to rest on her laurels. It’s too early. In fact, Toni is forever on the move, hardly having time for herself.

“That’s true,” she agreed. “Halos no time for myself. But it’s okay. When I retire, I will have more than enough time for myself.”

Isn’t she missing out in some things?

“No,” said Toni. “I don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything because I’m living my dream and I’m doing what I love to do. It’s a matter of time management,” so she makes sure that she doesn’t neglect her love life. At the time of this Conversation, her boyfriend, director Paul Soriano, “was somewhere in the mountains shooting a movie,” called Kid Kulafu which stars Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao.

Toni was once quoted in an interview that the right age to get married is 30. Now, she’s 30, so what is she waiting for? Marian Rivera, also 30, is engaged to Dingdong Dantes, and so is Heart Evangelista, 29, to Sen. Chiz Escudero. Some other showbiz couples have tied the knot this year, including Drew Arellano and Iya Villania, Jericho Rosales and Kim Jones, Miriam Quiambao and businessman Ardy Roberto, Jopay Paguia and Joshua Zamora, Karylle and Yael Yuzon, Boots Anson-Roa and lawyer King Rodrigo.

Aren’t Toni and Paul jumping into the “marriage bandwagon”?

“Decisions like that shouldn’t be done in haste,” said Toni. “Hindi ‘yon mina-madali,” adding in jest, referring to Paul’s long-pending proposal, “kapag nauna, nahuhuli. As I said, when you rush things, they usually don’t turn out right. Mas okey ‘yung tamang-tama kaysa nagmamadali na hilaw.”

Isn’t she setting a “deadline” for Paul to propose?

“Baka siguro bago ako mag-menopause, ‘yon ang deadline ko,” added Toni, still joking. “Pag medyo 50 na ako at wala pa rin, aba, eh…,” leaving the sentence hanging. “Basta, if not this year, next year or whenever, okey lang, fine. Those who have proposed, maybe this year is their year. Our year will come.”

It helps that she and Paul belong to the same religious sect (Methodist) that, luckily doesn’t impose a lot of do’s and don’t’s — you know, as far as dressing up is concerned or whatnot. Whatever “precautions” the sweethearts are observing are, well “self-imposed.”

“Our religion focuses more on our personal relationship with God,” clarified Toni.

How does she deal with temptations very prevalent, especially in showbiz?
“Wala lang,” said Toni. “Siguro malakas magdasal ang Mommy at Daddy ko. Powerful ang prayers nila, that’s why my sister Alex and I can avoid what you call ‘temptations.’”

Yes, Alex. Is there really any rivalry (professional jealousy) between them?

“None!” exclaimed Toni. They share many things, not just secrets and confidences but even clothes. “See this shirt I’m wearing? Kay Alex ito! Wala sa vocabulary namin ang rivalry. Sabi nga namin ni Alex, ‘Bakit kaya may rivalry sa magkakapatid? Ano kaya ang ibig sabihin n’un?’ Kung anong mayroon ako ibibigay ko sa kanya. I’m like that.”

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