Lovi on turning 31, her sister Grace and her body—and soul—baring new leading men

Lovi Poe

Lovi Poe walked into the restaurant thinking she would be attending a work-related meeting. But much to her surprise, she was greeted by a room full of people, singing and wishing her a happy birthday.

She was ecstatic seeing some of her closest friends and colleagues, who waited with their phones up to capture the actress’ reaction. But she was especially touched to see her half-sister, Sen. Grace Poe, to whom she giddily rushed and hugged upon spotting her in the crowd.

“I was shocked—I didn’t expect that someone as busy as her could make time for me. It’s great and I’m just so happy,” Lovi, who turns 31 on Feb. 11, told select reporters at an advanced birthday dinner hosted by LVD Management, which handles her show biz career.

While they don’t get to see each other as often as they would like, Lovi and Sen. Grace—daughters of the late show biz legend Fernando Poe Jr.—have “a good relationship.” “We usually text each other. I love her. She’s amazing and really nice,” Lovi related.

The GMA 7 star, who had just been from a shooting for her upcoming film, “Hindi Tayo Pwede,” turned emotional with the show of overwhelming love.

“I truly see and appreciate their efforts. No matter how close you are to a person, busy schedules do get in the way sometimes. Or they’re simply too far away from us. But being reunited with friends here whom I have never seen in years is heartening,” she said, adding that she feels “blessed” to be surrounded with the “right people.”

“Sometimes, we get so busy with work and the goals we want to achieve that we forget to slow down and say thank you to the people who love and appreciate us,” Lovi said.

What’s her birthday wish? “A lot of good things have been happening recently, and I hope the blessings continue to pour in. I hope to grow into a better person with each passing year,” she said.

Her prayers also go out to everyone who has been affected by recent natural disasters, like the eruption of Taal Volcano, and the outbreak of the 2019 novel coronavirus.

Lovi Poe (right) with some of her special guests, Benjamin
Alves (left) and Dina Bonnevie

“It makes you realize a lot of things. You can’t just pray for yourself or your loved ones—you have to do it for everyone else. We can get so caught up with [our own lives] that we forget to reach out to other people. I’m wishing for positive things for everyone. We have to be strong, pray harder and keep the faith,” she said.

Her boyfriend, Monty Blencowe, a Los Angeles-based English film producer and medical researcher, wouldn’t be able to fly to the Philippines to celebrate her birthday with her. But she understands.

“He’s busy with work now; his field of work is different from ours. But I’m happy with the communication we have,” said the actress, who pointed out that being in a long-distance relationship requires a strong foundation. “We’re good, happy. Being in this kind of relationship … you have to be solid.”

On the upside, their setup, she said, has been beneficial to their growth not just as a couple, but also as individuals. “We have our own careers, and we get to pursue our respective goals … we get a lot of things done,” Lovi said. “But at the same time, we make sure to support each other.”

Lovi couldn’t talk in detail about her coming sexy drama flick. But all she can say is that her leading men, Tony Labrusca and Marco Gumabao, have been a joy to work with. “They bared their souls more than their bodies,” she teased.