A second shot at stardom

Oh yes, I was late for lunch last Friday so much so that when I arrived at White Gold House past 1pm, the people who were expecting me were almost done with their meal. (And for that misdemeanor, Mommy Rose punished me with the command to finish everything that was served on the table - spicy spare ribs, hot shrimp salad, Lapu-Lapu fish fillet with soy sauce, beef broccoli and yang chow fried rice. What an irresistible punishment it was that I forgot all about my diet, if there ever was. Thanks mommy).

When I got to my chair, a tall and sexy girl stood up from where she was seated, approached me, extended a firm handshake and gave me the usual "beso-beso" before introducing herself: "Val po."

Valerie Concepcion, who stands 5'6 at 17, is prettier in person. She is very different in pictures because she looks mature and serious. In the flesh, she is, however, very refreshing. One look at her and you will be enticed to glance at her more and more. That is the mesmerizing magic of a Valerie Concepcion. She is what she describes as "madaling makagaanan ng loob." Her face projects innocence and when she breaks into a girlish giggle, she becomes a blossoming princess. Yet, when she speaks - always with eye contact at that - you will be convinced that she is someone who has grown up through experience.

After performing before a huge crowd of curious fans in both Gaisano Main and Gaisano Country Mall as guest for their "Early Christmas in July" weekend sale promo, she made it clear to me that her career is her top priority. She said she was honored to have been given by the GMA-7 Artist Center a second shot at stardom. In short, she is not about to fall in love again. She'd rather spend more bonding time with her eight-month-old baby, Heather Fiona, and her own family whenever she is free of showbiz commitments.

She started with the then popular youth-oriented show "Click." At 15, she was one of those popular teens who were expected to make it big in the industry along with bestfriend Angel Locsin. Val was very visible in television then, regularly appearing in the afternoon soap "Walang Hanggan" opposite Oyo Boy Sotto and in "All Together Now" and was a semi-regular in "Bubble Gang." These did not include various appearances in other GMA-7 shows.

Then in one single wrong move, she faded from the limelight. She got pregnant and became a mother at 16. That shocked the local entertainment industry because in the eyes of many she was a wholesome young star who was never known to have a boyfriend. Even her parents had no inkling on what was happening not until she told them that Jeremy Carag, nephew of Ali Sotto, along with his family, was on his way to ask for her hand in marriage. Her parents did not allow it because she was still very young. That was the last time she saw him and only time can tell what's going to be the ending of their lovestory. She claimed, though, that she no longer has special feelings for him. All that matters to her now is her daughter, family and how to regain her lost glory in showbiz. "I have no regrets. Everything happens for a reason. I don't have to think about it (early motherhood) anymore na. Kung ano ang mayron ako ngayon, yun ang i-wo-work out ko," she stressed.

She is back in fighting form, now trim at 115 lbs. after becoming 132 lbs. when she gave birth. Managed by Becky Aguila, who also takes care of Angel Locsin and Jennylyn Mercado, Val is now a regular of GMA-7's "Now and Forever." She is a guest host of "3R" and is doing the rounds of other GMA-7 shows, and even of ABC-5. Two weeks ago her life story was revealed in "Magpakailanman" where it got a favorable rating. I was told it got 22% in terms of audience share as compared to "Maalaala Mo Kaya's" 14%. With that rating, it looks like Val is making a great comeback with brighter prospects in the offing.

Her mother, Mommy Mayette, has only God to thank for the blessings. She shared to me that a few hours before "Magpakailanman" was shown, she and Val were praying hard before the "Poong Nazareno" at the Baclaran church. She admitted they were a bit pressured because the show did not fare well for three consecutive Thursdays already. God is so good, claimed Mommy Mayette.

Val's family is, indeed, very religious. She is second to the eldest in a brood of four. Her mom said they always make it a point to attend Sunday mass because it makes them complete. No wonder that after our interview, Val and Mommy Mayette, firsttimers in Cebu, asked to be brought to the Magellan's Cross and the Basilica del Santo Niño. "Di naman tama yang nakakapunta ka sa magagandang lugar tapos di ka pupunta ng church," Mommy Mayette whispered to me when we were to enter the Basilica.

In truth, Val does not have to work to earn money this early because she comes from a well-to-do family. Her mother is a Certified Public Accountant who used to work with various advertising agencies for 17 years. She resigned two years ago to concentrate on her daughter's career. Val's dad used to be a branch manager of Equitable Bank who resigned recently to avail of the company's early retirement package. Val is in the business because acting is her passion.

Given the chance she wants to play the role of a princess or star in action adventure like "Lara Croft" or "Mr. and Mrs. Smith." She is comfortable in both drama and comedy. She believes, however, that she would now fare better in tearjerker flicks because she has the experience in which she can draw out the needed emotion. Becoming a young mother has taught her a great sense of maturity and made her appreciate the value of having a family.

"Kasi before puro friends lang. Sa barkada ko lang hinihingi ang payo. Na realize ko na at the end of the day, no matter what happens family pa rin ang aalalay sa 'yo," she shared.

She loves to play with her daughter. All the love and care she gained from her parents she now pours to her baby. Though she would have wanted to do it, she cannot breast feed Fiona. "I don't breast feed kasi walang lumalabas," she explained with a laugh.

Val said she can now do kissing scenes on TV. Asked if she would be willing to do a sexy movie under an acclaimed director, she said, "Di ko pa naisip yang sexy role but pag-iisipan ko yan. Kasi naman kung it's a role na magka-award ka, bakit hindi, di ba?" She added that she's too young to tackle such roles, anyway.

She also auditioned for ABC-5's newest reality-based show "Hollywood Dream" where she made it to the top 30 but was excluded from the final 15. She was told that her acting was good, however, she was underage and they were looking for talents who are 18 and above. But the producer has her in mind for their next project since she registered well onscreen.

In the midst of this increasingly hectic schedule, Val hopes to be back in school and take up mass communications. Her goal really is to be a filmmaker. If not she'd like to pursue business management so that when she will be no longer a hot commodity, she can open a business of her own. She knows too well that she has to earn a degree because nothing is permanent in showbiz.

Valerie Concepcion has a long way to go and a lot of proving to do. Yes, she can act, sing and charm the audience but she still has to develop her hosting skills to the fullest. She can come up with adlibs spontaneously but her voice sometimes lacks conviction, persuasion and timing. And the only key to complete success is practice, practice and practice.

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