Action princess can’t slow down

SHE took piano and organ lessons as a kid.

Pert, petite and pretty GMA 7 tween star Bea Binene surely has the makings of a feisty and fiery action star.

She swiftly climbs up chairs and tables to get stuffed toys displayed on top shelves in her bedroom. She zooms here and there with grace and agility. No sweat.

Mom Carina says Bea insists on doing her own stunts for the GMA 7 prime time series, “Captain Barbell.”

Bea, who’s turning 14 on November 4, is a serious martial arts student, that’s why. In spite of her busy schedule—juggling TV shows like “Party Pilipinas,” “Tween Hearts” and “Good News” and the coming movie “Tween Hearts Academy: Class of 2012”—Bea makes time for wushu and fuzhuang classes.

“From the set, I usually practice for three to four hours at night in a Quezon City gym before going home,” she tells Living Stars. “If there’s a competition, I practice twice as hard.”

Last year, Bea won a bronze medal in a national competition sponsored by the Wushu Federation of the Philippines and held at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

Sharp sword

WITH grace and agility, she climbs up a chair to reach stuffed toys on the top level of a shelf.

A guest on her old show, “Lovely Day,” introduced her to wushu. “I looked for a school and started training,” she relates. “Wushu not only keeps you fit, it also improves your stamina and makes you more flexible. It helps you acquire focus and discipline.”

Bea makes fine use of her martial arts skills on the set of “Captain Barbell,” but she accidentally grazed herself and costar Mike Tan with the sword once. “My sword is quite sharp and can do serious damage,” she admits.

She dreams of being cast in a martial arts film like “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” and following in the footsteps of action heroines Michelle Yeoh or Zhang Ziyi.

She may get her wish soon.

She will do a cameo in the sequel to the fantasy flick “Ang Panday,” an entry in this December’s Metro Manila Film Festival.

The sword, along with her medal, wushu and fuzhuang uniforms and shoes, occupy a place of honor in her closet.

“STARSTRUCK Kids” trophies for best in projection and friendship

Actually, her bedroom is like one big walk-in closet.

A former child star, Bea has amassed boxes and boxes of trinkets, clothes, shoes and accessories.

Shoes are neatly lined up on one side of the room; clothes are stored in plastic boxes. Designer bags and shades are displayed in a cabinet.

Industry awards—from Famas and “StarStruck Kids”—are also showcased on a shelf. “I won best in projection and friendship in ‘StarStruck Kids,’” Bea recalls.

The stuffed toys—mostly gifts from family, friends and fans—are on a top shelf.

Mall showroom

BEA’S bedroom looks like a department store showroom.

The bedroom looks like a mall showroom, but there’s also a school desk stacked with books, folders and modules. Bea is home-schooled, currently on Level 8 at School of Tomorrow.

She’s determined to finish school because she also dreams of becoming a broadcast journalist like idols Mel Tiangco, Arnold Clavio and Vicky Morales.

“Aside from being a news anchor, Tita Mel also heads the Kapuso Foundation. And Kuya Arnold remains bubbly and funny, even though he’s a no-nonsense reporter,” Bea explains.

She’s now working with Vicky in the GMA News TV program “Good News,” handling the “Happy News” segment. “Recently,” she says, “I did a report on robotics and young students. It’s an honor to work with Ms Vicky. I learn a lot just watching her.”

FRAMED photo of Bea as a child model for family’s accessories store

This BUM apparel model recounts that she got her start in the biz as a kiddie reporter on “Lovely Day.”

Mom makes Bea practice her spiels by reading scripts and books out loud at home, or in the car while shuttling between show biz commitments.

“I enjoy reading novels like Sophie Kinsella’s ‘Confessions of a Shopaholic,’” the tween star remarks. “In the car, I read the entries in my friends’ Twitter accounts on my iPhone.”

Gadget whiz

Oh, that’s right, she’s a gadget whiz, too.

In her room, Bea usually surfs the Net on her Acer laptop. She also bought a Samsung Tab, iPad2, Portable Playstation Slim, Samsung MP4 and portable Polaroid and Next Base DVD players.

In the 500-square-meter home’s living room are an upright piano and an electric organ. “When Bea was younger, she took piano and organ lessons,” mom relates. “But she preferred martial arts.”

A Famas trophy

Before Bea fulfills her dream of becoming an action princess, GMA 7 is building her up as a drama star.

She’s set to top-bill the soap opera, “Pahiram ng Isang Ina,” which also features her screen partner Jake Vargas and Carmina Villaroel. It is directed by Joel Lamangan.

Now that she’s about to start work on a daily series, Bea is making the most of her time at home with her mom and Venice, her 2-year-old sister. Venice is the only person who could melt this toughie’s heart. “I often tease her, but she’s the only one allowed to beat me up,” Bea jests. She and Venice hang out in the kid’s room, watching cartoons on the 50-inch TV set.

Pet monkey

BEA Binene has several lovebirds.

Bea also has pets—a monkey and a few lovebirds. The monkey is a gift from a relative. “I wanted to turn it over to a zoo,” she relates, “but there were no takers.” So she decided to keep it for a while, christened it Moymoy, and had a spacious cage built for it.

“Moymoy’s always cranky,” she says. “He doesn’t like me. But like a guard dog, he acts up whenever strangers are around.” Recently, while doing a story on “Good News,” she met the head of a zoo who could take in Moymoy. “I’m turning him over soon.”

BEA bonds with her 2-year-old sister Venice in the tot’s room.

That’s because Bea is planning to move to a condo unit closer to the GMA 7 studios. It’s a long commute from the family home somewhere in Caloocan City. “I could do more if I lived nearby,” she says.

On top of her wish list are longer hours for wushu and fuzhuang. “I want to compete again next year,” she says.

The action princess refuses to slow down.

Photos by Romy Homillada

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