"I told my Dad, ‘You should take it as a blessing in disguise’," recalled Meryll (who turned 19 last Dec. 9) at yesterday’s presscon for the new product Milk Magic of which she’s the endorser. "I could not tell him naman, ‘Suportahan ta ka,’ because I’m not financially capable or stable. I just reminded my Papa to be more careful and to be more cautious next time. Si Papa kasi, hindi lahat ng tao nakakaintindi sa kanya. But I understand him perfectly well, even if we seldom see each other and we communicate only by phone."
So "understanding" in fact is Meryll that she holds no grudge nor bitterness toward Willie even if Willie isn’t giving her any support. "Besides," said Meryll, "ngayon nga he doesn’t have a steady income, so I understand."
While Willie was making hay at the peak of his TV career, he promised to send Meryll to a school of arts and design or a film school in London. But when Meryll reminded Willie about his promise, Willie told her, "Akala ko ba nagbibiro ka lang." But Meryll, it turned out, is very serious about pursuing her London dream. "I’m saving for it," she revealed. "It’s not a joke to study in London and to stay there for three to four years, di ba?"
Asked if now that Willie is virtually out of job she would offer to support him, Meryll said, "I’m not really that rich. As I told you, I’m saving for my studies. I finished high school and I’m eager to go to college."
So whatever she earns from her two shows, ABS-CBN’s Mary D’Potter (with her Tita Maria) and GMA’s Sana ay Ikaw na Nga, including her pay as Milk Magic endorser, all go to her savings.
At 19, Meryll said that she’s not yet ready to go into a serious relationship (her TV co-star, Migui Moreno, isn’t or hasn’t been her boyfriend, contrary to rumors), even if she admitted that "I’m going out with somebody (not from showbiz). He’s a photographer."
Last Christmas (from Dec. 14 to Jan. 6), Meryll went on a holiday in Japan with mom Becbec, her stepfather, half-brother and half-sister, making Meryll dream of traveling more often in the future.
Milk Magic is the first product Meryll is endorsing, a perfect choice for her because, according to Meryll, "I’ve been a milk drinker since I was a baby; I consume three glasses of milk. Ginagawa kong tubig ang gatas."
In the ad (print) for Milk Magic (wholly made in Australia, manufactured by Murray Goulburn and sold under another name in that country), Meryll is shown with a Mona Lisa smile. The photographer, Jay Javier, got the kind of smile that he (and the milk producers) wanted by hiring several clowns to put Meryll in the mood ("Not that I needed clowns to make me smile") in the same way that a hundred clowns were allegedly used to draw that "mystic smile" from the model of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. The TV commercials will soon follow, so check out Meryll’s Mona Lisa smile.
Meryll’s role model is none other than her Tita Maria, for three reasons:
"1). She’s focused on her work,
"2)). She’s professional, always prepared with her lines when she goes to the set, and
"3). She’s strong-willed, may sariling paninindigan."
When they were interviewed for The Buzz three weeks ago, Lucky asked for a postponement at the last minute, saying that Nancy was "indisposed." But they showed up anyway, although an hour late, and it turned out that they were having their usual/regular LQs (Lovers’ Quarrels) and they actually reconciled before the camera, dissolving into a lot of hugging and teasing (with Nancy tweaking Lucky’s nose, her favorite part of his face) and kissing.
When Lucky’s mom, Lipa City Mayor Vilma Santos, saw the episode, according to a Green Meadows DPA, "thrilled na thrilled siya... cute na cute daw ’yung dalawa." But even if Mama Vi approves of the romance (first time she’s giving her thumbs-up 100 percent for Lucky’s girlfriend – and the boy has had quite a number so far!), she has been cautioning and reminding the two to be careful, careful!
Both Lucky and Nancy (of Filipino-Italian parentage but she grew up in Canada, just like Vanessa del Bianco, Priscilla Almeda and Michelle Bayle) are into their early 20s but they claimed they’re too young to get hitched. That may have to come sooner or later.
Meanwhile, let’s excuse the young lovers as they dissolve into one of their LQs and make up with a lot of hugging and teasing and kissing.
Late into the night, you can still see John-C jumping about and clowning around. With his tremendous amount of energy, you can hardly keep up with this young man who idolizes Ariel Rivera and Robin Padilla.
He wants to be an expert in drama and comedy like his other idol, Richard Gomez.
John-C scoffed when teased that he excels in numbers. But dancing is another subject. John-C can be one cool dude on the dance floor, impressing girls with his moves and grooves. Also a certified easy-going person, he can go to one classy bar one night and end up eating at a tapsilogan just around the corner.
"With me there are no pretensions. What you see is what you get," he says.