As told to Gerry Plaza

(Brazil and the Philippines are really not that different. The people here are also warm and friendly. It?s like everyone?s family in the Philippines)

WORKING in the Philippines as a Brazilian model is not actually the glamorous life people may expect. Just like other models, we also struggle to make it in this business, and work very hard to attain success. The difference lies in the passion, dedication, and determination to reach your goals, and the desire to adapt and fit into the local culture.

Brazil and the Philippines are really not that different. In fact, it?s like home, and the people are so warm and friendly. Though I miss my family and friends in Brazil, it?s like everyone?s family in the Philippines.

There are a lot of Brazilian models working here. When I started, there were around 30 Brazilian models in the Philippines. Now there are more. The competition has gotten bigger. But unlike other Brazilian models, I make an effort to speak Tagalog and know more about the people. This is what makes the big difference if they want to stay longer here.

There are advantages to being a Brazilian model in the Philippines. It is because we look different. This is the same with Filipino models working abroad. Because they also look different, they get a lot of jobs. People will ask, ?Ano ang lahi niyan? [What race does she belong to?]? That?s the way it is with models ? you get noticed and heads turn because you stand out.

Another benefit of getting a Brazilian model is that you may get them cheap. In some instances, Brazilian models are even paid lower than other models. Agencies would offer their services as part of a package that would be irresistible to advertisers in terms of cost. Before, it would cost an arm and a leg to get a Brazilian in your commercial. Now, they?ve become a cheaper alternative.

But then again, we must not have any false sense of security because for all we know, this could just be a fad. There may come a time when advertisers or agencies won?t need Brazilian models anymore or they would prefer others. That is why I make it a point to diversify and try new things.

Some models don?t make it here because they don?t realize that relationships matter. For them it?s all work, work, work. And after work, what happens? Stay in your pad, listen to your iPod, rest then wait for a call from your agent or manager on your next project? And what if there?s no more project, what then? Working here means more than just finishing a job or project. It means knowing who you are working with, recognizing people who patronize you, learning the language, and adapting to the culture. And, even if you have the looks, don?t just be a pretty face they see in an advertisement or TV commercial. You must make it a point to get closer to the people around you and not just take pride in being a lifeless mannequin or an image on a photograph or video clip.

I?ve really been around the world modeling since I was in university in Brazil. I also helped in the business of my father, who makes and sells shoes. So I have built a career in fashion ?modeling, production and design ? ever since I was still in college. About four years ago, someone offered me an opportunity to do a commercial in Thailand, and that started the ball rolling for my international exposure.

I really did not choose to become a model, but I pursued this career because it was interesting for me to go from country to country and learn different cultures while earning some money. I also enjoyed learning to speak English and dealing with different people.

I?ve worked in different countries, mostly in Asia ? Korea, Singapore, Thailand and China ? but I really like the Philippines above all. In the other countries, I found it hard to adjust. Really, really hard. The food is different, the people don?t talk to you. Sometimes they don?t even speak English. You also live with different people. You make friends and after two months, they leave. Here in the Philippines, even if you leave and come back after a long time, you still have the same friends.

People here are so warm, unlike in other places where they treat you as just another foreigner. Here you are a foreigner, but you still feel very special. People are so nice to me. They don?t care if I don?t speak English. They actually teach me. They don?t discriminate, unlike in other places. Also, everything is accessible here. You can walk around and have good food anywhere.

I just know and feel the Philippines is home for me. It?s my second home. I?ve left and come back to the Philippines three times so far, modeling for such brands as Pepsi and Biolink.

But if you are just modeling, there will be times when you don?t have work. Add to that the endorsement lock-outs when you are tied to a particular brand for a certain period of time. So your income opportunities are limited. That?s why you really have to look for something new.

Not only did I want go out of my comfort zone, I really wanted to make the extra effort so I could stay in the Philippines longer. A model friend of mine, Ariani Nogueira, who also hails from Brazil, worked in the noontime TV show ?Eat, Bulaga!? for some time and decided to leave the show in 2007. She asked if I was willing to do a VTR as a possible replacement. This became the biggest break I had and the best opportunity to stay in the country longer. So I attended the VTR straight from a modeling stint in Shanghai, China. And they got me.

Fitting into the longest-running variety show in the Philippines was not at all difficult. Working with such respected people in show business would seem hard for newcomers like me, but more so for a foreigner. But everything just fit into place and I felt at home with all of them almost instantly. I really have a great time bonding with these da-barkads, especially Pauleen Luna, Lougee Basabas and Julia Clarete who are all about my age. We?ve become really close friends and we go out together, having a good time. It?s not only about us having the same age, but also about their personality that makes us really connect. I just love cracking jokes and they take it really well, unlike other girls I?ve gone out with before who don?t respond to the jokes at all. On the other hand, I also go with the flow and take their jokes as well.

It?s interesting to note that I don?t have Brazilian friends here in the Philippines. I only spend time with Filipino friends, who are like my second family. As you know, I live alone, I don?t have relatives here. And there are times I do get homesick, especially after visiting my family in Brazil. Sometimes I want to go back and just remain there. But knowing that I have another family in the Philippines, where I am building a wonderful career, is like going home too. And I find it fulfilling to strive and succeed in a foreign country and make it on my own.

Since I?ve become comfortable working with ?Eat, Bulaga!? I?ve tried my best to improve myself on a daily basis. I?ve become very passionate about what I?m doing, the people I?m working with, the language, the country, everything. As a host, I am still trying to improve myself. I have to do workshops because it was like I was dropped from a plane and landed on the ?Eat, Bulaga!? studio to do TV hosting right away. I did not know how to speak Tagalog. If you watched the show two years ago, you?d see that I did not know what I was saying. It was so funny. They would give me a script in Tagalog and would make me boba (sound idiotic). They would always poke fun at me.

Even if they made me appear that way, I didn?t resent it because it was a challenge for me. And I know I can make people laugh. When I make people laugh, it also makes me happy. I don?t see those jokes as offensive. People know I?m a foreigner trying my best to fit in.

That transition from being a model to a host was a bit difficult in a way, because you become very vocal. It?s not just your looks that matter now; you have to try your best to entertain and please people. And you feel very blessed when you see people appreciate what you?re doing and recognize you when you step out of the studio. It makes you know and feel you did your job well.

But I am still trying to improve myself through Speechpower workshops, where I take formal English public speaking lessons. As for Tagalog, I learn it on my own, listening to my friends and colleagues here. Remarkably, people notice that I learn fast. And I?m very happy about it.

As I earn more, I?ve also learned to become more responsible and professional about my work. I?ve worked my way to owning things I never dreamed of before. I now drive my own car, pay my own bills and hopefully can purchase my own condominium soon. For a 22-year-old woman in a foreign land, that?s a big accomplishment.

My next step is to go all-out in show business and try my luck in acting. I have more projects lined up this year aside from my current work in ?Eat, Bulaga!? and ?Bitoy?s Showwwtime.? But I also realize I can?t be a model or an entertainer forever. I may have quit my studies momentarily because of my career, but I know I should finish something. I should look for something that will make me grow and become stable in life.

Right now, I am planning to invest in a few businesses. I am currently part-owner of a modeling agency called Star Models, with some Brazilian models under its management. My dream is to start a shoe business here, just like my father did successfully in Brazil.

Can I fall in love with a Filipino? Why not? I love the country and its people. If I fall in love and marry a Filipino, I?m ready for that. ?