Star Studio, May 2001

FRANKIE is the new star of the family," declares Sharon proudly. "Extra na lang kami! We (she and Kiko) are so used to taking the backseat na! Ha-ha-ha."

When magazines, newspapers, even TV shows schedule the megastar for interviews and pictorials, the inquiry is always: "Can we have you (Sharon), Kiko and the baby Frankie?" or "Can we have you and Frankie?" or "Can we feature Frankie?"

Only four months old, Simone Francesca Emmanuelle Cuneta Pangilinan is every bit a megastar baby. She is very, very, very, very cute, always smiling, loves people, and knows exactly what to do in front of a camera. She loves the sound of a live band and enjoys dressing up.

"Ay magiging artista siya, that's for sure," we tell the mom who's anxious over the "inevitable," but proud of her beautiful baby's apparent star quality at the same time.

"Ay huwag naman siyang mag-showbiz, mas gusto kong makatapos muna siya!," the mega-mom replies.

Here, Sharon shares with Starstudio - kwento, precious pictures from her personal albums, thoughts, and dreams for her cute little baby Frankie.

FRANKIE LOVES THE CAMERA. Sharon's baby gives a ready smile whenever she sees a camera -- be it an instamatic, a video cam, or TV camera

How has the arrival of Frankie affected your relationship with Kiko?

The marriage really strengthened kasi parang nagkaroon ng stronger bond between me and Kiko. Sa aming tatlo actually, with KC, the three of us, nagkaroon ng mas malakas na bond. Tatlo kaming magkakasama when I lost the two babies di ba? The first in Boston, the second dito na. So nung dumating si Frankie, yung pinaka-hihintay-hintay namin, tapos she's so pleasant pa, so cute, she's such a joy. Talagang "bundle of joy," sabi nga ni Kiko.

How has the arrival of Frankie affected your relationship with KC?

We are like two adults now. I think kasi 16 na siya. So nung nag-16 siya, parang konting taon na lang pwede nang parang anak niya si Frankie, ganun kalaki yung gap. When we deal with each other now, it's usually about... you know she's a teenager now, she's going through the normal teenage phase. Meron silang kanya-kanyang issues at that age. So iba yung pag-deal ko sa kanya ngayon. She's older so I can speak to her more like she's an adult pero not quite pa. It's not so much na yung relationship namin ni KC is na-affect pag-dating ni Frankie, I think Frankie just had this huge effect on the entire family.

At this point KC is really very protective of her sister; she loves her very much. Katulong ko nga sa pag-alaga.

To the level of changing diapers and preparing the milk?

Hindi naman, pero kailangan laging nakikita ni KC si Frankie. Yung napupuntahan niya after school, tapos nilalaro niya, kung anu-ano, binubuhat niya... Tuwang tuwa siya pag napapatulog niya. Ateng-ate talaga.

What is Frankie like? Iyakin ba?

Good baby, very pleasant. Pala-smile. Hindi iyakin. Pag umiiyak siya it's either naipit pala yung paa niya as sandals niya, may masakit, or basa ang diapers niya, or nagugutom siya, or inaatok siya. If ever, ang madalas na iniiyak niya yung napuputol ang tulog niya. Kasi minsan nananaginip. Yung ang himbing-himbing, tapos biglang iiyak.

What can really make her happy?

Pag nilalaro mo. Yung bulaga... Tickle games minsan naiinis siya, minsan gustong-gusto niya. Tawa siya nang tawa, Tapos minsan humahalaklak siya, tuloy-tuloy so kinabag, umiyak. After that na-notice ko na hindi na siya umulit na humalakhak na ganoon katagal. Tumatawa pa rin siya pero hindi na ganoon, parang natakot. Na-realize niya masakit

You were saying before na kahit hindi pa siya nakakapagsalita, she looks at you like naiintindihan ka na? Like, nakikipag-usap na?

