Face of Allure: Roxanne Montealegre

MANILA, Philippines - When asked about her childhood, 20-year-old Roxanne Montealegre was quick to enumerate memories that made her growing-up years very unforgettable. “The highlight of my childhood was the summers spent in my mother’s hometown of Marinduque. My lolo and lola would be waiting for me by the door of their little home in the province,” she shares. “I would wake up to tasty and warm homemade dishes they cooked for me. At night, they would tuck me in bed as they read to me bedtime stories.” For Rox, who has Spanish and Chinese blood, that heart-shaped island holds so many lovely memories.

She says her family showered her with so much love while she was growing up. Rox reciprocates this love by being a very family-oriented person. “I love making my parents proud. They are my motivation for getting good grades and for being socially and morally responsible,” she muses. “I never tried smoking, drugs or any vices because I never want to trouble my parents or make them worry.”

Her parents, accountant Edwin Montealegre and the former Christine Chan, would probably be so proud of their only daughter. Rox says she admires her dad for his hard work, loyalty, humor and simplicity. “He could crack a joke in the most desperate situations. He finds happiness in the simplest of things and works so hard to provide for us.” From her mom, Rox learned how to express love by going beyond words. “I saw in her a genuine kindhearted spirit, the one that you could always trust and find solace in.”

Rox graduated from high school with academic, conduct, leadership and club awards. She was also sent to Japan as an exchange student. “I was pretty intense in school, going beyond expectations and always doing my best in everything.” This multi-talented gal is always bursting with fresh ideas. “When I commit myself to something, I become really devoted to it,” says Rox, a Management senior in Ateneo de Manila University. In her junior year, she spent a semester in a university in France. This she considers as one of her best experiences as she was also able to visit nearby countries like Spain, Italy, Greece, the Czech Republic and Belgium. “I learned a lot from my travels. I saw things from a new perspective,” says Rox, who loves the bridges in Venice, the ruins in Athens and the paintings at the Sistine Chapel.

Rox, who recently inked a contract with GMA 7 after being part of the reality show Starstruck V, has just finished her acting workshops and is now ready to accept projects from her home network. “Five years from now, I hope to be an established actress-host. I also hope to graduate from a law school. Eventually, I plan to put up a foundation for impoverished sick children or orphans.”

A Mediterranean cruise and a visit to the Big Apple are in this young woman’s to-do list. Rox concludes, “I believe that I can do anything, be everything and go everywhere.”

Photography by Mau Aguasin • Fashion styling by Corine Alegre • Makeup by Mickey See for Shu Uemura • Hairstyling by Janet de RAMA • Wardrobe by LOUIS CLAPAROLS and CEST CHIC • Accessories by CRU