Everything’s coming up roses for Donita

A Philippine STAR Exclusive

SINGAPORE – In this roaring Lion City that’s an intriguing blend of the old and the new, hers is an endearingly familiar face among the MTV generation for whom there ain’t no life without music. "Singapore and Donita, they always associate the two together," a blushing Donita Rose is quick to admit, having lived in the home of MTV Asia for the past four years.

Hers is a face that has launched a lot of commercials, from shampoo to soft drink to mobile phone to feminine wash. Easily, she’s one of the sellingest faces in the Philippine advertising industry. But in 1998, she packed her bags, kissed a blooming TV and movie career goodbye, and came to work in Singapore’s tony corporate jungle.

On a balmy Singapore afternoon, we meet the person behind the lovely face – up close and rather personal. She comes dashing through the door of Zouk, a hip and happening place that’s been named Nightspot of the Year by the Singapore Tourism Board. She’s simply dressed in blue jeans paired with a jacket over a striped tee, and walks with a zestful spring in her black boots. She wears not a trace of makeup. She’s carrying a Jansport backpack and a Burger King doggie bag.

"I haven’t had lunch," she apologizes, offering to share her burger and fries with us (but no thank you, we tell her, we just had a full Singaporean noodle lunch at the Scotts foodcourt). "I had an audio recording and I’ve been working since 9 a.m."

Here, Donita Rose, 27 going on 28 on Dec. 5, is much in demand when it comes to hosting jobs. Fact is, she’s opening the much-awaited Fashion Festival 2002 which kicks off on March 16 with a Hip Parade at the trendy One Fullerton Square.

Here in Singapore, there’s no one to chauffeur her from one appointment to another. She hasn’t tried driving in Singapore.

In the morning, going to work, I take the cab because bagong ligo, ayaw kong pawisan – I’m super maarte when it comes to that," says Donita, looking fresh as a daisy in the middle of a rat-racy day. "Going home from work, I take the bus or the MRT every day. Sometimes, I make a stop at my favorite hawkers center (Cuppage) to take out food on my way home."

Other times, she’s cooking rice and making scrambled egg or tuna at home. "Filipinos are like that – we just eat rice with ulam," Donita fondly notes.

To Donita, home in Singapore is a one-bedroom flat in white and beige where she lives by herself.

This afternoon, she makes it to the fashion shoot set in three locations – Zouk, Embargo, Centro Club and Cavenagh Bridge – by herself. She wolfs down her burger and, without a fuss, gets herself made up by Florence Lim, stylist/makeup artist of MTV Asia, the official music channel of Fashion Festival 2002. Florence, with her sister Mary Lim, proceeds to work on Donita’s face, not unlike an artist transforming an empty canvas into a work of art. In the wink of an eye, Donita morphs from gamine to vamp, her hair turning from crimped to straight. Effortlessly, she changes from one set of clothes to another, moving from one location to another, like a pro that she is.

But just as our photographer aims his camera to shoot her in a slinky Ferragamo see-through dress, she shouts "Cut!" "Please make sure it doesn’t show too much," she begs. "My Tita Angeli (Pangilinan) wouldn’t like that."

It’s been three hours since the shoot started and the tireless model has a lot more energy to spare. For Donita, it’s all in a day’s hard work.

Excerpts from our private conversation with Donita:

Philippine STAR: So where do you like to shop in Singapore?

Donita Rose: When I first moved to Singapore, I used to spend all my money, as in buong suweldo ko by the end of the month, shopping and everything. I used to live very extravagantly. And then this year – this is my fourth year with MTV – I told myself this is the year I would really save for myself. Because everything I’d earn in the Philippines I save and whatever I earn here I would spend. And then I realized I was really wasting my money. I think I have pretty much everything I’ve ever wanted or needed in life. Sometimes, I’d buy clothes and wear it once or twice and it’s in the back of my closet; next thing I know, it’s like, "What’s this? I didn’t know I had that." So now, I really save my money and shop at much cheaper places.

Like where? Give us some shopping tips.

When you shop in the Philippines and you buy one thing, the other showbiz people can get it also. So what I like to do is buy pieces from the US, Hong Kong, Singapore but at cheaper prices.

Not the signature brands?

Personally, outside MTV, I like to mix-match. For example, once in a blue moon, I go to DKNY if I really, really like the piece. I love things from the States like Earl Jeans, Marc Jacobs, things like that. I’d buy it because I like it, not because of the name. When I do buy a piece, it has to be really worth the investment, something I can mix-match with many other outfits.

