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>He lights up her life >DIRECTLINE By Boy Abunda >The Philippine Star 11/21/2005 > > >If Regine Velasquez is very happy these days, it’s >because she has reason to be – there’s a new man in >her life, and with none of her usual reluctance, the >Songbird confirms that yes, she’s definitely in love. > >The lucky guy’s name is George, and he’s a Toy Shih >Tzu. The long-haired, four-legged creature was given >to her by SOP co-host Jaya as a birthday gift last >summer. > >"Diring-diri kasi ako sa aso ni Jaya (a Toy Chihuahua) >na ang liit-liit at ang payat-payat, mukha tuloy >daga." Regine would run screaming at the sight of it >everytime Jaya brought the dog to the SOP set. Regine, >who’d never owned a dog, wasn’t expecting to get one >for her birthday, but when George came into her life, >it was a case of love at first sight. > >Now, George not only sleeps next to Regine; he goes >everywhere with her. She even bought him his own set >of puppy dog outfits (on the day that we sat down for >this interview, George – who’d just come from a visit >to his vet – was sitting on Regine’s lap, wearing a >Batman-inspired outfit with the letters "Batdog" >emblazoned on the back). Regine even jokes about >getting him a doggie passport and visa so he can >accompany her on her planned US tour. > >Is George a poor substitute for the presence of a man >in her life? Regine can’t help but laugh when people >insist that something must be missing from her life >because she doesn’t have a boyfriend. Besides, says >Regine, she’s so busy with her career that there is no >time to contemplate the lack of a man in her life. She >doesn’t feel that there’s a vacuum in the first place. >"Hindi siya kakulangan. I don’t look at it that way. I >chose this path. I wanted it, so why would I think na >may kulang? I am serious about my career, because I >don’t want to get to a point where I have to say, ‘Why >didn’t I do that?’" > >That doesn’t mean she’s shutting the door on love. >Regine is open to the possibility of falling in love >eventually, but not just with any guy. "He has to be >able to get over the fact that I’m Regine Velasquez, >and just see me," she says. > >Regine thinks it will be another two or three years >before she’s ready to even think of retiring. Next >year, she marks her 20th anniversary in the music >business. What are her thoughts about that? "I can’t >believe I lasted two decades," she says. "And after >all this time, I’m still doing good, my songs are >still being played on the radio. It’s an >accomplishment." > >She believes the secret to her longevity in the >business is her willingness to experiment – with her >look, her career choices, and her music. "Once I knew >what I wanted to do, I wasn’t afraid to experiment." >For instance, her decision to go first, into movies, >then into TV via SOP and Pinoy Pop Superstar (as well >as soap operas like Forever in My Heart), those >decisions added a new dimension to her career. > >One person played a big role in her development as an >artist: her former manager, Ronnie Henares. Although >the two of them parted ways eventually, Regine always >says that she wouldn’t be where she is without Ronnie. >"He made me concentrate as a singer first, then he >encouraged me to branch out. He thought it would be a >good idea for me to do film and TV. Marami siyang >naibigay sa akin, as a performer and as a person. I >wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for him." > >But everyone must move on. Today, Regine is firmly in >control of her own career, which was what she had in >mind when she decided to cut her ties with Ronnie. "I >felt at that time na lumalaki na ako, at gusto kong >turuan ang sarili ko how to be more responsible with >myself as an artist and as a person." > >At this point, she has achieved practically all of her >goals. She has also given her family the life she’s >always dreamed of giving them. So when will Regine be >ready to slow down? Not anytime soon, judging by the >number of projects she still has lined up. Aside from >SOP and Pinoy Pop Superstar, there is a movie with >Piolo Pascual, which she will start shooting next >month. There’s another movie calendared for next year, >and her forthcoming concert series, Reflections, which >ran for four consecutive weekends at the Aliw Theater >and will go on stage on Dec. 9 and 10. > >It’s been a while since Regine did a concert series. >Her last one was Songbird Sings Streisand in 2003. >Although she’s done so many concerts in venues >throughout the country and around the world, Regine >says there’s nothing like the intimacy afforded by a >series. "Na-miss ko na mag-perform sa (concert) >series," says Regine thoughtfully. "I like doing a >series, because it’s more fun. You have a smaller >audience and a smaller venue, and more time. Ang dami >mong madi-discover." > >The series is billed Reflections because it will be a >reflection of all the things that make up Regine as a >performer. She’ll sing songs mostly of artists who’ve >influenced her musically, among them Kuh Ledesma, >Barbra Streisand, Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey. Of >course, her fans won’t miss Regine’s rendition of her >own hit songs. "It will be like a retrospective >concert, but not totally," explains Regine. "I won’t >sing all the songs I’ve done since I started, but it >will be an evening for looking back on how I started, >on artists who’ve influenced me and the songs that I >love." > >There are a lot of those, to be sure. As a performer >and as a person, Regine has led a most colorful, busy >life. Such that if she had to retire at this point, >she wouldn’t mind. She still has some goals – like >building her dream house and, believe it or not, >starring as Darna in a movie or TV series – but on the >whole, it’s been a good 20 years. > >"I had a great time, a great run," says Regine. "I’m >very thankful and I feel so blessed already." Yes, the >Songbird is soaring, and will no doubt continue to do >so for a very long time.

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