MANILA, Philippines - To many, Dr. Vicky Belo is the embodiment of the fulfilled woman: wealth and influence, career high, contented family relationships, easygoing social interactions, physical endowments?and exciting love life.

In our three-hour Playtime, however, she revealed some misgivings and shortcomings.

In her modernist house in Makati, Belo hosted a filling lunch of pumpkin soup, salad greens, roast chicken, buttered prawn, kare-kare, frozen brazo de Mercedes, moist chocolate cake and macadamia.

She descended the stairs ceremoniously, her svelte figure sheathed in white shimmery Dolce & Gabbana blouse and white Roberto Cavalli pants?appearing more like a bubbly debutante than the 51-year-old woman with two grown children that she is.

One of our leading beauty doctors, Belo is the exemplar of the restructured woman. That is, she has had her body refashioned from head to toe (as a matter of speaking).

Why shouldn?t she, when she has made it her mission and profession to beautify the human anatomy? Which makes her the best advertisement for her business.

She regrets, though, having tampered with her thighs, and now they look too thin for her taste. And her boobs ?keep on getting bigger and bigger.? At least, she still has ?my virgin chin.?

During the conversation, terms such as ?Botox,? ?Thermage? and ?Fraxel? flew back and forth across the round table as casually as one would prepare a pot of tea.

The result of all this reinvention?at least many believe it as the result?is that Belo can be seeing a man half her age without it looking weird.

Her boyfriend Hayden Kho, who, at 27, is only a few months older than her son, joined late in the conversation. Wearing a green body-hugging T-shirt and blue jeans, he came with crutches, the result of an accident during a basketball game.

They looked sweet together, she the gregarious type and he the shy rose. They became an item three years ago, just about the time when the Dirty Old Woman was in the news.

Stories about women lusting for teenage boys?Mary Kay Letourneau, Diane DeMartini-Scully, Debra Lafave, Lisa Lynette Clark?then outraged the world, though not so much over the age gap as at the minor status of their paramours.

Such women have often been demonized by the media, even by otherwise intelligent persons such as Mike Nichols in ?The Graduate,? Roger Michell in ?The Mother,? Visconti in ?Senso,? and in many a Tennessee Williams melodrama.

But by the looks of it, that hardly applies to Belo and Kho, she with her youngish face and figure and lighthearted personality, and he an accomplished individual in his own right. Look at them now.

Yes, after a rumored falling apart (last month, which now seems ancient history), the two are so together again.

You look different now. What did you do to your face?

Vicki Belo (VB): I?ve always wanted an oval face, because my face has always been square. But now you can Botox the muscle. You overdevelop the muscles here (Points to cheeks), so this gets really big and it becomes square instead of oval. I just inject Botox here, and by doing that they stop working so hard. Eventually, my face has become oval-shaped. Eventually, it gets narrower and narrower, and finally it?s good enough?takes about a year. But you have to do the Botox once a year.

Did you fix your chin? Did you put some chin implant?

VB: Wala. I?ve been thinking of doing it but I don?t want to. My virgin chin. (Laughs). Mine?s a little straight lang, mas maganda ?yung may protrusion. But I?m scared to put an implant. I don?t know, I?m not ready for that yet. May iniiwan lang ako for the future, kasi ?pag ginawa ko na lahat, ano pa ang gagawin ko?

How many treatments or surgeries have you yourself gone through?

VB: Okay, let?s start?the eyes, I?ve had upper and lower cleft, I?ve had my nose done. Tapos lipo?arms, tiyan, everything. Mali nga eh, I should have left my thighs, kasi ngayon masyadong payat naman. I wanted it thin, but then it?s nice yata to have thicker thighs.

VB: Me? Chocolate! (Laughs) No, I don?t. I just drink grapefruit juice because it kills my appetite. I cannot do any of the diets because I require sugar, ?di ba?

Do these changes have anything to do with your love life?

VB: The reason I feel I?m different from other doctors is?as crazy as it may sound?the things that I offer, I try on myself first. I don?t get convinced about procedures until I?ve tried them. When I travel abroad and see something interesting that might be applicable here, I usually try it first.

But I admit that I check out our pictures to see if I look like Hayden?s mother na, ?di ba? (Laughs) Hey, he?s only six months older than my son, I don?t want to look like I?m his mother, I?d really feel bad about that. So far naman, from what I see in the pictures, hindi naman?

But Hayden has told the media that you are the sexiest and most beautiful woman in the world for him.