Who are your favorite local designers in Singapore?

In Singapore, I shop at Future State, a local designer here that’s mid-range in price, like a top would cost Singapore$60-70. Most of what you see me wearing on MTV is Future State plus a lot of T-shirts from Ice Lemon Tee which are very cheap, from S$20 to S$30. On MTV, I wear the clothes of sponsors and it’s something different every day, I try not to repeat.

I also like Tomix jeans because it follows the contour of my body.

You don’t wear a lot of signature brands?

Singapore is very laid-back. And I think also it’s because of the nature of my work – MTV is very hip, very stylish, I don’t really need to be sophisticated all the time, I’m just funky and casual. Depending on the occasion, sometimes I’ll dress up. I’m more of the jeans and T-shirt girl.

How many pairs of jeans do you have in your closet?

Yesterday, I bought six pairs of jeans from Tomix. A pair would cost about S$80. Maybe I have about 30 or 40 blue jeans in my closet now. I always give away my old jeans. So what I do is when I iron my jeans, I fold them once so they’re flat and then I put them with the label facing me so I can flip through. If I have a favorite pair of jeans, I’ll buy two of the same size. Sometimes, I may even play with the jeans like I’ll have two identical pairs of jeans, but the other one I’ll cut or rip or put rhinestones on it.

Who are your favorite designers in Manila?

I’ve never been sponsored by anyone in the Philippines before. I just recently did a project for i2i with Ricco and Tina Ocampo, whom I met through Angeli Pangilinan-Valenciano, and they had some clothes from Anonymous. I haven’t really taken a look at their clothes but I always go to MIX, their boutique of foreign brands at Greenbelt Mall. What I did was I offered them to let me design T-shirts. I told them I’ve always wanted to design T-shirts and stuff. You can actually wear a T-shirt and not look cheap; you can put lace or rhinestones and dress it up. So when I go back to Manila, they’re putting me up in a condominium and giving me all the supplies I need. I love Ricco and Tina, they’re really very, very sweet. Sometimes, they’re too nice to me, and I tell them, "You guys are too nice, I don’t want to take advantage of you." So it’s really a great friendship.

You’ve made a lot of friends in Singapore. Where do you hang out with friends?

I don’t go out in Singapore, I work. My only day-off is Wednesday, and I still work in the morning. And then I run my errands.

What are your work hours in Singapore?

Usually, it used to be 9 a.m. till about 2 p.m. for the studio but because I’m the only one left here, I work from 9 till 5 or 6.

What do your parents say about your work?

Oh, my parents (mom Evelina Ramos who hails from Pangasinan and dad William Kent Cavett who’s from Utah where Donita was born) and siblings (two brothers and a sister) are very proud of me. But I guess when we were living in the Philippines, they had enough of me being in this industry. Sometimes, when we’d go out, people would recognize me and ask for my picture and autograph. Sometimes, they’d get a bit annoyed because they want me for themselves so what I usually do is I entertain them really quick and then I say, "Pasensiya na kayo kasi kasama ko ang pamilya ko." I do value my private time with my family.

Being far away from home, you must miss your family.

I miss my family very much, I’m very family-oriented. But there are some sacrifices you have to make in life. And I feel like this is a dream come true for me. I can always go back to my family anytime.

Where do you spend Christmas?

I visit my family all the time, like two to four times a year. Otherwise, I’d really go nuts here. It’s work, work, work here. But when I go on vacation, I really go on vacation.

Where do you like to go on vacation?

Usually, I go back to San Francisco to visit my family.

When you have money to splurge, what do you spend it on?

I don’t really spend so much on myself as I do on my family when I’m with them. Depending on who’s with me at the time, I really buy them clothes, I get them a new haircut, they have a lot of weird requests.

What do you do with old clothes?

A lot of times I donate my clothes.

Who’s your favorite charity?

We have the Shining Light Foundation that’s affiliated with Genesis.

When did you join Genesis and become born-again?

I joined Genesis in 1997 officially.

Did you feel there was something lacking in your life?

