Two for the world: Lala Flores & Danica Magpantay

In 1990, Milagros “Lala” Flores won the Supermodel of the World Philippines competition, which led her to compete in the prestigious search for the Ford Supermodel of the World. She went on to become a successful model not only in Manila, but in Singapore and Paris as well. Twenty years later, Lala’s daugher Danica Magpantay, without any prior modeling experience (except what she had researched and her determination), won the same competition. When she competed in New York to become the Ford Supermodel of the World, she won the top prize, making her the first-ever Filipina to bag the title. Today, Danica is a top model for Ford and CalCarrie’s Philippines, and Lala is a top makeup artist. Here are 10 things you should know about supermodel mother and daughter Lala Flores and Danica Magpantay.

1. On being beautiful: “Bata pa lang ako, nagfe-feeling na akong maganda ako.” This, despite the fact that Danica was chubby growing up.

“Kasi nga supermodel yung mommy ko,” Danica says bashfully. “Ngayon ko lang nare-realize na yuck, ang feeling ko!” Lala describes 10-year-old Danica as chubby, as in with chubby cheeks. And even before Danica decided to join the modeling contest, she was 121 pounds, then standing 5’8 1/2”. Yes, not big, but not model skinny either. She dropped down to 109 pounds when she joined Supermodel of the World. She dropped to as low as 103 pounds in New York, now standing 5’9 1/4”. 

Being payat is not everything: Danica ate heartily, from soup to dessert, unable to resist the hearty dinner served by chef Jessie Sinsioco in Rockwell Club.

Lala shares, “Pinalaki ko kasi sila telling them that being payat is not everything. I wanted them to just enjoy.” She says all her kids love to eat, including Danica, and though they were chubby, they never became obese. “I always assured my husband that when vanity kicks in, on their own, they’ll be more conscious.” And sure enough, that happened.

2. After Danica won the title as Supermodel of the World, it was not all glitz and glamor. It came to a point where she asked herself, “Kulang ka ba? Kaya mo ba? Ikaw ba talaga?”

Her voice started shaking and tears started rolling down her face. “I won everything, and nagkaroon ako ng expectation that when you win, everything will just fall into your lap,” Danica shares. Surrounded by so many taller, skinnier, beautiful girls, and getting turned down at castings, it came to a point that she says she tried too hard. “Lord, bakit pinapanalo niyo ako pero ang bagal? Ako ba talaga? Kaya ko ba? Kasi ang sakit, masakit ma-experience yung ganito. Hindi lang yung expectations ng tao sa akin, pero yung expectations ko sa sarili ko. Kasi may dreams ka na na-set. Pero parang habang nagbu-build up yun, tinutumba lahat ng dreams at paniniwala mo sa sarili mo.” 

Her mom Lala was also in tears when she shared that now she understood why, at times, they couldn’t contact Danica while working in New York. “When I would try to seek her, I couldn’t find her. She would avoid us. I told her ‘Hon, that’s tough. Rejection is part of modeling.’ I had to tell her that I don’t understand why it’s not happening yet, but I had to keep reassuring her that there’s a time for everything, maybe that’s what God is telling you.”

She had a tough time balancing hope and reality, confessed that she is her own worst critic, and often questioned herself. She learned how to filter out what haters say and how to focus on loved ones surrounding her who care enough to tell her what she needs to work on. She shares that she now understands what her mom said about not being idle. “Always put something in your mind, and always put positive things, good things to enrich yourself” was her mom’s advice. And her own advice to young girls? “Never, ever doubt yourself and always believe you can. Enjoy. Offer it all to God and let Him lead you.”

3. In a year of modeling abroad, Danica matured and learned on her own something important about her mom. “Pag bata ka you tend to generalize, bakit ‘di niya ako mabigyan ng time?”