Yes! Nakikipag-tsismisan! Yung tingin nang tingin. Wala pang masabi pero... (she makes sounds like words). Tapos pag-tumawa ang cute talaga. Ang daling patawanin.

And she likes the sound of the live band? Hindi naiingayan?

Because, remember, when I was pregnant with her we had a weekly show. So yung banda, siguro naririnig niya lagi yung tumutugtog from... (my tummy). Ayun, sanay siya sa ingay - from the day she was born, yung mga dumadalaw sa ospital, ang dami naming kamag-anak.

So she's not gulatin at all like most babies?

Hindi. Mas nagugulat nga siya yung pag tahimik na tahimik tapos biglang may sound, kahit mahinang tap on the table lang or may natumbang bagay. Yung kahit konting sound na ganoon, doon pa siya nagugulat. Pero kahit maraming tao, nakakatulog siya nang mahimbing.

Remember when we had that show (Sharon) in the house, she was just a few weeks old then. Ang daming ilaw, ang daming crew, rehearse nang rehearse yung banda... basta, so many things were going on. But she was able to sleep in the middle of all that gulo. Not once did she cry, di ba?

What is she like when she hears music?

Pag sa live band parang haharap siya sa source nung sound at mukha talagang nakikinig. Music generally, kasi since she was in my tummy I would play classical music to her. Hanggang sa lumabas na siya, hanggang ngayon. Everyday, every night may music siya - either may classical music or lullaby.

This early, what talents do you see her developing?

It's too early so I can't see pa talaga. Ang alam ko lang so far sa nakikita ko, she's advanced. So sana matalino.

It must be very hard to leave her behind - for work or when you have to campaign.

Oh yes. When I'm on the road, I bring my digicam, the video, and then I have a tape or two of her. Kasi lagi ko siya bini-video simula pa nung pinanganak yan, naka-library yan. So pag mag-isa ako ang I really miss the family, I watch her (on video). Talagang sa mind ko yung mukha niya ang naka-imprenta for the whole day because she's such a cute baby.

Now kasi in our family whoever needs to be supported or prioritized at one time - halimbawa si Kiko ang tumatakbo ngayon - sa kanya talaga naka-focus ang attention namin. Siyempre yung baby hindi naman nine-neglect. Pero ibig kong sabihin... sana nung lumabas siya, talagang full attention kaming lahat sa kanya. Pero we try as hard as we can, tutal hindi naman siya talaga nagkukulang sa (attention). When we are away, overnight-overnight lang naman. We really spend as much time as we can with her.

Any anecdotes?

Ang hilig sa tubig ni Frankie! Para ate niya, parang isda. Ang hilig sa swimming-swimming. At four months old, padyak nang padyak pag nasa tubig... Pag tinanggal mo siya sa bathtub niya, umiiyak siya kasi gusto pa niya.

Tapos nung Holy Week, sinama namin siya nung nag-swimming kami sa pool sa Philippine Plaza, that's where we were. So tuwang tuwa siya. Kahit malamig yung tubig!

How do you feel about the "start status" of Frankie - about you and Kiko having to "take a backseat" to the new star of the family?

Extra kami ngayon! (Laughs) Ok lang yun! Kahit namin nung si KC ang pinanganak. Alam mo yung pag anak mo yung center, talagang wala - Ok na Ok na siya yung star!

What traits did she get from Kiko? What traits from you?

Misan natutulog, nakakunot yung noo - ako yun! Yung sabi ni Kiko, kung tumawa raw parang ako. Bigay na bigay! Yung hearty laugh, yung pati tiyan niya gumagalaw! Ganon na ganon ako eh, sobra akong matawa. Pero rin kaming malambing.

Advanced siya - siguro kasi hindi naman kami bobong mag-asawa! She's very long, so I think she's gonna be tall kasi her Dad's a six-footer and even in my family we're all tall also.