My mom was managing my career supposedly. When my mom left, my aunt took over, but even though it was my tita who was negotiating over the phone, I was making the final decisions. But even though I was in the industry, I didn’t have any foresight and I needed somebody professional who knew how to negotiate, represent me and make the right decisions for my career. The greatest thing about Angeli (Pangilinan-Valenciano) is she doesn’t focus on your career, she focuses on your inner well-being first. I found the Lord mostly through her. And when I gained inner peace and actually got to know who I was in the Lord, I started to understand what my destiny and purpose in life was, and it just made everything clear. So I became truly happy and the Lord poured out His blessings on me when I totally submitted my life to Him.

But before that, did you feel you were getting sidetracked?

Oh yeah, many times I felt that. But I never really had major problems. It was just a matter of getting yourself involved in the wrong crowd or one decision you made and everything else was wrong.

What do you think was the greatest mistake you made when you were much younger?

I suppose not respecting my parents. When my parents and I would fight, I would shout back at them and I realize now that even though parents are not always right, you should respect them. But I’m so thankful to the Lord, He’s given me a chance to mend my ways, to ask for my parents’ forgiveness, to make it up to them. My parents adore me so much and I’m very close to them. Imagine if something had happened to them and I had not been given the chance to make up for all my wrongdoings in the past.

Is there somebody special in your life now?

There’s something but I don’t want to say anything, just keep it to myself.

What have you learned from your past relationship with Gary Estrada?

I think my relationship with him was more of infatuation. I don’t believe it was truly love. I call him my first love, but I believe love is a two-way street – you give and you take. Our relationship was not really founded on trust. But I don’t regret having had a relationship with him because that was really like one of the highlights of my life. But I’m really looking for that one person that I’d spend my lifetime with.

Have you found him?

Well, I’m hoping soon.

What’s your ideal man?

I want a godly man, someone who’s also good-looking. I’d like to have someone who knows how to groom himself well because I’m very fond of cleanliness. I want someone who doesn’t have dirty nails, knows how to dress well. And most important of all, someone who loves God. I also believe a sense of humor is very important.

Would you give up your career for a married life?

Oh, yeah. I’ve been in this industry for 12 years already, since 1990, and I feel like that’s more than enough to actually enjoy and savor every moment.

What was your first job and what did you do with your first income?

That’s Entertainment on GMA-7 where I started on June 24, 1990. I probably earned something like P1,000 a month, I don’t remember. I’d give it to my mom. Ang sweet ko no?

What was your first ever commercial?

Rejoice. I just turned 17 when I did that.

Have you turned down an offer to do a commercial?

A lot of times. Tita Angeli feels that we shouldn’t always focus on the A market because we get various types of offers – we get maybe 10 offers for the A-grade commercials, maybe five of the B grade. Maybe at the most, I could do four at a time, maybe two grade A, maybe one for the mass market but still quality. Like Betadine feminine wash, it’s a clinical product, not very glamorous but we still shot that commercial, it was very well done. We kinda try to branch things out. And it depends if we believe in the product, what kind of target audience we’re trying to appeal to.

Are you doing another hair commercial?

Not for now, but I’m growing my hair really long for Lux. When we shoot hair commercials, we’re really crying because everything has to be perfect. For example, you need to do a take where you turn your head and your hair goes this way. And it’s already take 30. They’re just shooting your hair but your tears are falling down your face.

What did you do with your first million?

We bought a house, actually we were cheated. My mom, who teaches for the US government in Okinawa, wanted to retire in the Philippines. So we bought this house in Barrio Capitolyo, Pasig. The former mayor owned the house, niloko kami. We made a down payment with the money advanced to me by Viva as talent fee. I gave them something like P2.2 million. After that, they kicked us out coz he was the mayor then. My mom filed a lawsuit and she pursued it but after a while, we ran out of money. I told my mom to just let it go because it was costing me so much money.

Describe your flat in Singapore.

I’m just renting. I designed it myself, everything is Ikea; it’s relatively cheap.

You don’t have helpers. Don’t you miss the pampering you get in Manila?

I like the fact that my life has variety. When I’m in Manila, I get pampered but when I’m here, I do my own thing. All I have to do is take care of myself. The only downside of having so many people pamper you is you also have to take care of them. So sometimes, it’s very liberating to be all alone, not have people who really know who you are. If I’m on a crowded MRT, people don’t really notice I’m around. Sometimes, it’s nice.

How domesticated are you?

Whenever I’m not working, I’m just at home, I don’t like to go out. I like to stay home and sleep 10 hours.

Do you cook? What are your favorite dishes?