VB: ?Yan naman it?s a subjective feeling, ?di ba? I know I?m doing the right thing and I know I?m not hurting anybody. I?m matapang kasi I grew up as an only child, I grew up with parents who adored me, as in I couldn?t do anything wrong. That?s why I get into trouble kasi I don?t really follow the line. Like in my career, I started with a bang, ?di ba? Most doctors don?t do it that way, they start quietly, pero me, I bought agad these machines, ganun... Ano nga yung tanong ulit, nawala tuloy ako. (Laughs)

With Hayden, he really gets affected by what other people say, so we?re so opposite in that. That?s why I was really impressed when he started to date me, in spite of the fact that there would be a lot of negativity about it. Which really showed that he loved me.

As a person, he really cares about what other people say. It affects him a lot. I tell him, there are seven billion people in the world with seven billion different opinions, and if I spent my life trying to please everybody, I would not get anything done. You really have to follow your compass. You have to go your own direction.

But now, na-aapektuhan na rin ako. I think we?re getting to a point where I get a little affected by what the people are saying and he?s getting a little independent-minded. It?s also hard for him. He studied medicine, he has a lot of achievements, he was the president of the interns at Makati Med, he was such a big man on campus during his time. Now he?s known as the boyfriend of Vicki Belo. Parang, ?Ang weird naman ng buhay na ito, all my achievements are down to that.? Some people look at him as if he?s just after the money. He?s not used to that kasi he?s not like that at all.

Do you feel the pressure to look young when with Hayden?

[Hayden Kho (HK), coming in]: No, I feel the pressure to look young. (Laughs) Mas bata siya tingnan ngayon kaysa three years ago. Kung s?ya pabata, ako patanda.

How did you meet?

VB: At this contest in UST. I was there sitting as one of the judges and this guy came in and when he was introduced, people went ?Woooh!? (Cheers). And I went, ?Sino ?yan?? Then he walks over to me, and I said ?Ay, ang guwapo.? (Laughs).

Pero akala ko talaga consultant na, kasi his dating?he had glasses pa and all?he looked 33, ganun.

The thing that I really like about him is that he?s very giving. He?s not a selfish person. Ang bait talaga?the core of him. So, with us, it?s more of a meeting of minds, hearts and bodies.

Why is he not practicing now?

VB: Because he got into ?Celebrity Duets,? which was kinda my fault. I thought the fastest way for him to get his own recognition is to do show biz. When they first asked him, he didn?t want to, talagang ayaw. I convinced him, but he said, ?I?ll do it on one condition. That you don?t buy a single vote for me.? So sige.

Then he becomes famous, and I could see it?s getting magulo. He does like to act, to sing. he?s the kind of person who just wants to develop all his talents. Marunong siya mag-piano, mag-violin, mag-guitar, marunong mag-compose ng kanta, at kumanta. He believes in the Bible, he?s Christian?I think he even won twice in the Bible scripture contest! When I talk to his friends, they tell me he was such a nerd in school!

So, I said, you can?t do showbiz and medicine at the same time, mahihirapan ka, especially if you?re doing surgery. Kasi paano naman kung may taping ka today tapos may surgery ka tomorrow?

What about that the rumors that he performed liposuction on this girl from the south who died on him?

VB: That?s not true. We did the patient on a Monday. Tuesday morning, they called, she was fine. Wednesday was also fine. Thursday, she texted, said she really had a bad case of asthma, was it okay to remove the girdle, and I said yes. Then Saturday, she died of asthma.

She said that she had asthma before, and it was severe. It?s not connected to the liposuction, because if it was, it should have happened not four days later. The Philippine Medical Association conducted an investigation because somebody complained, and they cleared me.

HK: When that happened, even though we had proof to show that I did not cause the death of the patient, pinipilit pa rin nila ako. Kahit may autopsy na, may investigation na, pinipilit pa rin nila ako.

VB: It was hard because he was being crucified by some, and ethically speaking, you?re not supposed to speak about cases unless the patient speaks. But even the family has not spoken here. It?s all rumors. Hayden?s hands were tied. He wanted to defend himself pero hindi puwede. And here naman in the Philippines, silence is guilt, ?di ba?

What about the issue that he should only be assisting and not performing the operation?

VB: Well, I think his patients would attest to the fact that all of them are really happy with him. First of all, I would not let anybody do surgery in Belo Medical Group if you?re not ready, because, in the end, Belo Medical Group is my name. The thing is, we have been together for a long time and he has been training for a long time. The patients that I?ve seen him do are all very happy. I have not had any complaint. Because he has an aesthetic eye and because he?s a man. So for example, si Katrina Halili sa kan?ya lang magpapalipo?kasi nakikita niya ?yung waist and appreciates an hourglass figure. Ako naman eh galit sa taba, kaya tanggal agad.

