wazzup wazzup?

**buknoy2002** · September 18th, 2004 12:58 PM

glen
tanong lang. bakit me parang itinatago ka sa kamay mo don sa isang pix

=)

**notEworthy27** · September 18th, 2004 03:05 PM

haha naku pow. may hidden agenda pala itong si glenn hehe. share yo secrets man!

going back to the topic. hottie talaga wala akong ma say! hehe

OT: kimpoy, anong 4x4 yan? ganda ah hehe dadalhin mo yan sa next trail? :D

**GlennSter** · September 18th, 2004 04:06 PM

bok....ikaw lang nakahalata ah...SERCREEETTTT

**karlbo** · September 18th, 2004 06:21 PM

Originally posted by buknoy2002
glen
tanong lang. bakit me parang itinatago ka sa kamay mo don sa isang pix

=)

naunahan mo ako dun ahhh.. buknoy2002....

mukhang may nagagalit na nga kagad eh... kaya tinatago na ni glenn nyahhahahah :D

**buknoy2002** · September 18th, 2004 08:56 PM

peace glenn!!

pero sama mo ako next time para dalawa na tayong ganon ang pose =D

**mazdamazda** · July 20th, 2005 09:20 AM

aba... same pala kami ng religion ni Toni... hehehe... ;)

Wazzup, Toni?
By Djong Tan
People Asia Magazine 06/22/2005

You might remember laughing at her antics in that Sprite "I love you, Piolo!" commercial a few years ago. Well, that commercial would be the start of good things for this young lady, as it paved the way for her now-successful career.

Celestine Gonzaga, Tin to her family, and Toni to her legions of fans, was smitten by the glitz and glamour of show business at an early age. "Ever since I was, I think, four, I already started singing in our town. I was also doing hosting stints in barangay meetings." Before that fateful Sprite commercial, she was one of the finalists in GMA's Metropop Star Search in 1997. After that, she was signed on as one of GMA Artist Center's talents for four years. After her contract expired, she went back to doing VTRs and going on auditions. She then landed a part in the Sprite commercial, which eventually led to her becoming one of Eat Bulaga's prime young hosts.

After years of being a "Kapuso," Toni is now ABS-CBN's "It" girl. The switch has caused quite a controversy in the industry but Toni accepted all the criticism with grace. "I think what's important right now is that I know the real reason. I no longer want to elaborate," she says firmly.

Being a "Kapamilya" is certainly paying off for her, as she is now seen on four different shows. Weekday mornings, she hosts MRS with Amy Perez and Roderick Paulate, while you can watch her on Wazzup, Wazzup with Vhong Navarro and Drew Arellano every night on Studio 23. On Saturdays, she dishes out the gossip on EtK (Entertainment Konek) along with Angelika dela Cruz, Derek Ramsay, Dominic Ochoa and Ogie Diaz. And on Sundays, you get to see her at her hosting best on ASAP.

This kind of success certainly does not happen overnight. "Everything starts by dreaming. When I was younger, I never visualized anything for myself other than what I have now. If you really want to have something in the future, you really have to work hard for it, pray for it, visualize it and focus on it," she advises.

Her determination is only one admirable facet of Toni. She also looks to be the kind of person who is clear about her priorities. She has chosen to let go of her studies to concentrate on her career. In fact, she even admits that she used to absent herself from class to go to different auditions. "I was actually being laughed at when I was in high school. They would tease `you're auditioning again but it looks like nothing's happening'." Her passion for her work was so much so that her decision for choosing a college was influenced by her career. "The reason why I studied in Dominican College was because it was so accessible for me to go to Broadway Centrum, where I hosted Eat Bulaga."

But that is not to say that she does not view education as a priority. "Because I'm not able to go to a normal school every day, I double my efforts to read and follow the news. I double my efforts to be aware of what's going on. It's hard when you are not up to date. She also plans to go back and finish her Mass Communications degree. "We're still struggling with fixing my schedule. I really want to go back. This year, I'd like to enroll. We'll see." But even with her hectic schedule, Toni still finds time to manage the health and sanitation program of their barangay, as she has also been elected as its barangay kagawad. "I sometimes can't attend but I see to it that I get in touch with our captain."

