MANILA, Philippines?The modest five-bedroom affair is tucked in a quiet and exclusive neighborhood of an Alabang gated village. From the outside, the house looks nondescript, no outdoor signs that somebody famous lives in the house.

Tweetie de Leon-Gonzales is actually a household name, being in the Filipino?s consciousness for the past 25 years. She was a top model, tried acting on television and in the movies (she was ?Faye? to Vic Sotto?s ?Enteng? during the early years of ?Okay Ka Fairy Ko?), and is now a much-sought-after product endorser, being the face of Nestlé?s Wellness campaign.

The house of Tweetie and husband Mon Gonzales is actually a rented one and they are building their dream house somewhere in the vicinity, with Mon taking care of the details since he is a building contractor. They have been staying here for the past five years after they moved out of their former abode somewhere in San Juan.

The interiors are done mostly by Tweetie herself, and she uses a lot of Asian touches, ranging from Filipino dark wood and capiz to Chinese-looking cabinets, big antique jars and other items that she and Mon bought during their numerous trips in and outside the country.

Al fresco

It is quite obvious that the couple loves to entertain and have friends around, for their living room is spacious and spills over to a lanai, and their big dining area also spills over to an al fresco dining place.

Since their kids are almost big, with the youngest being 4, the place is well-kept. In the garage, bicycles of all sizes hang on a wall, proving that the family bonds together in sports. Tweetie even managed to keep her old bike when she was still single and still in good running condition.

The library doubles as the boys? room as well (Tweetie has three boys and a girl) and in here she lets the boys do their own thing whenever friends come over, like watching TV, playing interactive games, or doing their homework.

The second floor is where the private rooms are located, the master bedroom, the kids? room and the den.

The garden is peppered with plants and miniature potted trees, and can hold the spillover of guests whenever the family throws a small intimate party or a slightly bigger one.

Everything in the house looks immaculate, and one cannot imagine what will be in store once the Gonzales? move to their dream house soon.