Belle du jour
MANILA, Philippines - Belle Daza’s original claim to fame was being the fruit of Gloria Diaz’s loins — a fact that leads most conversations with new acquaintances. “I’ve known nothing else,” she says about those asking what it’s like being the daughter of the first Filipina Miss Universe. “I grew up with her. She was just my mom.”
A natural follow-up is a question of why she’s never followed in her mother’s footsteps. “My mom never put that pressure on me. She’s always like, ‘If you want a crown, just wear mine around the house.’” Daza adds, “I was such a tomboy when I was younger that I didn’t know I would be modeling. It was a big surprise.” In some ways, I’m reminded of that scene in My Week With Marilyn, when Marilyn says, “Little girls should be told how pretty they are. They should grow up knowing how much their mother loves them.”
What comes as a surprise to Daza hardly shocks the rest of us, who’ve seen that she is a morena mystery of hair and height, with a face made to grace billboards and magazine covers. “Sometimes people think fashion and show business are all glamour and it’s so easy,” she says. “I have friends who make fun of me, who say, ‘Oh, you’re posing for eight hours. Try staying in an office.’ They don’t understand the work that goes into it, especially behind the camera.”
Truer words were never spoken, at least not by anyone who’s transitioned from modeling to acting. Daza has become more familiar with the amount of work it takes to mount a TV show, her most recent project being the teleserye Faithfully which co-stars Maxene Magalona, Isabel Oli, Vanessa Del Moral, and Michelle Madrigal. In it, she plays “a socialite who’s close to her yaya. Very me,” she says with a grin. “I’ve done a little bit of acting before, like Bubble Gang and Spooky Nights. Things that aren’t drama, things that are very light and funny. This is going to be my first real show, so I’m kind of nervous.”
She hardly looks it, being the perfect picture of cool and ever so slightly aloof. But don’t be fooled by her calm demeanor; Daza has more miles on her than the mythical Energizer bunny. When she isn’t taping for her series, she makes regular appearances on Eat Bulaga and Manny Many Prizes. She’s a fixture on Party Pilipinas, where she says with a laugh, “They make me dance, but it’s sad when I dance.”
(When asked about whether we should expect an upcoming album, her smile widens and she says almost abruptly, “No. I’m super tone deaf. I cannot sing for anything.” In this age of Auto-Tune and that go-getter attitude, I’m willing to bet that’s still up for negotiation.)
As if that wasn’t enough, Daza also hosts I Bilib with Chris Tiu, an experimental science show for kids. It hits closer to home than one would expect. “Before this, I was teaching in a preschool, teaching toddlers,” says Daza. “I went back to school. I took up pre-medicine, which is a human biology course, for a year and a half. For me, that’s what I love. It’s my passion, helping people and making a difference. I know it’s cliché but…” She trails off with a shrug.
So what changed her mind? “I was applying to med schools when I received a call from Ms. Annette Gozon,” she explains. “I was honored that she would think of me. It’s such a blessing for me. The people I work with are so amazing — from the crew to my co-hosts to the bosses. It’s so much fun, and you see everyday how you can change someone’s life.”
Admittedly, I am not one to use the words life-changing and game shows in the same sentence, but Daza does so with a sincerity that brings warmth to her entire face. It becomes clear that beneath that cool exterior lies a young woman with the determination to see as much good as one can. Whether it is due to a beauty queen gene or just exceptional upbringing, it’s an attribute that has undoubtedly pushed her out of her mother’s shadow and into a star of her own making, casting an equally bright light, fast on the rise.
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