"No," said Rachel, daughter of Hajji Alejandro, the original Kilabot ng Mga Kolehiyala (those who came after him were, sigh, poor facsimiles thereof), "there was no third party involved."
But she has remained friends with Lee (now based in San Francisco).
"That’s why I’ve been going out a lot lately," said Rachel, as if making up for lost time. "I’ve been going out more than I ever have. When I’m in New York, I go out with my sister. Here, I go out with Geneva (Cruz who shares the same manager, Girlie Rodis, with Rachel. – RFL)."
Tonight, Rachel and Geneva are starring in a concert called Re Match (a follow-up to their recent US concert tour Showdown) at the PAGCOR’s Casino Parañaque, with a repertoire of pop, R&B, dance music and their own hit songs. (For tickets, call any SM Ticketnet at 911-5555 or the Live Artists Production office at 920-2643 or 926-0556.)
Geneva is happily "attached" (to KC Montero), so find out for yourselves who’ll be singing the sad songs.
"I don’t expect to go into another relationship," said Rachel whose first and only other serious involvement so far was Dingdong Avanzado (now the husband of Jessa Zaragoza). "I’m busy. I stay in New York most of the time, and I fly in and out for shows. This month, I’m having three shows in California, so I was telling Tita Girlie, ‘Imagine, I’d be flying back and forth three times!’ Ang sakit sa katawan n’un!"
On Monday (Aug. 2), she’ll be launching her new album, A Heart’s Desire, which she herself is producing for Viva Records. (The launch is sponsored by Creamsilk, The Belo Medical Clinic and Tokyo Tokyo.) The carrier single, Keeper of My Heart, is a Christian song Rachel herself composed upon the advice of her Tita Rio Diaz (once Rachel’s stepmother and her best friend).
"I wrote that song on the plane coming home," said Rachel.
Vital statistics: 5’3.5" tall, weighs 105 lbs., measures 36-26-35, and wears size 2 dress (US standard; small by local standard) and size 6 shoes.
How did you get such a beautiful body?
"It’s in our genes. We’re a very petite family. My lola and my dad are controlled eaters. Hindi sila matakaw. I’m the one who eats the most in the family."
Have you ever been fat?
"Oh, yes, I was. When I was new in the business, when I was promoting my first single, my manager was getting mad at me because I was fat. I was weighing more than 125 lbs.! She kept reminding me, ‘Rachel, magpapayat ka na!’ Kaya nag-reduce ako."
What kind of diet do you follow?
"The South Beach Diet, ’yung pinauso nina Hillary and Bill Clinton (And now being introduced in the Philippines by Margarita Fores. – RFL). It’s a very healthy diet. For two weeks, you are not allowed to eat rice, bread or potato, but you can take as much vegetables and lean protein. Nothing fried; only broiled or grilled. After two weeks, you can add fruits to your diet and whole grains but not white bread."
What kind of workout do you do?
"Pilates alternated with kick-boxing. I also do weights. In New York, in the building where I live, there are so many different gyms with all the different types of weight-training and different kinds of dance classes. The gyms are located at the ground floor and you can go to any of them anytime of the day, so you can’t have an excuse not to work out."
What vitamins and minerals are you taking?
"I’ve been taking Total Effect, manufactured by the makers of Oil of Olay. It’s more for a healthier skin, consisting of green tea extract, etc. It’s a multi-vitamin."
Which part of your body is your favorite?
"My boobs. When I gain weight, they become really, really big. When I lose weight, they’re still there. Before I didn’t have a butt. But after working out, hayun, may butt na ako."
Which part of a guy’s body do you look at first or find attractive?
"Hindi ako kaagad tumitingin sa katawan... The eyes. Yes, the eyes."
Can you tell if a guy is sincere just by looking at his eyes?
"Yes, I can. And I can see from his eyes if he is intelligent. That’s what I look for in a guy – intelligence. The eyes tell a lot about how a person thinks or if he’s sincere."
Every part of you is natural, I presume.