You were on with Joey [Santos] for 13 years, longer than Atom [Henares]. Why the sudden change of heart?

VB: I think the last years with Joey were already... Towards the end, we were staying together na wala na masyadong relationship. Sometimes, things are already over and you still stay together, even if you just want to cut the relationship.

How much money did he invest in your business?

VB: Joey? Nothing. He never put any money in my business. He distributes the products. He distributes it around the Philippines and to my clinic. That?s basically his business. I?m a control freak and it?s my name, so I don?t let anybody invest anything in Belo Medical Group or in Belo Essentials. I don?t have any partners anywhere.

When I got into this, it was so cheap because I was thinking of helping the secretaries of the companies. That was my dream. But they didn?t come to me, instead, the people that were availing of my machines were the Class A people.

But I still want all the secretaries to come to me, so that?s why in our clinic, there?s one service that has not increased in price in 18 years?cleartherapy, for varicose veins. Other people charge P20,000 or P17,000, I charge P2,000. Because the people who are looking for that are mga Shoemart ladies, mga teachers, mga market vendors, kasi ?di ba lagi silang nakatayo. Now, with Belo Essentials?kung ?yung mga amo nila nag-cliclinic, ?yung mga maid din nag Be-Belo Essentials.

How are the Belo Essentials products doing?

VB: They?re doing much better than we expected. Now we have a complete line. I heard it?s the No. 1 pasalubong now in the States. When people go abroad, they buy boxes because that?s what the Pinoys abroad like. Now I go to Pangasinan, I go to Cebu, I?m so touched because I see these kids, teenagers, buy the soap. More than that, I?m so happy they?re all quality products.

How?s your relationship with your children?

VB: Better. Not bad. Better. You know my kids naman, they?re mabait.

Crystal is very close to my ex. Joey left when she was seven. My son naman is much more trying. I can see him trying talaga. I know how much he loves me, kasi I can see him trying. Quark has a good relationship with Hayden. They get to star in his videos, they talk about arts and stuff.

Do you have plans to get married?

VB: I don?t know. I?m really happy where we are now. We?re enjoying ourselves.

We made an agreement already from the very beginning of the relationship. I told him, Hayden, if ever you want to go, you?re in love with somebody else?don?t fool around with me. Just tell me first, I promise I won?t give you any problems, I would walk away quietly, I don?t want any drama. Because I think with most men, they?re so scared of the shouting, the drama and the crying. So, I said, I promise I won?t do that. And vice versa. If I find somebody also, I will not do anything, I will not fool around with you, I will give you the respect of breaking up first and then go doon. So far, it?s working.

Do you plan to have children?

We?re not obsessing about having one.

Have you ever been attracted to older women ever since?

HK: My first girl friend was when I was 12, and she was 17!

The breakup in Paris, was that true?

I was shocked nga eh. I saw it in Inquirer. We haven?t really broken up in three years except that time. It was pretty serious.

VB: The issue was small. Parang control issues. He?d been losing a lot of weight, so, ako naman, si Ms. Feeling-na-kasalanan-ko-na-hindi-ko-siya inaalagaan kaya pumapayat siya, I was nagging him to choose between playing squash and basketball. Just like that?nag-break kami nung gabi and in the morning, hinahanap na niya ako.

What?s Atom?s impression of him?

We go out, all three of us together! Si Atom is really the coolest ex-husband. Super.

What?s your advice to women on how to keep a good relationship with their ex?

I think a woman should also really have a career. She should be independent. She should have a means of having her own money. Because it gives you freedom and it gives you power. Otherwise, I see women who just stay even with the abuse and all, because, you know, what will they do, where will they live? It?s scary to be in that kind of position.

How come Hayden?s not staying here in your house?

VB: Out of respect to the kids na lang.

Especially Crystal, who I guess is scared for me. She doesn?t want me to get hurt. I remember going to Paloma, the psychic, and the moment we entered?my daughter and I?she looked at my daughter and she asked: ?Crystal, how do you find having to take care always of your mother all the time??

She was only about 14 or 15. And then she cried, saying, ?It?s hard.? In Crystal?s heart, she?s my guardian. She will defend me, protect me from anyone. Though Hayden and I have been on for three years, siguro naman it?s not anymore just a fling.

I?m 51, I just live day by day, basta when I?m happy today, I?m okay, ?di ba?

What do clients usually ask for in your clinic?