“Dati nagtatampo ako bakit si Mommy may work on my birthday, why she works on weekends,” Danica reveals. But when she started working and living on her own, she realized that it is inevitable, and it does not mean the person doesn’t love you; they really love you but they just really have to work and earn. Danica even recalls how bad she felt when she first missed her younger sister Emman’s birthday, but now she understands and tries to make her sister understand too. She even jokes with Emman: “Yung kinita ko, ililibre kita.”

When she was whisked off abroad, she was in her first semester as a freshman in the Fine Arts program of UP Diliman. She definitely wants to continue her studies but due to the nature of her work, she is planning to take an online course instead, to be able to work and study at the same time.

She says that because of the shift from a school environment to the fast-paced life in New York, she learned so much about herself. How she reacts to things, how she deals with problems, and what the “real world” is like. She pauses a bit, then shares that one of the hardest things about living alone is how “Kahit nagsk-Skype ka araw araw, hindi pa rin siya pareho.” 

4. Lala was discovered by Renee Salud and was originally being groomed to join Binibining Pilipinas.

Tears and fears: “Lord, bakit pinanalo niyo ako?Ako ba talaga? Kaya ko ba? Kasi masakit na experience yung ganito,” says a crying Danica.

She joined a university pageant where Mama Renee was a judge. He spotted her and made Lala one of his models, but Lala also eventually got close to Joey Espino, who saw her potential and persuaded her to join Supermodel of the World. “I was 21, I was just enjoying. I thought, why not? I had no expectations.” Binibining Pilipinas was a huge deal even back then and the reason she didn’t stick to the original plan to join the beauty pageant after the modeling competition was: “I got pregnant with Danielle, even before I finished my reign as Supermodel.”

She said that at that time, she had just turned 22 and did not know what to do. The only thing she could think of was to not disgrace her family, so she flew to New York under the guise of modeling work, and gave birth there. Her husband Pogs was not by her side because his visa was denied, but she was taken care of by Pogs’ older sister during her whole stay. It was when she came home to Manila that she and Pogs were able to get married, and laughs as she recalls, “Di pa naglalakad si Danielle at seven months, I was pregnant again!” Baby No. 2 was Danica.

5. Lala and her husband Pogs Magpantay have been married for 20 years. The secret? “We’re really so in love with each other, and we’re simple in our wants.”

Lala goes on to say “I have to give it to him. Even when we had babies, I modeled abroad for four years, and he was very, very supportive.” Lala became a model at 21, became a mother soon after, and after having two kids, had her second wind as a model at 25. “Feeling niya kasi na-stop yung dreams ko, and I think his dream is maging masaya ako,” Lala reveals.

They met 24 years ago when they were both engineering students in Adamson University, Pogs being two years older than Lala. Pogs claims he was stalking Lala for a year, until they finally met by accident near the school library. He was Lala’s first boyfriend. “When I met my husband, feeling ko siya na ang pinaka-gentle na soul na nakilala ko.” She wasn’t a model then, but the first thing Pogs asked her was “Are you a model?” She says the rest is history, and “Hindi na ako hiniwalayan ni Daddy,” Lala says while looking at Danica.

6. Lala was once dieting so much that she collapsed right before an Inno Sotto fashion show in Paris.

At that time, she went down to 104 pounds, and she’s 5’9”. And since they were in Paris and food was so expensive, they would save up a week’s worth of their per diem just to buy a nice pair of shoes. “I wasn’t eating well, I just kept drinking wine, and that was the day of the show!” When it was time to report for makeup, Lala didn’t even make it out the door. The next thing she knew, she was in the bathroom, and good friend Henri Calayag gave her a piece of chocolate to boost her sugar level. She made it to the show, nailed it, and even partied the rest of the night away. She did shows not only in Paris but also in Singapore, Bali, the US, and even modeled alongside superstars Karen Elson and Helena Christensen for Karl Lagerfeld in his Hong Kong show.

When asked if the pressure to be skinny is heavier now than it was before, Lala says, “Now.” She works with models all the time and she sees how pressured they are. She explains that during her time, there was no Internet and no cell phones, so for example if there was a casting in Paris and you happened to be there, you’d get the job. Unlike now when they can book models anytime, from anywhere.

