Hello PCRockers! Here's a beautiful lady with brains you can be proud of....had also been a Pinay rocker. Check out this month's issue of Filipinas Magazine online www.filipinasmag.com
Hi Noel! This is a great story of Bessie Badilla who was born and raised in Tondo, from your neighborhood! Even though her family didn't have enough money, her mother was able to enroll her at St Scholastica. Her mother was an alumna of St Scho. Then at 18 she joined a beauty pageant and with the cash prize she was able to help her family. When she was discovered she was able to model for Manila's top designers. From there she became an international model for Balenciaga in Paris. After that she was discovered by TV director Johnny Manahan and joined in the number one prime-time sitcom "Eh Kasi, Babae." She received nominations for Best Actress in a Comedy and Most Promising TV celebrity for her comedy role.
Later on Bessie met and married Vicente "Bambi" del Castillo who was a businessman. He became one of the world's top coal traders in the US. They lived in Stamford, Connecticut. For a few years she even performed as a percussionist for the all Filipino band "San Caterba." They had their gigs in the New York Tri-State. O, Boy, maybe you've heard of their band. Unfortunately her husband died at the age of 55 from massive brain anuerism . After about 2 years she got busy and provided scholarships for poor families in the Phil, US and Canada. She even pledged to build a Gawad Kalinga Village in memory of her husband.
Just last month, she became the first Filipina ever to win the Sao Paulo's Carnaval Queen!!!
For more interesting stories and photos of Bessie, check out the website above and go to pages 30-31.
Dada