Sa physical attributes, ang namana niya sa akin: Kamay ko, paa ko, baba ko, I think lower lip ko - possible ba na yung lower lang? - kilay ko, noo ko. Pero shape ng ulo, cheeks, upper lip: Kay Kiko.. Yung mata hindi pa namin alam eh. Yung nose, di pa namin ma-determine.

Barring days with campaign scheds, what's a typical day like for you and Frankie?

I wake up early eh, siguro mga 7, 8 o'clock... But since I had her, parang na-adjust yung buong schedule ko. Yung sleeping hours ko, nag-iba. Mga 10, inaantok na ako, minsan mga 9 humihikab na ako. Tapos maagang-maaga ang gising ko.

Actually at night, bago matulog, umiinom ako nang marami - para gigising ako in the middle of the night to go to the banyo. Kasi mapapagising ako, mga 3:30, 4 in the morning, gumigising na yan to take her milk. Tapos she'll play for like 30 minutes. So I play with her.

So you're playing na at 3:30 am?

Yah. And she's always smiling, cooing and all. At pagkinausap ka, she looks at you. It's so unsual, she's been like that since she was 3 months old. Talagang she's focused.

Anyway, it starts at that time. And then when she sleeps, I sleep ulit. When I wake up, she's usually awake na, so we play na naman. Sometimes I put her to sleep again, sometimes nakapasyal na sila. She likes going around the village na hindi pa masyadong mainit eh, with the bodyguard and the yaya. Sometimes doon lang sa may garden namin.

She really loves pasyal. Ayun pa pala ang isang anecdote - pag sinakay mo sa kotse, pag gumagalaw ang kotse ang saya-saya niya. Pagnagtraffic, pag hindi gumagalaw, naiinis. She starts to.. (whine). I think it has something to do with the movement, nung nasa womb siya, di ba? So pag nag-stop, parang she goes... ano to? Yung rocking motion eh, kahit sa car, nasuoothe siya. At sanay na sanay siyang may lakad. Kasi sinasama namin madalas - hindi naman sa kampanya... Basta kung saan. Kung galing doktor, mainsan kakain kami sa labas. She's so used to going out and dressing up. She loves dressing up.

She's ma-tsika, she loves people, going out... hindi kaya magsho-showbiz yan?

(Feigns terror) Naku baka nga! And when you take her picture or shoot her, she looks straight into the camera. You will see in the pictures that I'll give you, nakatingin siya most of the time. Unless sa side mo kunan.

So she's very different from KC?

Yah. KC was... reserved when she was small. Nung umpisa parang suplada ang impression ng tao sa kanya, when actually tahimik lang. Kung nagpa-party ganyan lang, hawak yung panyo niya, ina-ano yung mga langaw, parang hindi namamansin, Nung mga three years old siya.. mahinhin. Tapos pag medyo comfortable na, yan, makikipaglaro na. Itong si Frankie, hindi ganoon! Biba! personality ko.

Well, artista nga yan!

No, huwag naman. Mas gusto kong makatapos muna siya! Sana mag-lawyer!

WITH DADDY KIKO. During the shoot for her Father's TV ad, Frankie was very much at home with the lights and the TV cameras.

How was she like naman when she shot that commercial for Kiko? Did she enjoy shooting?

Proud na proud ako doon sa shooting ng commercial. That was on cue: yung titingin siya kay Kiko and then she smiles. And then she did a safety shot - and she did exactly the same thing - on cue ulit!

Actually naiiyak na siya kasi sleeping time niya na yon. Nung inupo siya sa chair niya, tapos nakita niya yung ilaw, nakita niya yung camera, biglang... (shift expression of face)... ganyan siya! Tapos doon sa line ni Kiko na "si Frankie!", tumingin siya sa Daddy niya tapos may konting smile. Ginawa niya yun, twice! Pinalakpakan siya! Takot nga ako eh. Sabi ko pag yan kinausap ako bukas, tatalon ako sa bintana. (laughs)

She's a good girl, she's so happy. What a happy baby because I had a happy pregnancy. It was difficult but it was happy. So the physical pain, I could take.