We?re very strong with liposuction, of course. A lot of people now are into facials. I think they want to use less make-up, so they want to have good skin to begin with. And then, women now want to look 30 for the rest of their lives?that?s their goal. So, kahit 38, 39, magpapa-tuck na ng tiyan. Fraxel is our number 1 treatment. It?s really good for acne scars, hyperpigmentation, smoothening of the skin, scars.

Do you accept clients who don?t need the procedure?

No, we don?t. Because what they perceive as the problem is not really the problem, ?di ba? We have in-house counseling before any procedure.

It?s all about the quality of life, you don?t want to live long if you?re so sick, you have arthritis and you can barely walk. What?s the point, ?di ba? So, since people want to live longer, I take care of them to make them look younger. Maganda nga ?yung face pero lawlaw naman lahat ang katawan, so we also take care of that part.

What percent of your clients are males and how many of them are straight?

I think 20 percent of our clients are male, which is disappointing because I want more. But a lot of them are straight. There are a lot of metrosexuals, but there are also a lot of those in their early 40s and 50s.

They mostly come for their eyes, because you age a lot faster here (Pointing below eye orbs). And then the rest of the body. Men are realizing they need to have good skin. It?s also part of their career.

Hair transplant, too, is very popular. Because hair can really make you look 10 years younger. When you?re kalbo, you really look older.

Has Hayden tried any procedure?

Yeah. I liposuctioned Hayden, kasi he had a lot of love handles (Points to waist and abdomen). He was so frustrated kasi he kept on doing sit-ups. May six-pack na siya pero nand?yan pa rin ?yung handles. So, liposuction. Then he has oily, acne-prone skin, which I treat. That?s about it.

Among your celebrity endorsers, who is the most effective?

VB: Osang [Rosanna Roces] was very effective and Kris [Aquino] was very effective. Sa Belo Shape, our model, Ding Dong [Dantes]. Katrina [Halili], too, and Lorna Tolentino is good. I think Tin-Tin Bersola will be a good one, kasi I know she has problems with her weight since she got pregnant. Bea Alonzo, kasi people saw naman that she?s big before and now she?s thin and everybody?s asking: ?How did Bea Alonzo become so thin?? And Ruffa [Gutierrez], she?s really effective. I?m so proud kasi she did Beloshape, one session, and then her waist went from 32 [inches] to 29 [inches]. And then her hips went from 38 [inches] to 36 [inches]. That?s five inches in just one session!

Are you and Kris talking?

No, we haven?t talked to each other in a really long time. I?m sure naman one day? Kris, when she left me, she said, ?Dr. Vicky, thank you for everything. We have to break, separate, not because of anything I?ve done to you or you?ve done to me but because of circumstances beyond our control. I wish you the best, etc.?

The good thing is, I?m still here. She was really one of my strongest supporters, so I?m really grateful to her.

Did it really happen? (Referring to Hope and James Yap?s case)

VB: I honestly don?t think so. The reason we found out was because it was James himself who complained. James is a very simple person and he?s not the type to go to me. What he did was, he complained to the staff: ?Will you please keep that girl out of the room?? Because every time he arrived, the girl was Ms Presentable: ?Hi, Sir James!? Always making pa-cute. [So he said] ?Can you please keep her out of the room because she?s really bothering me.?

What about you and Boy Abunda?

VB: Well, as Boy says, nagpapahinga ang friendship namin.

How much are you you worth now?

VB: I don?t know. I?m worth a lot less because I lost a lot of money and I don?t even want to look at it. Because of the Lehman Brothers? collapse, I lost a lot of stock. I?m so sunog. I lost more than half of what I have.

What?s the weirdest treatment a woman has asked you?

VB: Actually, it was a man, not a woman?though I didn?t accept him. He brought a picture of Tom Cruise, and then he started to talk to me and he took out of his mouth jackstone balls. He had a jackstone ball here and another here (Points to cheekbones) to prop up his cheeks. And he wanted to look like Tom Cruise! I really didn?t know what to do, that was really scary.

Also, gays who want to become girls. But we don?t do that. We don?t even do breast implants on men.

Why not?

VB: Wala. Kasi, we?re from UST. (Laughs) And I guess UST has all these ethics. It?s a personal choice. I don?t want to do it.

Do you offer designer vaginal rejuvenation?

VB: We do. We have a obstetrician-gynecologist who?s doing it. But if you really want to get the proper tightening. It?s always better to suture still.

Have you tried it?

No, I haven?t (Laughs). I believe in the Kiegel exercise?something like muscle control. It?s not just for sex, but also to control urination. As you get older, you have urinary incontinence. It?s good to exercise that way. So, you squeeze, release, squeeze, release.

Why are you so driven?

