MANILA, Philippines??No dieting tonight.?

That was what ABS-CBN president and chief operating officer Charo Santos told herself when she attended the Governors Ball, the premier post-Oscar party held at the grand ballroom of Hollywood & Highland (also, at the Kodak Theater complex) last month.

Which was just right because the food, whipped up by celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck, was glorious.

?It was great,? Santos recounted. ?There was lobster, smoked salmon, slow-braised short ribs.

And to cap it off, a chocolate Oscar.

?I ate my Oscar,? Santos quipped.

Apart from the Asian-inspired menu, the party itself was a feast for the eyes of any movie fan, she recalled. ?The stars were just milling around in the room. I saw Oscar winner Tilda Swinton.?

There were no cameras allowed both at the Kodak Theater and the Governors Ball. ?I understand because the stars wouldn?t be able to eat ? with all the requests for snapshots. I myself would lead the picture-taking!?

While waiting for the limo ride back to the hotel, Santos serendipitously bumped into another Oscar winner, Kevin Kline.

?We already had our cameras back then, so I asked for a souvenir shot. He was friendly,? Santos said.

Fan for a night

Most of Santos? photos were taken by executives from Disney, who invited her and Monchet Olives, ABS-CBN cable and print media group head, to the event.

Although she was in a terno by Cary Santiago, Santos let loose at the Oscars. ?All the media executives weren?t ashamed to act like fans that night. When Robert De Niro and Anthony Hopkins appeared onstage, we clapped and cheered excitedly.?

Since Santos had a grand view of the stage and audience area, she had a chance to see celebrities in candid moments during commercial breaks.

Meryl Streep, the only star she had hoped to see that night, didn?t disappoint, she said.

?I adore her. She?s elegant and kind-hearted. She was the first to stand up and greet her fellow Best Actress nominee Anne Hathaway. She?s so grounded.?

She also fell in love with Hugh Jackman. ?The sexiest man alive! He made the audience feel relaxed during commercial breaks.?

How she wished that local productions could emulate the Oscar presentation.

?It didn?t feel like four hours,? she noted. ?The Academy cut down on the budget but they still came up with a good show. It was like watching a Broadway play.?

Will she attend again next year?

?I don?t think I?ll get an invitation this early,? she said.

Early challenge

She conceded, however, that it would be better to attend as a nominee in 2010. ?When I was in LA, I called up Malou (Santos, Star Cinema head). I asked her to look for an Oscar-worthy material. Who knows? It?s good to dream.?

She?s earnest about the Oscar mandate. ?It?s a challenge that I posed to Star Cinema (ABS-CBN?s film arm). I hope they would take it up.?

She?s keenly aware of the obstacles ahead. ?We cannot do it on our own. The arena is so big, we will never get noticed without a major distributor in the US. That?s the best way to do it.?

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