The Debutante

MANILA, Philippines - The most important thing you need to know about Julia Barretto’s hyped-up 18th birthday party is not the strictly-no-pink color motif. (Silver, white, and gray only, please.) Neither is it the parade of celebrity guests. (Her alleged “rival” Liza Soberano is actually part of the traditional 18 candles ceremony. Rumormongers, take a seat.) It’s not the venue (Makati Shang Shangri-La Hotel) or her first and last dance partners either. (Dad Dennis Padilla and love team partner Iñigo Pascual, respectively) The most important thing you need to know is this: Julia Barretto, the kid with the big, big plans, is actually paying for everything. “It’s really all my money,” she says, shutting down the haters who assume that the lavish party is sponsored by her parents, ABS-CBN, and/or the brands she’s endorsing. “Wala talagang ex-deal,” affirms Jessa, her watchful companion. As it turns out, everything — from the invitation cards to the Michael Cinco gown — is all #JustJulia.

MISS SELF-SUFFICIENT

To drum up her party (and the birthday special airing on Mar. 29), Julia has commissioned top production designers, photographers,
videographers, fashion stylists,
makeup artists, and hair stylists to produce stunning photographs and videos of her. The shoots happen in picturesque locations, like Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar, an open-air
museum and heritage park in Bataan; and sometimes, even in creepy, crumbling venues like the Manila Film Center. “Quotang quota na ako sa shoots,” she half yells. This is
major effort for a girl who claims she never really wanted a debut party.
“I found the idea cheesy,” she admits, but eventually relented after “they” (oddly, she refuses to say who “they” are) insisted she had one. Being hands-on and being present during all the meetings for her big day had an effect on Julia. She fell in love with the idea of celebrating the big 1-8, which is why she now insists on getting only the best. “Who you choose to work with represents your style, your personality, and how much you value yourself,” she explains. “I’m working with the best and I’m happy.”

Her birthday party is shaping up to be one glamorous affair, but the days leading up to it have been anything but. Since last year, Julia has been taking heat from critics and bashers after her court petition to drop her father’s last name became public. Her reasons for wanting to do that are both legal and personal, so we won’t even. “People can call me maarte all they want, but the most painful thing is when they say I don’t respect my dad or I don’t love my dad,” she says sadly. “Come on. We’re not the only father-daughter tandem na nagkaroon ng problema. The fact that I never said anything about Papa shows how much I respect him,” she stresses. “I cannot do anything that will ruin my father. I cannot.” In the same way she took control over the preparations for her debut, Julia decided to fix this family problem head on. She visited her hurting father — solo, no mama in tow — as he was taping for a show, and she let him say his piece without ever interrupting him. Apologies were exchanged and reaching out paid off: She’s no longer changing her last name and he’s definitely going to the party. “I’m a huge believer of ‘everything’s going to be okay.’ And this is such a good example of that,” she says, beaming.

MISS ON HER OWN

Julia may have patched things up with her dad and she may now be “okay with everybody in the family,” (Warring Titas Gretchen and
Claudine, included) but no peace lasts forever — especially if you’re a Barretto. Julia, of all people, knows this. After surviving all those very public family battles, she already has the art of dedma down pat. “If you notice, an issue is such a buzz for two days, three days. After a week, it’s gone,” she says flatly. Julia makes a conscious
effort not to pay rumors any mind, but she pleads, “Tao rin ako. I get sick of it.” The key to staying sane is to “know yourself and where you stand. If you believe everything bashers are saying, mawawala ka,” Julia says, going all Socrates on us.  

She applies this philosophy on her career as well. No matter how much people pit her against Kathryn, Liza, or Janella, JB isn’t going to take the bait. “It always happens. Every day,” she says, clearly exasperated. “Normal ma-inggit. Kahit ayaw mo, minsan talaga meron eh. But why would I keep tabs on their careers kung pwede namang mag focus sa career ko,” she shrugs. “It doesn’t make sense.”

MISS ALMOST GROWN

The first thing Julia will do as an 18-year-old is to hustle
until she “deserves” her next goal: A car she can drive. (Today’s
interview location, her big, black artista van, isn’t exactly the most
inconspicuous ride.) After she ticks that off her list, she’s hell-bent on getting a college degree, and then, the house and lot of her dreams. Big dreams, big price tags. “When I feel tired or I want to give up, I think about my plans, and instantly, I go, ‘Okay, let’s work!’”

10 years from now, when she’s 28, Julia says she’ll look back at this
moment and think, “Wow. I’m so glad that at such a young age, I was able to achieve all those things, that I was able to experience all those things.”

Until then, let the 17-year-old have it. Let her enjoy the 18th birthday party she worked hard for and saved up for. Let Julia be #JustJulia.

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Tweet the author @IrishDDizon.