by Florence Pia G. Yu
Published: Sun Star Weekend
Cebu City, Philippines
February 18, 2001
Page 11
Gladys, who burst onto the entertainment scene in 1995, was discovered by a GMA Executive Producer at 19. She was joining a beauty contest at that time. "It must've been the x-factor, not the lumay," she jokes.
Naturally gyrating around and under the limelight, Gladys started with joining and winning beauty contests since she was 14. She has graced the Mutya ng Pilipinas and Eat Bulaga's Beautiful Girl contest as regional representative in '93, was Miss Cebu Tourism 3rd runner up in '94, and was crowned Miss LG Collins in '95.
However, it is more than face value that she charms her way with the crowd. "I really enjoy sharing myself with people; I like the involvement, the connection," says the 25-year old charmer.
Have you always wanted to be in the limelight?�������
Yes, although what I really wanted was to be a newscaster on TV. I consider it the best job because you get to meet people, and you get a lot of respect.
Don't you get the same experience as a show host?
I still get to meet a lot of people and the respect is still there, but newscasting is, like, on another level. You know what I mean?
How do you find hosting?
I love it, although I joined for fun, not for the money.
Does it pay, though?
No. You really can't make a living out of it. What you'll be earning won't be enough to buy make-up and your outfit and everything.
What do you get out of it?
The chance to mesh with the crowd. I get to mingle with people from all walks of life. Being there makes you feel so young and alive.
How difficult is show hosting?
Actually, it's a blast. You just have a lot of fun on stage. It's not really taxing, like, our show is on a Sunday, 11 P.M., sometimes we do live shows, sometimes it's just taped. The thing is, you just have a lot of fun doing it--making people laugh and everything.
Do you feel that people connect with you?
Yes. Sometimes, even too much! (laughs) I'm talking about indecent proposals. You get one or two of them, but I just shrug them off.
Is it hard to have a face that stands out?
(smiles timidly) I guess so. You want to blend in, but you just can't. You can't help it when people stare at you because they've seen you on TV. Sometimes it's flattering, sometimes it's embarrassing, but you live with it.
Beautiful women get a lot of priority, don't they?
(makes a wry face, then laughs) I guess you can't help it. People still judge by the looks. It's good for the beautiful people, but I guess people who are not quite attractive find it unfair.
How do you take your celebrity image?
I don't really give it much thought. What's important is I have fun; the audience has fun.
Obviously, beauty is not everything there is to a celebrity.
That's what you bank on, but I would like to think that if you work for the entertainment industry, you've got to have more than just looks. Heart is also important
Care to elaborate?
I've never liked hoity-toity celebs who take their fame to their head. You have to put your feet on the ground. Some of my former classmates, who I get to meet selling stuff on the sidewalk, would find it surreal that I still greet them. Dili mag-inarte kay abi sikat (Don't act hoity-toity just because you're famous).
What gives meaning to a life in the limelight?
Life is all about making a positive impact on other people and having fun as well. We only get to live once, so we might as well make this lifetime worthwhile. It's good that we achieve what we achieve. But what's even better is that we enjoy what we're doing.