A new episode in Miriam’s life

Miriam Quiambao–international beauty queen, TV host, movie actress, product endorser–starts a new chapter in her eventful life when she walks down the aisle sometime in January next year. The statuesque beauty who almost snagged the Miss Universe Crown in 1999, when she finished in second place, has also gone international in her choice of a lifetime partner.

Meet the future Mr. Miriam Quiambao–Italian businessman Claudio Rondinelli. Unfortunately for Claudio, that’s how Filipinos will identify him because his name is not familiar to the showbiz audience. He will always be known as the husband of Miriam Quiambao despite his impressive credentials. Claudio is a self-made man (that’s how Miriam describes him) and has a thriving import-export business in Hong Kong.

Looking at his photos with Miriam, local observers will probably gush over how dashing and debonair Claudio is. Standing 6’2", the 37-year-old businessman could easily pass for a Hollywood movie star. We agree with Miriam that he looks like Jean Claude Van Damme but it’s not just his looks that endeared him to Miriam.

Ever the analytical person. Miriam looked at several factors in her choice of a lifetime partner. "First of all, I want my man to have self-confidence. Claudio started with nothing and was able to build a successful business enterprise. He’s a self-made man. His dad died when he was only four while his mom passed away when he was 20. Despite the setbacks, he managed to make something of his life.

"I want my man to respect my individuality. Claudio has not asked me to quit showbiz because he knows I am happy with what I am doing. Another thing that impressed me was his uncanny ability to relate to children and animals. When he was growing up, he was known as ‘St. Francis of Assisi’ because of the way he treated animals. I like that because it shows what a kind person he is".

Miriam and Claudio share so many things. "We’re both Catholics. His temperament is very Filipino. What they say about Italians is true. They’re the Pinoys of Europe. We also have the same sense of humor. It’s incredible. We laugh at the same things. I don’t have to explain my jokes to him."

Claudio was not the only one courting the beauty queen. A Filipino businessman had also proposed marriage and Miriam was seriously choosing between the two. Using the factors mentioned earlier, she could see that Claudio was ahead on all counts. Miriam was still unsure so she prayed for God to give her a sign.

Right after she sought divine intervention, Miriam and the Pinoy swain started having fights. The disagreements were petty at first but gradually she realized that she would be happier with Claudio. Last Sept. 13, Claudio popped the question and Miriam happily agreed to his proposal.

Was it love at first sight? It was for Claudio, says Miriam, but it took her a while to fall for the Italian. They were introduced at the Peninsula Hotel by fashion designer Rhett Eala who, incidentally is doing her gown. That first meeting led to several dates and before she realized it, they became an item.

Then, a few days after she said yes, Miriam started to have apprehensions. Becoming Mrs. Rondinelli would mean uprooting herself from the Philippines and starting a new life in Hong Kong where she doesn’t have relatives and friends. And what about her career? She’d have to start all over again. Of course, she can always do projects here but they can’t be long-term projects like a weekly TV series.

Last month, however, after Miriam got to know Claudio’s circle of friends better and analyzed her prospects in the former crown colony, her self-confidence was bolstered. Now, she can’t wait to start her new life in Hong Kong.

The wedding ceremony will take place in Boracay–both of them love the beach–and only close friends and relatives numbering about a hundred have been invited. For a celebrity wedding, this one will have very few celebrities in attendance. When she was choosing her principal sponsors, she came up with a list of criteria. "I wanted them to be close to Claudio and me and they had to be happily married," says Miriam. "I wanted role models that my husband and I can emulate. I also wanted people who could give us the right advice about our wedded life."

Only a few close friends from showbiz have been invited. Paolo Bediones, her co-host and bosom buddy, will be there. So will Lyn Ching and her husband, Suzy Entrata and Paolo Abrera. No high profile priest will officiate at the mass. She has asked a grand uncle who is a bishop and an uncle-priest to lead a concelebrated mass and perform the marriage ceremony.

The only "celebrity wedding" item that she agreed to was a special coverage of the occasion by GMA 7. It will be shown as a special in January. She adds that Magpakailanman, the GMA series that dramatizes the stories of real people, will feature her life with Miriam playing herself. This is her second appearance on the show. The last time, she portrayed beauty queen-activist Nelia Sancho and impressed us with her dramatic talent.

Unfortunately for her countless fans, Miriam will no longer be that visible in local showbiz. She is quitting her daily Extra Challenge reality show on GMA which means her co-host Paolo Bediones will probably get a new partner on TV. For a while, showbiz observers were hoping she and Paolo would end up together. When we interviewed the pair recently, Paolo explained that in the years they’ve been together, "hindi kami nagkakatugma. There was never a time that both of us were unattached."

The situation never changed. Paolo is involved with someone who is finishing her studies in Canada. Miriam did admit that she and Paolo have a special relationship that goes beyond friendship.

She is also the host of the woman’s show All About You on GMA but the program changes hosts every three months so she’ll be done with the show in February. That doesn’t mean she will quit the entertainment scene altogether. "If there are worthwhile projects, I can always fly back. Claudio won’t mind," says Miriam.

Miriam says she would like to do action movies next in the style of Charlie’s Angels and Lara Croft. That’s a great idea since there is no actress right now who has made a name as an action star. The reason is that most actresses are not willing to undergo the long training and physical effort required to tackle action scenes before the cameras roll. Miriam says she’s ready to make the necessary sacrifice if given the opportunity.

She is thinking of accepting modeling assignments and even TV assignments in Hong Kong if the opportunities arise. She is confident that things will open up for her in her new address.

Miriam looks at her marriage as the beginning of another chapter in her colorful life. She calls it the union of two fulfilled persons who have decided to share the rest of their lives together. She has accomplished so much since her glory days as Miss Universe runner-up. Back then, she had a boyfriend of many years and people thought she would ultimately end up with him. Then Miriam took a motivational workshop organized by PSI Asia that changed her life forever. She realized she had so many issues to settle in her life and she learned how to deal with these issues.

Eventually, she broke up with her boyfriend and with her positive outlook, she embarked on a successful career in television that took her from hosting an early morning show called Unang Hirit and doing a daily magazine show with Paolo to a feature film with Sharon and Richard.

When we first met Miriam, it was at a press conference for a feminine wash that she was endorsing. She struck us as a smart person, rather shy but with plenty of ideas between her ears. Years later, Miriam and I were in Taipei to interview Matt Damon, star of The Bourne Identity and she really impressed us as a go-getter. When she interviewed Damon, she did what no other interviewer had done. She managed to ask the actor to demonstrate his martial arts routine in the movie. She even brought her own videocam so she could take shots of the actor during the general press conference.

With her self-confidence and positive outlook, we expect greater things from Miriam, this time in the international scene.