LT says no to stress

ACTRESS Lorna Tolentino revealed that some plot twists in her latest ABS-CBN soap, “Minsan Lang Kita Iibigin,” a military drama, hit too close to home.

Some scenes had to be rewritten because they were eerily similar to the subject of ongoing congressional hearings on corruption in the military, she explained.

Now, that’s stressful.

She is glad that she gets to play a “complicated” woman here (a soldier’s wife and a general’s daughter.) “I don’t want to be a martyr forever,” LT said. “Great thing is, my character is not the usual kontrabida.”

As a bonus, she gets to make good friend Amy Austria “suffer” on the set. “I’m at ease because Amy is a generous costar. I’m sure she will give me the right emotions to bounce off in our scenes together,” said LT.

She has had to skip Bikram yoga sessions due to the marathon taping schedule of “Minsan.” What she gets to do, to keep her sanity, is escape to a farm in Cavite.

“It was originally a poultry and pineapple farm,” Lorna told the Inquirer during her 11th anniversary bash as endorser of Crystal Clear purified drinking water. “But my partners and I are studying the possibility of planting organic vegetables, herbs and spices.”

Future spa

LT dreams of turning the farm into a spa and opening her own water-refilling station in Tagaytay, near the farm. “I’ve always wanted to go into business,” she noted. “I first met with the owners of Crystal Clear after finishing my entrepreneurship course in UP in 1999.”

Another new career for LT is her job as comanager to sons Ralph and Renz. “I consult with my friends who are also talent managers, like ’Nay Lolit [Solis] and Tita Annabelle [Rama], when I have questions,” she said.

That’s a labor of love, Lorna explained. “I don’t get a commission ha? But the boys promised to buy a house and car for me in the future.”

Priority

A priority project is finding a permanent home for late husband Rudy Fernandez’s memorabilia.

LT plans to turn a small space in Quezon City, owned by the Fernandez clan, into a mini Daboy (Rudy’s pet name) museum.

“Daboy was very organized. He left 10 suitcases of his stuff: posters, pictures, costumes, scripts, letters—all neatly labeled,” Lorna said. “That’s why we don’t have a hard time looking for old photos when friends request for them.”

LT and her family recently celebrated Daboy’s birthday (March 3) with a Mass and merienda at the farm.