I cook. I like sinigang, pinakbet, tuyo. I bring in ingredients from the Philippines. When I’m in Manila, I eat a lot of Filipino food. I’m also very fond of Asian food, Singaporean food.

Where’s the best place to get Singapore Chicken Rice (better known to Pinoys as Hainanese Chicken Rice)?

For Chicken Rice, I don’t care what anyone says, it’s Mandarin Hotel. For Char Kway Teow (noodles), past the street from the International Plaza, there’s a hawkers center. For dim sum and Chinese food, it’s really Lei Garden.

But you seem not to put on weight.

I’ve always been extreme when it comes to food. If I diet, I really diet. When I’m in that I-don’t-care mood, I start pigging out. But I notice when I exercise, I start equalizing my weight. I exercise to eat, to support my habit.

Have you tried those Bangkok pills which are popular among showbiz people?

I tried them once before. They’re very strong, you get very high, irritable, you can’t breathe. I also read a lot and not enough research has been done on the side effects. You can have heart failure.

If you exercise, you generally feel good about yourself, not just physically but mentally as well.

Do you go to the gym?

Yes, almost every day. I don’t stay in the gym for more than an hour-and-a-half. Because after that, you get burned out, it’s like your life revolves around the gym and I don’t like that. I just make it a lifestyle. And then if I’m not sore, there’s something missing. I love being sore, I feel a rush knowing that I’m keeping myself in shape and I’m doing it the right way. I have a trainer in Singapore and in Manila. I have tennis instructors as well. It’s like a fitness thing wherein you really enjoy what you’re doing.

How much do you weigh now?

I’m like 51 kg. (112.2 lbs.). When people see me in person, they always tell me I’m not that fat because on TV, you put on 10 to 15 lbs. I do care about how I look, but I never let it take control over my life. I would never ever be a model, I could do so much more in Singapore – I could be doing ramp modeling.

Are there modeling offers?

People always tell me I could have gotten this job or that job, my name was mentioned in this offer but they said I was 5 lbs. overweight. I tell them that I’d love to do these things but I’m not willing to sacrifice my happiness and things that I enjoy most in life. Some people are not as fortunate as I am, and I don’t mean that in a boastful way. Maybe models don’t earn as much so they have to do it to earn a living. But if I’m living comfortably and I don’t need to starve, why should I force myself to starve?

Do you feel you’re overweight?

Most VJs are really underweight. But I really think MTV would not have kept me this long if they didn’t like my personality. Everything is about physical appearance and I love MTV because they’ve kept me. In the beginning, I was actually told I needed to lose weight; if not, I’d have to go on a one-month vacation until I lost weight. I used to cry so much before because I was very insecure.

What part of your body do you hate most?

My butt, I have a big butt.

How did you perfect your eyebrows?

It took years of experience. I do my own eyebrows. When I was really young, I had really bushy eyebrows.

You have flawless skin.

It’s called makeup. My mom and dad have really good skin so it’s not really a problem for me. I just make sure that at the end of the day, I really clean my face because the type of makeup we use is different from the type of makeup most people use. I feel that a lot of times when I use moisturizers, I break out. So I just use facial soap, makeup remover facial soap and toner.

Other beauty secrets?

I sleep a lot, eight to nine hours a day. Sometimes 10 if I’m tired, it helps my skin a lot. And I drink a lot of water.

What about your eating regimen?

Every morning, I eat raisin bran cereal with skim milk, so I’m full and I get my fiber and calcium requirements. And then I just eat whatever else I want in moderation. For dinner, I just usually have canned soup that’s 98 percent fat-free and wholemeal crackers.

At the end of the day, how do you unwind?

Sometimes, when I’m too tired, I just go home, watch TV and sleep early. When I was much, much younger, I used to party a lot, I’m just tired of it.

How do you spend weekends?

I’m in Manila. I’d leave the office Thursday, after studio work, at 2:30 p.m. I catch the 4:45 p.m. flight. But when I go to Manila, I still work, it’s not a vacation.

Who is the Donita that people don’t know?

I’m pretty much who I am on screen. Although I’d love to do more films, more character roles.

What has showbiz taught you?

