ALIGAGA ang sikat na beauty surgeon an si Dra. Vicki Belo nu’ng datnan namin sa kanyang “Belo Gives Back” celebrity sale fundraising event for the victims of super typhoon Yolanda sa labas ng kanyang sosyal na clinic sa Greenbelt, Makati.
Na-depress daw kasi si Dra. Vicki sa sunud-sunod na trahedya sa Pilipinas. Hindi naman first time ng mga kumpanya ni Vicki ang tumulong sa ating mga kababayan.
But usually ang anak niyang si Cristalle Henares ang punung-abala dito. Sad to say, nasa Argentina ang dalaga. “So, parang, ‘Hala! Sino kaya ang tutulong?’ So, sabi ko, ‘I can do this.’
So, ang ginawa ko, tinawagan ko ‘yung nga endorsers. Sobra silang kind. I hope I won’t forget someone. But everybody I called was so willing to help. Everybody was so excited to help.
So, sabi ko, parang celebrity sale because I know naman that they have a lot of clothes. So, naisip ko might as well i-sell ko rin my personal things,” sey ni Dra. Vicki.
Noong una ay medyo mahirap kay Dra. Vicki na i-let go ang kanyang mga damit, bags and shoes, “Kasi I was told a long time ago not to give away my clothes, not to sell my clothes.
Kasi sabi nila parang you give away your luck, especially if you have used it. And I know a lot of people keep asking me for my wallet, ‘Akin na lang lumang wallet mo.’
E, may energy na kasi I’m maswerte. So, when you give it to them a certain luck will transfer to them. But sabi ko, naku, parang, you know, I pray a lot now and I read the Bible and I’m thinking, wala namang ganoon sa Bible.
So, I don’t think naman na mali ‘to,” pahayag niya. Kaya itinuloy pa rin niya ang pamimigay ng kanyang gamit para ibenta and she felt really good.
Natawa lang siya kasi never pa niyang tinray na gumawa ng ganitong charity event. That is why wala siyang ideya kung magkano ang halaga ng kanyang imported at signature clothes, bags and shoes.
“Sabi nila P500 daw pinakamahal. Tapos ‘yung shoes, usually, P300. So, ang ginawa naming presyo ganoon kasi ‘yun naman ang sinabi ng mga friend ko.
Tapos ngayon, pinagtatawanan nila ako. Pinost ko sa Instagram. Tapos ‘yung iba nag-aagawan kasi ‘yung mga shoes puro Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Dior. Tapos hindi sila makapaniwala na P500 lang.
“So, sabi nila ang tanga ko raw bakit daw ganoon lang ang presyo. E, ganoon lang ang sinabi sa akin na presyo. E, sabi nila kapag designer, pwede ka mag-P1,500, and I felt bad because we could have raised more money.”
Malaking tulong kay Dra. Vicki si Anne Curtis na siyang tinanungan niya kung paano mag-organize ng ganitong fund-raising.
“Ang feeling ko talaga napaka-depressed and hopeless parang kakaawa naman ang mga taong ‘to, ‘di ba?
At least kami may ginagawa kami kahit konti. Kung minsan nga, I was feeling bad in a way, of course ‘yung mga nakita mo mga donation million dollars. Sabi ko, ano ba naman ang mari-raise ko rito? But I think every peso helps.
“Pero sana wala nang mangyaring ganito. But if it happens again, we will do it again. But medyo naubusan na ako ng laman sa closet ko. Konting-konti na lang.
Pero ang sarap pala ng feeling na you lighten your load ang dami mong nabibigay at ang saya saya ng mga tao,” ngiti ni Dra. Vicki.
Since nabanggit ni Dra. Vicki ang tungkol sa pagbabasa niya ng Bibliya, na-curious kami malaman if that’s an influence she got from her controversial ex-boyfriend na si Hayden Kho.
Last time kasi na nakausap ko siya, she mentioned to us na parang gustong mag-pastor ni Hayden. “Yeah, nandito siya sa loob,” sabay pasok ni Hayden sa mismong office ni Dra. Vicki inside her clinic.
“I see a change in him and I feel so guilty kasi sa Catholic I never read the Bible. Actually, hindi naman tayo ine-encourage, ‘di ba? So, then my friends have been sending me mga short verses from Psalms Proverbs.
And then now that I’m reading it I feel better. E, I see a miracle in his life. I really want naman to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. Usually, I just talk and talk and talk and never listen. Now, I let God speak to me through the Bible.”
Happy daw si Dra. Vicki sa nakita niyang pagbabago kay Hayden. Sobrang peaceful daw nito ngayon, “Actually, I’m so proud nu’ng manggaling siya sa States.
I wanted to watch his first talk ever. Kasi na-ano siya, sa Phoenix there’s a big event and he is invited. It’s not a church, it’s called Apologies. Kasi people thinks he’s a pastor but he is not.
He’s learning how to be more apologetic. Apologies is someone who defends the faith. What Hayden did is he shared his testimony. Parang how his life was changed.
Tapos he was given a standing ovation ng mga Amerikano. So, very proud ako,” excited na sabi niya. Syempre, ang sunod na tanong namin sa kanya ay kung sila na ulit ni Hayden, “Hindi,” mabilis na sagot ni Dra. Vicki. “Hindi pa kami ulit.
Pero I think at least friends na ulit kami. Alam mo may koneksyon talaga kami ni Hayden na hindi ko maintindihan kung ano ba ang dapat kami, ‘di ba? Ha-hahaha!”
( Photo credit to Google )