Don’t forget Paris: “For Inno Sotto’s show in Paris, I was dieting so much and kept drinking wine, I collapsed,” says Lala. She made it to the show though, and nailed it!

7. Lala and Danica in numbers:

5: Magpantay siblings: Danielle, 20; Danica, 19; Emmanuelle, 15; Mark, 12; and Nicolas, 10.

15: Castings a day Danica goes to during the season for Fashion Week. She shares how tough it is: “Siguro out of 100 castings, I would get booked for eight shows.”

22.5: Inches that Danica’s waistline was, during her skinniest phase in New York. Today she measures 31-23-34.

40-plus: Number of anime keychains of Bleach and Naruto characters in her collection.

400-plus: Runway shows Lala has done in her entire career, both locally and internationally.

2,500: Amount of pesos she used to get paid for one runway show. It would range from P2,500 to P7,000, while international shows could go up to P50,000.

8. Danica and her sister Danielle joined Supermodel of the World Philippines at the same time, and though Danica won, Danielle made it to the Top 8. On how Lala handled having one daughter win and the other lose: “Even before the competition I gave them a heart-to-heart talk. It was both of their decisions to join, and they have to watch each other’s backs.”

Lala told them, “Baby, it’s a competition, so there’s only one winner. Either one of you, or neither one. And I want you to know that you are not competing against each other.” She points out the importance of good communication. Danica recalls rushing backstage for the quick change of the Top 3 finalists, when Danielle ran up to her saying, “Oh wow, Ica, I’m so proud of you! Congratulations, congratulations!” Lala also shares how at the end of that night, Danielle was even saying, “Mommy, may title agad ako, ‘Stage Sister of Danica Magpantay!’”

9. Top tips from the supermodels:

Danica: Set attainable goals. 

“Don’t look at something na wala pa. Wag mo tingnan yung hindi ka ganito o hindi ka ganyan. Set realistic goals first. Make sure the steps you will take are going towards that goal. When you achieve it, you know that with every step you took, you made it possible. Enjoy mo lang kasi nothing happens instantly. You really have to work hard.”

Lala: Be happy from within. 

“This is what I’ve learned working behind the scenes. A beautiful photo or commercial is a group effort. There’s makeup, angles, lighting, technology. But the happiness you exude, we cannot give you that, we cannot Photoshop that. That should come from within. I always tell Danica what is in your heart is most important.”

10. Lala and Danica define beauty as being sure of, accepting, and being happy with who you are.

“I’ve seen the most beautiful faces, but some, when you see them up close, they lose their radiance,” Lala says. “The way a woman feels about herself, that’s what draws you in,” Danica shares. They both agree that it is personality and outlook on life that makes beauty truly last. Lala gives this reminder to all: “Don’t compare yourself to others, you have your own beauty.”

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For those of you wondering, yes, these supermodels eat! And they eat a lot! Both Danica and Lala ordered soup, salad, and a main dish each during our dinner interview, and when our gracious host chef Jessie Sinsioco came up to us to offer dessert, they instantly said “Yes!” As soon as this beautifully plated Chocolate Kisses dessert got to our table, both their eyes lit up, and the dessert was finished within a few minutes. Danica allows herself chocolates once in a while, and she works out almost everyday. Having a quality conversation with them makes me realize this mother-and-daughter tandem is a paradox. They are supermodels who eat a lot. A 19-year-old who talks wisely, like she’s been modeling for 20 years. A 43-year-old full of idealism and naivete, as though she hasn’t been working in a cutthroat business for two decades now. And they exactly match the description they give of what beauty is. They draw you in, not just with their beautiful faces, but their beautiful hearts.

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Thank you very much to Chef Jessie in Rockwell Club for hosting our dinner interview.

E-mail the author at askiamsuperbianca@yahoo.comor follow her on twitter @iamsuperbianca.