When she's not busy with her shows or with her clean and green project in her Taytay, Rizal town, Toni is usually home, playing with her dog, a golden retriever named Wuwu. While her fellow stars are out partying, she takes this time to catch up on her sleep, watch some TV or surf the Internet. "These are times when you just want to relax and be on your own, just be yourself," she muses. As a journalism major, at least before she left school, she reveals that she is also into writing poems and essays, something she would also like to pursue in the future.

Being a homebody goes hand-in-hand with being a family oriented person, and Toni definitely puts her family first. Her proudest moment, she discloses, was "seeing my parents being proud of me. In a way, all their hard work with me paid off. They've always been very supportive with what I really want to do. They didn't make me stop it and make me go back to school. They believed in my decisions." Her family was behind her since her first television appearance, where she lost in a singing competition, up until her controversial and difficult ABS-CBN switch. "It's very important to have your family around you. No one can comfort you like they can. At least you have one or two fans," she jokes.

Speaking of fans, Toni admits to being a fan herself. "I look up to Boy Abunda. I admire his wit, he's very spontaneous when it comes to hosting, he's well-versed." She also admires the late Fernando Poe, Jr., whom she got to work with on Pakners," Da Kings" last film. "He's very nice to work with. It doesn't feel like you're working with the King of Philippine Movies. I remember that he used to send me sinigang every Sunday after we finished with the movie. Sinigang is my favorite," she recalls with a smile. In the field of music, she holds Martin Nievera, Lani Misalucha and Regine Velasquez in high regard. "Until now, no one can replace her," she gushes, referring to the Regine. Gary V. is also on her esteemed list. "I admire him for being a Christian and sticking with his faith even if showbiz is chaotic."

Indeed, show business is an industry fraught with gossip and controversy and, as a rising star, Toni is not spared. "People sometimes judge you right away," she laments. "I was in a blind item once. Someone wrote that I was a lesbian. They even had `facts' - that when I am behind the camera, my voice is deep and hard and that I act boyish. That's the reason (the write-up said) why I don't have a boyfriend," she narrates. Toni could also use more sleep, as sleep deprivation is one of her main pet peeves when it comes to her career. "Aside from that, everything is worth it," she says with a smile.

To keep herself grounded, Toni turns to prayer and her Methodist upbringing defines her. When asked about her career plans, she quotes a Proverb: "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it's always God's purpose that prevails." When asked how she got started in hosting, as singing has always been one of her main talents, "Whatever God gives me, I just work at it. Eventually, I know he has a plan for all of these that's happening in my life."

What else is happening in this young star's life? Love life is definitely zero as of the moment. "It's a personal choice. Given the right time, the right person, the right moment, the right place. It hasn't happened yet. Everything has not fallen together yet," she says mysteriously. For determined guys out there, here's a list of Toni's qualifications: "My standards are not high. As long as the guy is simple, down-to-earth and not a blowhard. I don't like a guy who is too forward. Someone who will approach me right and we can start off as friends," she enumerates. She adds that she's had it with men's swabe (smooth) style. But she has not had it with show business. Nothing will make her quit, she says, "I only quit if it has something to do with my family." She gets a kick out of working with people that she only used to watch on TV, as well as having her makeup done by great makeup artists. "Aside from the money that I'm getting, being able to help your family at the same time, and getting what you want, the glamour of show business is what's really fun," this badminton enthusiast shares. Five to 10 years from now, she hopes to still be in the industry, dabbling in news and public affairs. She would also like to see herself holding her own concerts, pursuing singing, her first love. She's also thinking of putting up her own business. "Anything that has to do with food because Pinoys love to eat," she declares. As for the near future, Toni will be seen in a sitcom, and will be recording her album as well. "It's a part of the contract that I'll be doing a record with them. We're still in the process of compiling songs and choosing an image that fits me."

We will certainly watch out for that.