It’s taught me that this is a very unstable business, that you can never really trust everybody because everyone is serving his/her own best interests. But it doesn’t mean you have to conform to the ways that other people live their lives. I haven’t gone insane yet because the Lord has given me stability not just in my career but in my life. Everything has been going so well with my career. People don’t realize I actually have to go through a lot of sufferings. That even though I was struggling financially, I still had to turn down offers. There were times when I was struggling financially and I would get these offers to do sexy films or to endorse this beer. But I stood my ground and said no. I always knew that if I didn’t compromise my morals, God had something better in store for me. That’s basically the bottom line. I’ve paid my dues.

So absolutely no sexy roles for you?

No. I did one film called Anak ng Dagat – I always tell people the translation is "Son of a Beach." I played an Amazon woman and I was wearing sexy shorts, but I was tough, I had daggers and stuff around me, I was a pearl diver. They wanted me not to wear a bra so when I’m in the water... I said no way, I’m sure even Amazon women can improvise.

Do people still ask you about your Internet photos with Ruffa Gutierrez?

People don’t ask me anymore. It’s something long gone already. I’m just so fed up with all those things, it’s way beyond me already.

Do you regret your friendship with Ruffa?

Why would I? I cherish her as one of my best friends. Nobody knows Ruffa Gutierrez like I do. It doesn’t necessarily mean that I do things the way she does things because we’re best friends. We’re two different people but we know each other so well, we really respect each other, and I really have fun with her. Believe it or not, she’s very thoughtful. I’m not the type of person to call all the time. I’m an organized person when it comes to work but when it comes to my personal life, I’m not very organized in getting things done. She always calls me, for someone who’s also busy doing her own thing, she sends me postcards, pictures, and e-mails me. She writes me, "D, I know you’re a superstar but write back." Whenever I’m in Manila and she knows she’s gonna go home, she says, "D, stay with me." So I stay with her for a couple of nights. It’s just me and her in her house, she’ll send her companion home to her real house in White Plains. She’ll say, "D, let’s buy groceries, let’s be like ordinary people." I feel sad when people say bad things about her because they only see the superficial side of her.

What was the worst intrigue said about you?

I had sex with an actor 69 times. I was young, only 17 years old then.

You have a website. What’s the weirdest question you’ve been asked?

"Will you marry me?"

Do you answer your e-mails?

I do, I’m very slow though.

Tell us some more Donita trivia.

• I was named after my two grandmothers, Donita and Rosario. But I didn’t use my father’s family name Cavett because it sounds like Kabit in Tagalog.

• I have 20-20 vision. My parents and the youngest in the family wear glasses. One Christmas, I told them I’d get them new pairs of glasses. So I went to this optometrist and he said, "What about you?" I said I have 20-20 vision. He said that’s what they always say. So he checked my eyes and found out I was right.

• I’m allergic to cats. I get skin allergy.

• I’m claustrophobic. On an airplane, I can’t have a middle seat, one side has to be free. Or if I’m in church or in the moviehouse, I have to take an aisle seat; otherwise, I have to go out to breathe.

How would you rank your priorities in life now?

Everyone knows God so that’s corny. So in order, it’s the Lord, my family, my career, my friends. As glamorous as this job is, I’m a very simple person.

How long do you plan to stay with MTV?

Well, they say that the longest a VJ has ever lasted is six or seven years, like Stacey from Taiwan. Normally, it’s five to six at the most. They say the average is four and this is my fourth year. So I’m hoping at least another one or two years.

What then after MTV?

I can always go back to Manila but I wanna finish college. I went one year in college, I was taking up communication arts. I’d probably finish college abroad, only because I wanna be with my family.

What else do you dream of doing?

I’m pretty much happy with everything that’s come my way. In the jobs that I do, I don’t just give 100 percent, I give 110 percent. And I always feel there’s room for improvement in everything, I’m a perfectionist. I even have some people say about me, "Why do you come across as someone who is trying to outdo the other person?" And I always say I’m never trying to outdo anyone else, I’m trying to outdo myself.

Do you have a message for your fans in Manila?

It’s really been the best year of my life and I’m very thankful to the Filipino audiences for being good to me all these years. I wasn’t exactly living at the top before MTV. If it weren’t for them, many of my dreams wouldn’t have come true.

* * *

End of the interview and the fashion pictorial.

"I’m starved," says Donita. Even celebrities have to eat and so Donita finally sits down to enjoy a leisurely dinner at Fullerton Hotel, that is, before moving on to another appointment at 7:30 p.m. Success is sweet and it’ll take a long while before Donita will have time to smell the roses.