RUFFA GUTIERREZ and HER DAUGHTERS
by Mario E. Bautista
SI RUFFA GUTIERREZ, now 28 years old, ay umaaming isa siyang stage mom sa dalawa niyang anak na babae, sina Lorin, 9 years old, at Venice, 8. Paano niya nagagawang tutukan ang mga ito gayong busy siya with showbiz work?
“I’m a working mom, yes, but thanks to the cellfone, I can call them up to check on them anytime. Also, I have my own mom (Annabelle Rama) para tulungan ako in looking after them.”
Kamakailan, humarap si Ruffa sa press para ipakilala ang dalawang bata as designers of children clothes for Rajo Laurel. Hindi ba napakabata pa nila para magtrabaho?
“It’s too never too early to learn how to prepare for your own future. Gusto ko kasing matutuhan nila ang value ng hard work, being responsible and earning your own money at an early age. Last summer, kumuha sila ng fashion courses at School of Fashion and the Arts and Fashion Institute of the Philippines. Now, they’ve designed their own ready to wear kiddie dresses in festively colored silk, taffeta and organza for girls aged 1 to 9 as part of Rajo Laurel’s LoVe (from Lorin and Venice) Collection. Nakagawa sila ng five designs each, named after their favorite classmates. This is a limited edition for the holidays, with only 250 dresses made for each design. Pero ang dami nang advanced orders kaya na-sold out agad. 50-50 ang share namin ni Rajo sa investment dito and I think we can recover our capital quickly sa dami ng orders. Wala kasing nagde-design ng children’s collection, e may demand pala. So this is just the start at happy talaga akong fashionista na rin ang mga anak ko.”
Anong payo ang binibigay niya sa mga ito tungkol sa mga damit na isinusuot nila?
“Sa totoo lang, wala akong binibigay na advice sa kanila kasi gusto ko for them to explore their own creativity and not have limits. Mga bata naman sila, so they can get away with anything. As long as the hemline is not too short, they are free to wear what they want. Maski sa dresses that they designed, I let them use their own imagination.”
Kumusta naman maging isang single mom? “It’s definitely not a picnic. Buti na nga lang kasama naming ang parents ko. My dad (Eddie Gutierrez) and my brothers are the father figures sa buhay ng mga anak ko because they haven’t seen their own dad (Yilmaz Bektas) for so long. Ako lang ang mag-isang nagtatrabaho para sa kanila and I’m so thankful to the Lord na hindi naman ako nawawalan ng projects.”
Pinaalam ba niya kay Yilmaz na designers na ang mga anak nila? “Hindi na kailangan. After our marriage has been annulled, I now have sole custody of the kids and he’s not supporting them naman. We haven’t talked to him in a while. I should probably e-mail him and tell him, ‘See, look what your daughters have been up to. They’re now achievers themselves.’ Siguro matutuwa naman siya.”
Papayag ba siya kung pumasok din sa showbiz ang dalawang bata? “I will support kung anuman ang career na gusto nilang pasukan in the future. Alam ko na yung feeling ng mommy ko noong sinusundan-sundan niya ako noong bata pa ako. Very protective din ako sa daughters ko. I told my kids I’ve been working in showbiz since I was 13 at nakikita naman nila even know that it’s not an easy job, lalo’t madalas akong puyat sa taping. They’ve also tried acting as guests in ‘Going Bulilit’, so more or less, may idea na sila kung ano ang papasukin nila if they’ll be artistas. As of now, though, pabago-bago pa ang plans nila. Kung minsan, gusto maging teacher. Gusto ring maging singers as they both sing. Basta I told them na kung magso-showbiz sila, they should not neglect their studies and maintain getting good grades.”
Humarap din sa presscon ang dalawang bata at direkta namin silang nakapanayam. Nagulat si Ruffa mismo at inang si Annabelle Rama dahil talagang very articulate ang mga ito sa pagsagot sa lahat ng katanungang ibinabato sa kanila. Tinanong namin sila kung ano ang tingin nila sa mommy nila bilang isang aktres, tulad sa “Enchanted Garden” ngayon ng TV5 where their mom plays the evil Queen Valeriana.
Si Lorin ang unang sumagot: “’Enchanted Garden’ shows that she’s really a good actress. Because she’s so convincing playing an evil character when she’s not at all like that.”
Si Venice naman: “In real life, our mom is actually very sweet and kind. We love watching her show where she gets to wear very colorful costumes.”
Kumusta naman si Ruffa bilang isang ina?
Lorin: “She’s a very good mom.”
Venice: “We love her very much. No matter how busy she is, she finds time for us.”
Tatakbo sa Cebu ang Lola Annabelle nila bilang representative. Tutulungan ba nila itong mangampanya?
Lorin: “Of course, we’ll sing and dance for her to entertain people when she campaigns.”
Venice: “She’s the best lola. She gives us everything we want. She’ll also give the people of Cebu what they want.”
Sa puntong ito, napaiyak si Annabelle habang pinakikinggan ang kanyang mga apo. Si Ruffa naman ay makikitang very proud sa mga anak niya. Tinanong namin si Ruffa kung may bago na siyang boyfriend after John Lloyd Cruz and foreign businessman Eduardo Puertas? “I have no lovelife at all. I’m officially single and I’m happy about it. Pag may free time ako, I’d rather spend it with my kids. Sa Christmas holidays, we plan to have a vacation in Australia. We’ll leave after Christmas as I have a movie sa Metro Filmfest that opens on Christmas Day, ‘Sosy Problems’ with GMA Films. We’ll watch the fireworks display in Sydney Harbor on New Year’s Eve and visit the famous Taronga Zoo there. But I’m not discounting naman the fact na baka may makilala rin akong Mr. Right in the future. When my kids grow older, I want naman to have someone who’ll I spend the rest of my life with, gaya na mom and dad ko na talagang matatag ang pagsasama hanggang ngayon.”