Charice baptism of fire

The Showbiz Wheel of Fortune turns in strange but otherwise predictable ways. You know how it goes: When a starry-eyed hopeful is just struggling in the jungle world of showbiz, nobody bothers with him. But when he starts to make a name, everybody gravitates toward him. All of a sudden, he finds himself swamped with kith and kin extending to the sixth degree.

Case in point: Charice (minus Pempengco because her absentee father had stopped her from using that surname).

Until she was discovered by Ellen DeGeneres late last year and even if she placed third in ABS-CBN’s Little Big Star talent search, Charice was generally ignored by most everybody, which is what usually happened this side of the world when you don’t have the right “connection.” And then, Charice guested on The Paul O’Grady Show in London early this year and then on Oprah Winfrey’s show aired Monday night in the US, with the irrepressible Oprah listening with mouth agape as Charice gave a stirring performance of the Whitney Houston hit I Have Nothing, saying “Wow, wow, wow!” and later joining the audience in giving Charice a standing ovation. But more on Charice’s smash-hit Oprah appearance by and by.

Meanwhile, Charice and, more so, her mother Raquel find themselves in the eye of some unsavory issues raised by, you guessed it, Raquel’s own mom “Nanay Tess” in the tabs, to wit:

 l. Raquel has been “squandering” Charice’s earnings,

2. Raquel is “crazy” over a new “boyfriend,” and

3. “Nanay Tess” has sought the help of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on how Raquel could better handle Charice’s finances.

It must be noted that we are hearing about “Nanay Tess” only now that Charice is being noticed not only here but all over America. As I said, the Showbiz Wheel of Fortune is turning in a predictable way. It has happened before to other showbiz aspirants. Yes, it’s still the same old story.

In fairness to and in defense of (especially) Charice (who, we should not forget, is our new source of national pride and who deserves not jeers but cheers), Funfare contacted Raquel for her side of the issues which constitute Charice’s own, oh well, “baptism of fire.” Here’s Raquel (speaking in Tagalog; some portions of her story have to be translated in English):

 1. “Just because Charice is being invited to guest in TV shows in the US doesn’t mean that we are already rich, that we already have a lot of money. Ang pinakamahalaga ay ang malaking exposure na ibinibigay kay Charice. When we go home from our trips to the US and we bring with us some pasalubong, maybe it gives some people the impression na mayaman na kami. Charice is starting to make a name but she’s still struggling. Mahirap pa rin po kami.

“My mother and I haven’t been in good terms for many years after she drove us (including Raquel’s other child, Carl) away from home dahil wala daw akong silbi, maybe because I couldn’t contribute anything to the family at ang dalawang anak ko lang ang kinakaya kong buhayin. She packed our things in a sack and left it outside of her house. Her parting words were, ‘Gagapang kang parang ahas!’  That was in 2000. I had to ask a neighbor help us carry our things. We had to seek shelter in the house of people na mabait at nagmagandang-loob sa amin, never mind if we have to sleep on the floor, walang banig at walang unan. Sometimes, I would wonder, ‘Siguro, hindi ako tunay na anak ng Nanay ko kaya ganoon siya sa akin.’”

 2. “The ‘boyfriend’ mentioned in the tabloid is the driver of the van that we rent for P2,500 a day when we have to go to Manila from Batangas where we are now staying in an apartment we are renting for P2,500. We don’t have our own car yet. Siempre, inuupahan namin ‘yung van araw-araw kaya kasama namin siya araw-araw.” (Asked about Charice’s father, Raquel has this to say...) “We have been separated for more than 10 years now. We were married sa Iglesia ni Kristo. He’s an addict. I decided to separate from him when he started hurting me. When we separated, Charice was only about three years old. Wala po akong boyfriend.”

3. “We are still poor and I thank God that Charice is now earning. My mother doesn’t have to go to DOLE or any other government agency to ask for help. Maayos ko pong hinahawakan ang pera ni Charice; hindi ko po nilulustay.”

And now, back to Oprah...

After she sang, Charice got a big hug from Oprah who asked her, “What a voice! Where does it come from?” Charice said, “I use my head and my diaphragm.” Oprah laughed, “Oh, I also have a diaphragm. Maybe I can use that, too!” Then, Charice, near tears, leaned on Oprah’s chest. Oprah said, “Just lean on my breast!”, thanking Charice for travelling for 15 hours from the Philippines to realize her big dream of being on Oprah’s show. Saying “Thank you,” Oprah then told Charice, “You are a force to reckon with!”

And on that happy note, we end this bitter-sweet story about Charice’s, oh well, “baptism of fire.”

Go ahead, Charice, do what you do best and don’t be derailed by ugly issues being raised by relatives who should raise you up (as Josh Groban sings) and not pull you down.

Yes, Charice, Oprah is right.

You are a force to reckon with!

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