No longer rebellious

“FACE TO Face” is not just Amy Perez’s top-rating show (weekdays, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. on TV5), which will celebrate its first anniversary in April. It’s also what she wants to do in real life—meet with estranged husband Brix Ferraris face-to-face to settle old issues.

“I just wish he’d make time to talk about our son’s future,” Amy told a group of entertainment writers on Monday. She and the musician have a 13-year-old son, Adi. “He graduated from grade school recently. I’m so proud because he sang during the ceremony. After the program, I said, ‘Don’t feel sad that your Pop isn’t here … It’s his loss, not yours.’”

Amy said she’s glad she has radio reporter Carlo Castillo—her current boyfriend and with whom she has a 2-year-old son, Kyle—to assume the role of Adi’s father. “Carlo took time to help Adi buy all the things the boy needed for graduation, from the barong Tagalog down to the socks. He was even there to watch the program with me,” she said.

Settling domestic conflicts

“Face to Face” is based on the American TV program “The Jerry Springer Show.” It attempts to resolve, on TV, domestic conflicts like infidelity, financial woes or misunderstanding. Amy and a panel of advisers (composed of lawyers, priests and psychiatrists) try to help the subjects resolve their conflicts.

“I’ve always thought that God is using me to enlighten other people’s minds through this program,” Amy said. “I’ve had a very bad relationship with my mom while growing up. I rebelled. I did all sorts of things that made her cry.”

One episode of “Face to Face” that touched Amy deeply was about a girl who was being forced by her boyfriend to engage in premarital sex: “I thought of my own life. Had I listened to my mom, things could have been better. Now I can’t get married to the person I really love.”

Amy’s petition for the annulment of her marriage to Brix was denied by the Supreme Court in 2006.

The TV host said working on “Face to Face” has taught her the value of patience. “Thanks to the show, I’m more composed now. I don’t easily get angry,” she said. This does not mean, however, that she never gets emotional.

“It’s hard not to absorb the bad vibes on the show. Before I begin my work, I pray for the right words to say,” she explained.

To de-stress, she pampers herself at the spa once a week. She is also set to go on a vacation in the United States with two female friends. “It’s a trip to New York and Los Angeles, my gift to myself,” she said.

From April 4 to 8, “Face to Face” showcases a series of special episodes, including a mass wedding that the show organized. There’s also a gift-giving segment called “Abot Kamay, Kapatid” to benefit the program’s past case subjects.