Since Judy Ann Santos shot to stardom in the 1990s for starring in a string of hit drama series (Mara Clara, Esperanza, Sa Puso Ko Iingatan Ka), the-now 45-year-old actress, wife, mom, chef and restaurateur has remained an in-demand product endorser. She has actually lost count of her endorsements, but for a good reason.
“Ayaw kong bilangin kasi baka maudlot e” (I don’t like to count because it might get cut short), she told DAILY TRIBUNE at her launch as the new endorser of the Alaska milk brand.
“Hindi ako nagbibiro when I say I manifest the brands that I endorse simply because I use them for the longest time, like Alaska and most of the products I endorse. Kasi hindi mahirap i-endorso ang isang produkto kung ginagamit mo naman” (It’s not hard to endorse products that you actually use).
Santos went on enumerating her criteria in accepting a product endorsement deal: “If a product actually offers me to endorse their product and hindi ko pa siya nagagamit, I have to use it for at least six months. Kailangan ko siyang masubukan, kailangan naniniwala ako sa kanya, kailangan alam ko ang sasabihin ko, kailangan maganda ang epekto n’ya sa akin. Kasi kung hindi, hindi ko siya mae-endorse.”
(I have to try it, I have to believe in the product, I need to make I sure I know what I would be saying, it’s important that it works for me. Otherwise, I can’t endorse it.)
“And I’ve had a few products na kailangan kong mag-decline,” she added. “Hindi naman sa hindi maganda ang effect, hindi lang maganda ang experience ko. But it doesn’t mean na kapag hindi maganda ang experience ko, hindi na magiging maganda ang experience sa ’yo. Hindi ko lang siya mae-endorse kasi hindi ako naniniwala. Hindi tumawid sa akin ang produkto.
“Somewhat like that, especially pagka gamot, vitamins. Kailangan either nagamit ko na siya noon pa or napagamit mo na sa akin for at least six months para makita ko talaga ’yung resulta n’ya. Para alam ko ang sasabihin ko sa kanya.”
(And I’ve had a few products that I had to decline endorsing – not because the effect wasn’t good, only that I didn’t have a good experience with them. But that’s not to say it won’t be a good experience for others. I just can’t endorse the products because I don’t believe in it… Especially when it comes to medicines, vitamins. It’s either I’ve used them before or I get to try them first for six months so I can really see the results, and I would know what I’m talking about.)
Enjoying family life, self-care
If Santos is not busy with showbiz work (her latest is a TV series directed by Erik Matti) and restaurant duties (developing new dishes for her resto Angrydobo’s two branches, for instance), she enjoys looking after her and her husband Ryan Agoncillo’s three children: Yohan, 18; Lucho, 12; and Luna, seven.
Santos said she enjoys taking good care of herself, too, when complimented for her slender figure and youthful glow. She then mentioned detoxification as one of the reasons.
“Ginagawa ko siyang part ng monthly routine just to feel better,” she explained. “More on clean eating, more on proper sleep. I wake up at 5 a.m. I make the kids’ baon, prepare ko ang baon ni Ryan sa work. And I do about my day. Talagang antok na rin ako ng hapon” (I would already be sleepy in the afternoon).
Sleep, she said, is very important at her age. “Ang puyat sa akin ngayon parang tatlong araw ko nang gamutin.” (It would now take me three days to recover from lack of sleep.)
Thus, being healthy is more important to Santos than anything else. Now that she has lost weight, she feels lighter, more energetic. “Naramdaman ko ’yung naging positive ang mindset ko, mas positive ang energy ko, mas kalmado ako with what I’m doing. So more on fruits, juicing, organic grains.”