MANILA, Philippines - Quietly, TV host and beauty queen Charlene Gonzalez went back to school, enrolling in the PEP Talks program of the Asian Institute of Management in Makati.

?In any field, one gets to a point of transition,? she told Inquirer Entertainment. ?I cannot stay in show biz forever. So I?m exploring other prospects.?

Gonzalez was back on campus last May, according to her main mentor, Prof. Jay Bernardo. PEP stands for Personalized Entrepreneurship Program.

Bernardo described Gonzalez, who finished Psychology at the University of Santo Tomas, as a ?disciplined? student.

Focused

?In spite of her hectic schedule,? Bernardo said, ?she makes time for studies. She loves research and often goes beyond the required reading list.?

Bernardo noted Gonzalez?s edge: ?Unlike other students who are still confused, Charlene knows what she wants. She?s focused?

Gonzalez, host of the QTV show ?Proudly Filipina,? said PEP is a ?one-on-one mentorship program.? So far she has taken up various subjects, from operations to marketing.

Phase 2

Bernardo said Gonzalez is now in the program?s second phase, which focuses on her main interest, real estate.

She chose that field of specialization, she said, ?to learn more about running the family farm in Batangas.?

Gonzalez and husband Aga Muhlach built the farm from scratch. ?It?s our pet project,? she said. ?We started working on it five years ago and we really enjoyed the process?putting up the electric lines, laying down the water pipes ... Going back to school equips me with enough scientific background to pursue farming.?

Enriching

She hopes to turn the hobby into a small property development enterprise, ?just a modest business.?

?Aga and I would like to replicate for friends what we?ve done on the farm,? she said.

It has ?further strengthened? their marriage, she added. ?Like sharing a passion, it has greatly enriched our family life.?

So far they?ve planted lots of mango, lanzones and other fruit-bearing and ornamental trees.

For the kids

Nothing beats farm life, Gonzalez said. ?Fresh air, the stress-free pace?it?s quality living.? Weekend farming also teaches their kids to respect nature, she added.

?We?re just five minutes away from Taal Lake, so we can go boating with the twins (Andres and Atasha) anytime.?

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