Toni Gonzaga: Toni Award

She’s expecting, and now she’s lovelier than ever.

Once a starlet that bloomed into a primetime princess and now a pretty mom-to-be, Toni Gonzaga has all the right values, motivations and philosophies needed to raise a child in this world. She is, indeed, intelligent, grounded and beautiful from head to toe, and head to heart, possessing all the makings of a great parent.

By IZZY WARREN GONZALEZ  

Capturing the attention of showbiz and endearing herself to loyal fans for over a decade as a singer, host and box-office leading lady, Toni Gonzaga shows that true talent never dims —it only gets brighter.

Celestine “Toni” Gonzaga was not, however, born into the limelight, despite seeming to flourish in it with relative ease.

Transferring to ABS-CBN in 2005, and later becoming one of the main hosts of Pinoy Big Brother, Toni racked up more and more hosting gigs until she landed her first leading role in the comedy-horror film, D’Anothers. The following year, she released her second album entitled, Toni: You Complete Me, starred in her first primetime drama series Crazy for You, and was given an award by the Guillermo Mendoza Memorial Foundation, Inc. for that performance. She built momentum to the point that she was able to celebrate her 10th anniversary in Philippine entertainment in 2011 with a sold-out concert series entitled Toni @ 10.

They say that hindsight has 20/20 vision. Not knowing how, in the future, she would be so popular and influential with a generation of young women, Toni initially set her sights on a purely singing career, which started out the way many powerhouse singers usually do: in her local church. A dedicated and spiritual soul, Toni is a testament of her faith. She shares: “In a world like this, full of glitz and glamour, you become accustomed to people giving in to you, saying yes to your demands. Spirituality grounds you; a strong support system like family keeps you sane. If you lose it all, the trappings of this life, you still have your faith and your family. Nobody can take that away from you.”

Never really imagining herself as the ingénue or the comedienne, Toni credits her phenomenal staying power in the media to God’s grace.

“I’ve known for a very long time, especially because my family has been there, keeping my feet on the ground all throughout, that this business isn’t permanent. It is just what I do, it doesn’t define who I am,” Toni explains. Perhaps because of this belief, Toni takes a very refreshing approach to living her life in the here and now.

There is some method to her natural ability however, despite Toni’s repeated efforts at self-deprecation. “I work from the heart, I act according to how I feel. Being a good actress takes a lot of experience in life, and not rushing things.” This unabashedly unhurried pace has gotten her to where she is, this writer believes.

Being able to recall a time in her life when things were markedly different, Toni is living proof that perseverance and hope are most important when setting out on your path to the best life you can lead. She was passed over for singing competitions and roles to play, she lined up under the scorching heat of the sun for go-sees and VTRs, and she was surrounded by the mestizas who dominated the airwaves when she was just starting out.

As a role model to many young women and aspiring actresses, Toni is firm in her belief of comporting oneself with dignity and composure. “Fame is a responsibility, not a cakewalk,” she reveals.

“It is your duty to be a good person if you’re in the public eye. It isn’t about having the good life, it’s about leading a good life,” Toni enthuses, clearly very passionate about keeping her integrity and her morals intact.

This sort of behavior seems consistent with her upbringing. “I never rebelled, though,” she laughs with a hint of confusion. “I was surrounded by so much love, inundated with it, that I never felt the oppression most people expect from such a strict upbringing. To this day, I don’t like being out past midnight unless I’m working, I’m very conscious about how a lady is perceived, and so on.”

Beyond all the stern warnings and proper behavior, Toni does have a whimsical side. “I remember when we (my family and I) were all riding in the family car; it didn’t have air-conditioning at the time, and I thought to myself, I know I will have made it (in showbiz) when we can afford a car with air-conditioning. All of a sudden, we noticed that Gary Valenciano was stuck in the same traffic jam as us!” The entire family made a huge fuss, being big fans. “He handed us signed copies of his latest album through the car windows. I’m still so shocked that we shared the same stage during one of my shows.”

(Toni Gonzaga and husband Paul Soriano at PeopleAsia’s 2015 Men Who Matter Awards night)

Her concept of beauty is something that she has obviously given a lot of thought to. She recalls, “Starting out, it used to be the mestizas who would get the parts. I found myself ordinary, and my father was quick to reassure me that ordinary or not, it was talent that set me apart. My mother, on the other hand, took a completely different tack and reassured me constantly that I was the most beautiful girl ever. These two different approaches made me realize that beauty on the inside radiates. You have to work hard on yourself, be beautiful on the inside in order for that to translate outwardly.”

The best compliment she has ever received was in the same frame, more about inner than outer beauty (both of which Toni seems to have in spades). A masseur, who frequently provides his services to the Gonzaga family, began reading the Bible because of Toni and her younger sister. When her father found out that his children were the catalyst for such a development, he smiled and said, “Okay na ako (I can leave this world). I’ve done my part. My children have a relationship with God, and that is something that I can truly be proud of.”

This woman of style and substance knows that beauty goes beyond skin deep, down into the very follicles of her being. Every part she takes, every appearance she makes, and everything she says is a conscious effort to be a good person. And in the end, for her, that’s all that matters.

Photography by SARA BLACK

Creative Direction by CHINO CORRALES

Editor’s note: The original article featuring these excerpts was originally published in PeopleAsia’s August – September 2014 issue. 

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