Vice Ganda on aging, guiding youth through self-development

Vice Ganda (right) with filmmaker Jun Robles Lana —VICE GANDA/ INSTAGRAM

I don’t let random people enter my home,” said comedian-TV host Vice Ganda as a way to say that only her most trusted friends are allowed to enter her “personal space.”

“For me, it’s not just a house. Anna is one of the people I trust enough to show my personal space to. I’m not afraid that she would merely judge me, that she’d try to enter my personal space just to know something about me and then later use this against me. There are people like that—they just want to get inside your circle to see what’s happening within, so they can tell on you,” Vice told reporters over dinner recently. She was also referring to Anna Magkawas, owner of an oral supplements brand which Vice is endorsing.

You can also consider yourself Vice’s “close friend” if you were invited to her recent birthday celebration in a luxurious private villa in Nueva Ecija. “I only invited people who are very dear to me,” Vice pointed out. If you’re not one of them, you can still watch the festivities through Vice’s recent vlog post titled “Unkabogable Slay-bration sa Nueva Ecija.”

Best version

During the Q&A session, Vice also talked about the importance of self-love.

“While I’m proud to be 48, I also want to be able to age gracefully. I want to take care of myself both on the outside and inside. I want to be the best version of myself at this age. Whatever beauty regimen I do, I make sure to add a beauty prayer combo: one Hail Mary, two Glory Bes and one Our Father,” she said, laughing.

“Who doesn’t want to take care of oneself? If you are capable of loving somebody else, why can you not love yourself?,” she argued, also admitting that she has had “massive and drastic improvements” on her body. “I will never say that this is just the result of mineral water and prayers,” she quipped.

READ: Vice Ganda leads roster of Philippines’ most trusted personalities

Vice feels most beautiful when she is around people who love her. “When I’m with my family, with [longtime partner] Ion [Perez], with my best friends, and with people who really know me,” she declared.

Her advice to those who want to feel more confident with themselves? “This is easy. You only have to love, accept and know yourself. You cannot expect everyone to understand and love you, but the last person to doubt you shouldn’t be yourself,” she declared. “Your life is a very precious gift, even if you experience heartaches and pains, so take care and be proud of yourself.”

Influence as power

As a public figure, it’s normal for Vice to receive messages from followers experiencing personal struggles and are seeking encouragement. “I was given a platform to be able to reach out to these people. I have a social media following and I’m on television. Having this huge following is considered power. How should one put this power to good use?” Vice began.

“Aside from making people laugh in ‘It’s Showtime!’ and on my posts [in my various social media accounts], aside from giving them fun and good vibes, I make sure to regularly give them words of encouragement,” she said. “I have a lot of young followers. I don’t consider myself young, so my thinking is that I have to protect and preserve the next generation in order to, as they say in Miss Universe, make this world a better place.”

Constant battle

She continued: “I feel obligated to teach them how to take care of themselves. If our young ones become unhealthy, then who will be there to preserve whatever God has gifted us today? We should guide the young in their journey toward self-development and improvement.”

She also announced that she will be doing a comedy film, titled “And the Breadwinner is…,” to be directed by award-winning indie director Jun Robles Lana. It will be coproduced by Lana’s The IdeaFirst Company and Star Cinema.

“I’m grateful to Direk Jun for saying ‘yes’ to working with me. I consider it my addiction to always top myself. I’m in a constant battle with myself. I’m just so blessed that the Lord made this possible—for Direk Jun to direct and make a story for me that I feel will top everything that I’ve achieved in the past,” Vice said during a Star Cinema-organized event. INQ

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