Sharon Cuneta: I always felt I’d return

THE MEGASTAR had secret meetings with Kapamilya executives soon after she left TV5. PHOTO BY MARINEL R. CRUZ

She was “shocked,” seeing how disrespectful children had become. “On Twitter, I always felt like a mom who should reprimand her child [for misbehaving] on the spot,” said Megastar Sharon Cuneta when asked why she used to react to bashers on social media.

But, she told reporters on Monday, “That was a long time ago. I realized that I couldn’t possibly win them over, so I decided to simply focus on people who love me and continue to support me. I’ve learned that it’s better to ignore [than engage bashers]. I use social media to keep in touch with my supporters. I can express myself better on my Facebook page, where I am able to compose longer messages. When I encounter bashers, I simply delete and block. I’m not proud [of what I did before]. But I’m human; I get hurt.”

Sharon just signed a contract with ABS-CBN to become part of the reality show “Your Face Sounds Familiar.” She will sit as a jury member, along with Gary Valenciano and Jed Madela, to critique live performances of eight celebrity contestants impersonating local and international music icons.

In 2012, Sharon signed a contract with TV5 reportedly valued at P1 billion. The contract was supposed to expire in 2016, but officially ended in August 2014, more than two years early.

Sharon said this new contract was just for “You Face Sounds Familiar,” adding that “other projects” were in the works. “[The bosses] are not rushing,” she said, “because they want everything to be perfect. Meanwhile, this show is going to be exciting and fun. We start airing on March 14.”

How does it feel to be working with ABS-CBN again?

There are no words to describe how happy I am about this. It’s overwhelmingly wonderful. The first time I set foot here again, it felt like nothing had changed, that I had just taken a

SHARON tries to enumerate the eight celebrity participants in “Your Face Sounds Familiar.” She ended up apologizing because she couldn’t remember all of them. PHOTO BY MARINEL R. CRUZ

vacation. I [never] lost touch with the people I love here. Tita Charo (Santos-Concio, network president and CEO) was one of the first to know I was no longer [with TV5]. After a month or two, we started having secret meetings—Tita Charo, Tita Malou (Santos), Inang (Olivia Lamasan) and me. I always felt I’d return here; I just didn’t know when. That they welcomed me with open arms and open hearts… ’di matatapatan ng presyo—although maganda naman ang presyo! (Laughs.)

What did you learn from your time away?

’Pag mayroon kang tampo with someone, you shouldn’t rely on a bridge to get your message to the other party. I had a tampo here; it was the real reason that I left. It was a very tiny reason, and it could have been fixed. I should have talked directly to the people involved. When we had those meetings recently, I realized that what I had been hearing were all [not true].

Secondly, God woke me up. It was a painful awakening. He reminded me that I had become too complacent. I learned to appreciate every blessing. Now, I don’t make decisions without praying about it first. I’ve been so humbled, that I just want to be a great coworker to the people on this show.

What song best describes you now?

“The Greatest Love of All.” My happiness is showing my love to the people I care about, sometimes, at the expense of my own happiness. Now, people close to me remind me to think of myself as well. How can you give love if you don’t love yourself? My song used to be “Bituing Walang Ningning.” Now, I’m also singing “Sana’y Wala Nang Wakas.” (Laughs.)

What would you like to tell your supporters?

They helped me a lot in terms of lifting my spirits, especially when my mom (Elaine Cuneta) passed away. I’ve been working for almost four decades, biglang nawala. When you realize that people never stopped believing in you, that’s when you come out of whatever you’re going through and start believing in yourself again, like never before. I’m coming in with a whole new attitude, from a position of humility and a greater heart.

How much weight have you lost?

You would not believe how big I became, especially when I was not working. I’d say I’ve lost a little more than 40 pounds from the beginning, but I have several more pounds to lose before I can become a bold star. (Laughs.) So much has happened—just when I thought one thing was over, in came another.

Was that why you went on a food binge?

I guess I was eating emotionally at that point, yes. Also, I think I screwed up my metabolism because of all the crash dieting I did after having babies. I have to be more careful now because I have hypertension. I am trying to lose at least 15 more pounds, and then start exercising. Truthfully, I’m not a fan of exercise. My favorite is the treadmill because I can watch my favorite shows or read something while I’m on it. I’m just gathering enough strength—what I have now is a really difficult diet. I have to stick to certain foods, and there’s a weight allowance per day.

How did you get to choose exercise rather than undergo surgery?

I had liposuction years ago, so I know that a person does not lose weight with just lipo. I cannot lose as much weight as I should through surgery. I’m lucky that my parents have good genes. Both the Gamboas and the Cunetas grow old with vibrancy. Of course, you want to keep yourself looking fresh and young always, but you have to look your age. It would be nice to be able to grow old like Meryl Streep or Helen Mirren.

Have you met Paulo Avelino? He wasn’t with ABS-CBN yet when you left.

Yes, I met him before my mommy died. He was respectful towards me; I don’t think anybody that my daughter will introduce to me will act any differently. On the other hand, any person that my daughter introduces to me, as long as I know that she is being treated well, is welcome in our lives. I just hope that KC will find the time—because she is still quite young—to connect with new people in circles outside show business. I just want KC to have better experiences than I did.

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