Maxene Magalona to the max

MAXENE Magalona

GMA 7 actress Maxene Magalona knows firsthand the power of social networking sites like Twitter.

Having received both praise and flak online, she has learned to take things in stride. During the early days of Twitter in 2010, Maxene and her girl friends (Angel Locsin, Bianca King, Glaiza de Castro) reportedly figured in an online feud with Pauleen Luna.

The group was dubbed ampalaya brigade—portrayed as bitter, mean girls.

“Twitter was just new at the time,” Maxene recalled during the launch of her newest afternoon soap, “Faithfully,” on GMA 7. “That incident taught us an important lesson. You really have to be careful about what you say online. But girls will be girls.”

Even though “Faithfully” top-bills a cast of fearless femmes (Isabel Oli, Isabelle Daza, Michelle Madrigal, Vaness del Moral), Maxene doesn’t see sparks flying on the set. “We are friends in real life. There are no divas or prima donnas. There’s no need to upstage each other. All the characters are essential to the story.”

A few months back, she became a hot trending topic on Twitter once again, after her voice cracked while singing in the GMA 7 musical-variety show “Party Pilipinas.”

Drawing on her sense of humor, “I called myself Maxene-tunado,” she recounted. “In the end, it really depends on how you handle things. If you laugh at yourself, you love yourself more.”

On a serious note, Maxene was one of the few young celebrities who tweeted regularly, and passionately, on the recent impeachment hearings of former Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona.

She described the proceedings which led to Corona’s ouster as “dramatic.” She explained: “It was exciting …  like watching a telenovela. The speeches beat the lines of dialogue in our soap operas.”

It was her modest way of getting involved, she said. “It’s good to be aware of what’s happening. I have a responsibility to those who follow my posts.” She has 743,550 followers.

She’s unafraid of criticism. “I believe in what I believe in. We’re all free to express our opinions. I just hope other people will respect my beliefs as well.”

As part of that social responsibility, she is getting involved in her late dad’s Francis Magalona Foundation as well. “I am more active in the foundation now,” she said. “We are spreading the word.”

The foundation, in partnership with One Core Success Center, is spearheading a series of seminars, with Maxene as one of the speakers.

“I want to share my life story. My life lessons. I want to help other people,” she said.

Maxene, who previously attended the same seminars, said she had become more confident. “I’ve learned to hold my head up. I know that my dad will be proud of me. Even though I’ve stumbled in the past, I’ve always picked myself up and learned from my mistakes.”