The fabulous Dayrit sisters

In the ‘70s, there were the beautiful Revilla sisters. Three of them became Camay Girls (Maritess, Rosie and Cita — with Tina endorsing Eskinol). And then there were the gorgeous Diaz girls, led by Miss Universe Gloria and three other titled siblings: Georgina, Benjie and the late beloved Rio.

Today, we have the fabulous Dayrit sisters: Jacqui, Michelle, Christine and Yvonne. Society looks up to them not only for their elegance and style, but also for their intelligence and diligence. Two are actually The Philippine Star columnists — Michelle and Christine and we get to read them every Sunday. Oh, they are all women of substance.

Of course, my favorite is Christine and I love her dearly. We met in late 2002 — when the Cinema Evaluation Board (CEB), the government agency that gives tax rebates to local quality movies was still called the Film Ratings Board (FRB).

I had been with the board for three years that time and was already familiar with the setup. But it still became mandatory one time for all of us to attend a seminar at the Film Development Council of the Philippines office at the back of CCP to re-orient everyone regarding the rules and for the old-timers to meet the new members.

When I walked in, the only seat vacant was beside this olive-skinned girl who had a nice smile that she automatically flashed at me. It was only later that I found out her name was Christine Dayrit and she was a new recruit. We couldn’t talk that time because there was somebody lecturing and that would have been impolite.

But there was something about her bag (don’t ask me for the brand — I am ignorant when it comes to labels) that brought back an old hobby: Poring over maps and drawing them on bond paper.

Printed on Christine’s bag that she parked on top of her desk was a map of the Old World. Out of sheer boredom, I was able to replicate at the back of my appointment paper (signed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo) the map of Siam (now Thailand), Cathay (China today) and other territories of old. I kept admiring my work until FRB head staff Wilma Isleta walked over to our area and out of panic I quickly folded the paper, stuffed it inside my folder and forgot about it.

The next time I saw Christine was during one of our regular screenings at My Cinema in Greenbelt (she later became CEB chair). We didn’t become friends at once, but I knew even then that she was very likeable.

Then in 2003 Ruffa Gutierrez married Ylmaz Bektas and the wedding-cum-reception was held at the Tent in the Fort. I was seated beside Lolit Solis (with Jo-Ann Maglipon of Yes Magazine to her left) when I noticed how she kept craning her neck. When I asked her what she was staring at, she pointed to the Dayrit sisters at a far table. One of them is Christine — I told Lolit. I know her. I see her every Tuesday during our screenings. No big deal.

The look of shock on Lolit’s face was indescribable — like she was going to be hit by three tsunamis. She then barked at me: You don’t know the Dayrits well enough, do you? They own Miladay!

Lolit wanted to check out their jewelries and she was so fascinated with every pair of earrings and necklaces that draped the pretty Dayrit sisters. I had to agree with Lolit that next to Ruffa, it was the table of the Dayrits that sparkled the most that evening. No, it wasn’t just the gems. There was something truly luminous about them.

In time, I discovered the secret of that sparkle. It comes from within — from their very character.

The Dayrits are actually five children — with brother Mark in the middle. Like his sisters, Mark is ultra nice and he is lucky to have married a remarkable woman, Mylene, who also writes a health column for this paper.

Some 15 years ago, they lost their parents to cancer, with their father going ahead and the Mom following 20 days later. I can just imagine how crushed they were.

I didn’t know them yet, but their old friends always tell me that they were all brought up well by their parents — and that shows to this day. I’ve never heard anyone of them speak ill of anybody. And they are very simple — and humble. There were times, in fact, when I kept asking myself: Are they for real?

Yes, they are, incredibly enough. Nothing is put on. The niceness is genuine. I’ve even learned a lot from Christine’s positive ways and without her knowing it, she pushes me to become a better person. She also inspires me to have the proper work ethics.

Even if the jewelry business was handed to them on a silver platter by their parents, they continue to work hard to make the Miladay brand sparkle even more. Dr. Vicki Belo, one of the most diligent people I know, couldn’t help but gush at how hardworking the Dayrits are. “Those siblings are already working as early as 6:30 a.m.!” Dr. Belo once told me. The doctor to the stars had been a Miladay client since she was in her teens.

In my case, I wouldn’t know the first thing about jewelry and I don’t wear any. But for jewelry gifts (I send most of these abroad), I go to Miladay because I know that the owners are very good people, who can be trusted with anything. The service staff is very efficient and each one is just as pleasant as the Dayrits.

Last Aug. 26, Miladay marked its 45th anniversary with a jewel fair at the Rigodon Ballroom of the Peninsula Hotel. The highlight of the event was a fashion show directed by Freddie Santos — with the pieces of jewelry modeled by the Dayrit sisters themselves and their nephews and nieces, plus family friends. The diamond necklace modeled by Christine was bought on the spot for P3.5-M.

Not everyone who attended the affair, however, made a purchase (I didn’t). Some of us, I can imagine, aren’t probably even fond of jewelry. But we went anyway not to see the gems, but to throw in our support to the Dayrit siblings whose true sparkle comes not from the pieces of jewelry they sell, but from what radiates in their hearts of gold.