VB: Because, one, I?m competitive. When I was young, I was fat. I was a hundred pounds when I was five years old. I haven?t eaten rice since I was five years old, because my dad was so worried because I was so mataba. Then I really had bad acne and I know it really affected my self-confidence. So I really just want to do this and help other people.

Maybe the transformations strike me. You know, seeing people who look fat and now they?re sexy. They come to my clinic in loose shirts and jeans and after the lipo, they come back in three months, naka-mini skirt na and looking talagang vivacious. Contagious ?yung happiness.

Those are the kinds of things that make me happy. I know some other doctors who don?t do this for the money, because that?s a very weak reason to do it. You do something to help people, to make a positive change in their lives. The money just follows. If you?re good, you?ll make good, too.

You were lucky enough to have two sets of parents. How?s your relationship with your biological parents?

VB: My dad is here but my mom passed away 10 years ago. She looked exactly like me, it?s so ironic. My Cancio mom and dad had nine kids, and my Belo mom and dad had zero kids. My Belo mom and dad became my surrogates. My Cancio mom got pregnant almost every year, so on her fifth pregnancy, my Belo mom said: ?Can you give this baby na lang to us?? The deal was, if I was a boy I would stay with them, if I was a girl, I would be given to the Belos, because they [Cancios] had three girls and only one boy. So I was born and I was adopted by the Belos.

How?s your relationship with your brothers and sisters?

VB: We?re okay. My mom, I had super tampo. I mean, how could your mother give you away? I remember, in Assumption, one day my mom thought my dad would take me out, and then my dad thought my mom would take me out. Nobody picked me up. Wala pang cellphone, wala pang anything. All the kids, they were going out in their cars and they were looking at me, ?Bakit ka pa nandito?? because I was always the first to be picked up. Then a five-year-old said, ?Kasi she?s adopted, so they forgot her na.?

It stuck in my head. Ah, okay, I was pangit, so I was given away. So, I said, ?I will make everybody pretty so that nobody will be given away or nobody will not be loved.?

Did you have closure with your mom?

VB: Kinda. She?s really very mabait. She was sick for 10 years. Toward the end, we talked. Like Barbara Streisand, I have been in therapy for 25 years.

Do you see yourself as a model to Filipinas?

VB: I want to be. But I don?t think my personal life is for a role model. I think you should not follow that part. But the part where you should follow your dreams, don?t be scared of what people might think, how to take care of your money, how to be independent?that part siguro.

You know, when Hayden and I broke up, I received messages from women who said: ?You can?t break up. You?re our hope, you showed that we can make it happen. That older women can.? Parang, do not disappoint us. Parang nakaka-stress, ?di ba? Parang endorser for older women! (Laughs)

What advice would you give single girls? How can they get a boyfriend?

VB: You have to be friendly. You know, most guys are very shy. I think the really nice guys are very shy. The [?bad guys?] are friendly and flirty and aggressive, and you don?t want them.

But don?t be aggressive because they (the guys) will get scared. You have to read ?Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus.? Men want to be accepted as they are, which means you don?t try to change them. They want to be appreciated. You have to trust them and what they?re doing.

That?s actually hard for me because I?m a makeover girl, ?di ba. That?s my life, making over people. Guys don?t want to be made over. They need first to be accepted the way they are, and then they will be open to change.

That?s going to be times 1,000 when you?re married. But don?t go in thinking ?I?m going to change him once we?re married.? It?s not going to happen. They might do it to please you but they will not really change. Once you make them feel naman that you appreciate them, then they?ll want to please you more by being parang ?yung type mo.

Do you think all men are the same?

VB: I think it depends on how they?re brought up. Like Atom, he grew up in a family where it was applauded if you had many girls. But I?ve met men who are naturally monogamous talaga.

Who are your fave designers?

VB: I love Dolce & Gabbana. I dress young for my age. I?m wearing Cavalli now. I also wear Donna Karan. I like ready-made kasi.

What more do you want?

My dream is for the Philippines, really. I plan to open a clinic abroad. We?re opening in Dubai and hopefully in the US, although I?m not yet so sure because the economy is bad pa. I studied in Thailand and I saw first-hand how Thailand did their medical tourism. And I feel the Philippines is every bit as good, if not better, than the Thais. Because of our caring attitude, we?re really really magaling and I don?t know why we?re not recognized. Our doctors are good, our communications skills are great, but they would rather go to Thailand than the Philippines. So, my dream, is why not Philippines, ?di ba? So, I?ve been trying to push that but it?s a heavy dream.

I really believe our country is going to be great. My dream is to make the Philippines beautiful one person at a time.