Therese Malvar
I reject boys. I don’t need them,” declared award-winning teen actress Therese Malvar.
For the talented 18-year-old, “love isn’t a priority at this point. Being of age doesn’t mean I’ll go out and get myself a boyfriend. Age doesn’t have anything to do with it. This is my [love] mindset … at this stage.”
Therese said she expected things to “change in a major way” when she turned 18 last September. “But I’m still the same Therese. My parents were never strict, so now, they treat me pretty much like how they did before. They never kept me from going out with friends. They would often say, ‘Don’t do anything that will make you end up in jail,’” she quipped.
Her parents would sometimes give her nuggets of advice. “They’d talk to me about life in general, about how I should choose my friends and spend my time wisely.”
Rejecting romantic relationships, Therese said, did not mean she had no crushes. Among those who makes her heart flutter is actor Khalil Ramos. “Crush lang naman. I’ve had this thing for him even back when he was still ‘single,’” said Therese, adding that she was fully aware that Khalil is currently going out with fellow GMA 7 artist Gabbi Garcia.
Another “happy crush,” Therese said, is Filipino-Chinese actor David Licauco. He is actually Therese’s escort at her debut party being organized by the Kapuso network on Nov. 3 at the Sequoia Hotel.
“It was Artist Center’s idea. I didn’t want a debut. I’m never a party girl. I’d rather eat out with family and friends. They insisted on doing something for me,” Therese shared with the Inquirer.
She added that as soon as she agreed to have a party, she became fully committed to it. “I was very hands-on. I attended every meeting and even did a PowerPoint presentation that explained to them what I wanted to happen at the party, every aspect of it.”
What Therese had in mind was a celestial-themed party, “to inspire those who will attend to just keep on dreaming,” she explained.
Her gown, designed by Elize Padilla, is “in all shades of blue. It’s inspired by the stars and the sky. Its skirt falls to the floor like clouds. It’s a tube dress with stars as embellishment.”
She added excitedly: “Everything is hand-painted, including the cake. It has three layers, six inches tall each.”
Her guests were instructed to “show up in your best self. I didn’t require much from them because people tend not to attend if there are many restrictions.”
On the list of her 18 roses are actors Rodjun Cruz, Kelvin Miranda and Ricky Davao, as well as filmmakers Dan Villegas, Joey Reyes and Perci Intalan. She mentioned Janine Gutierrez and Lauren Young as part of her “18 stars.”
Therese celebrated her actual birthday on Sept. 16. She said her party got pushed back because she had prior commitments, which included a trip to Japan for the 2018 Tokyo International Film Festival, where her movie “Distance” was screened.
“On my actual birthday, I got surprised by different sets of people,” she recalled. As for her birthday wish, the teener said she wasn’t “into material things—I just love receiving letters. Maybe I’d like a good book, a laptop for school, or a car,” she said. “But, really, my wish is to be happy. I also hope for the teleserye to become a success, for it to air longer and for people to get involved with the story.”
Therese was referring to the heart-warming drama “Inagaw Na Bituin,” which is set to air on GMA 7’s afternoon slot. In the series, Therese will play a villainess opposite Kyline Alcantara.
Asked whether or not she still has a dream role, Therese replied in the affirmative. “I want to play a person with dissociative identity disorder (DID), just like in the movie ‘Split,’” she added. “Or maybe something lighter, like in the Korean film ‘Kill Me Heal Me.’ I find this very intriguing. I honestly don’t know why I want to give myself a hard time.”