"Oh, yes. Every part. You see, I’m super-super afraid of anything surgical. In fact, Tita Girlie and I have just struck a deal with Vicki Belo but it is nothing surgical at all. The only thing I would ever ask from Vicki is the ‘spray tan.’ I just came from Palawan and I’ve been getting a lot of compliment for my tan. Geneva and I call ourselves ‘tanarexic’ because we can’t seem to get enough tan. We don’t get it under the sun; otherwise you can get wrinkles or skin cancer from too much exposure to the sun. We get it from Vicki’s ‘spray tan.’ It’s not harmful. Anything else, like lipo, I’m too afraid to go through that."
Any part of your body you want to improve on?
"My waist. It tends to get thick when I gain weight. Since I’ve been doing Pilates, na-define ang abs ko. I’ve also grown half an inch taller."
Which part of your body is vulnerable?
"It used to be my throat. Konting ano lang, paos na ako. Thank God, okay na ngayon. Now, the most vulnerable part is my eyes. Ang grade 900-plus. I’m considering having a laser treatment but I’m afraid it might be painful."
Do you apply anything on your face?
"Yes. SPF (Sun Protection Factor) 15 moisturizer. I apply it on my face everyday. Also, Neutrogena. I do it because I’m prone to getting acne."
Are you fond of chocolates?
"Oh, yes, I am. That’s what triggers my acne. Chocolates."
How do you cope with stress?
"I take a lot of vacation with my family. We usually go to the beach. I take a breather regularly. But I’m the type na madaling mataranta. I hate it when people are late or when things don’t go as planned. I’m very rigid about schedule, as in talagang dikit-dikit throughout the day. So when something goes wrong, hayun, rattled na ako. Tita Girlie always reminds me, ‘Relax. Things will turn out right’."
How much liquid do you take a day?
"Sadly, not much. But I try to drink a lot, but still I’m not taking enough. Somebody has to remind me, ‘Uy, inumin mo ‘yung tubig mo.’ What I avoid are sugary drinks."
How much sleep do you get a day?
"Normally, mga six hours. Probably because I work out a lot, I have a lot of energy so I don’t need that much sleep."
How do you pamper yourself?
"Massage. Addict ako sa massage. I have massage mga twice a week. If I’m super-super busy, at least once a month. It’s important to crack those bones to release tension."
How often do you see your doctor?
"I’m the type who doesn’t get sick so I seldom see the doctor. I don’t get a check-up unless I feel that there’s something wrong with me. I haven’t been to the doctor for a long time."
Are you vain like most good-looking women?
"Vain only in relation to my work. I’m only nakaayos when I’m working. Otherwise, I wear no make-up, naka-ponytail lang. My lola and my dad are very vain; they are always naka-postura. They always remind me, ‘Uy, mag-makeup ka naman.’ Or Tita Girlie would tell me, ‘O, you’re seeing some people today; you better put on some make-up’."
How long does it take you to fix yourself?
"If I’m working, one hour all in all. But if I’m just going to the mall or to the supermarket, only 10 minutes."
Do you linger in the bathroom like most stars?
"I do – especially when I’m in a hotel with a nice bathtub. You know, lately, I’ve been staying more in hotels than in my house. Do I sing in the bathroom? Yes, I do."
How’s your love life?
"Non-existent right now."
And your sex life?
"Malungkot."
Do you sleep in the nude?
"No, I don’t. I wear shorts or pajamas."
What’s your outlook in life? Are you an optimist or a worrier?
"A worrier. I worry about everything. That’s one of my biggest fault. I got that from both sides, my lola and my mom. But I’m trying to get over it. I’m 30. I don’t consider neither young nor old. Nasa middle ako. So I guess I should stop worrying and start really living."
Name three women you think have a beautiful body.
"Rebecca Ronjin Stamos. Kaya ako na-inspire kumuha ng Pilates because of her. Charlize Theron. Angela Velez."
And three men.
"Brad Pitt (in Troy). Geoff Rodriguez (one of the disbanded Powerboys). I can’t think of a third one."
Using body language, how would you tell a guy that you admire/like him?
"I just laugh a lot. When I start becoming a dumb blonde, that’s a sure sign that I like the guy in front of me."
(E-mail reactions at rickylo@philstar.net.ph)