atrina Halili may not know it yet, but her blossoming career's about to take off in full blast. Her destination—straight to the top!

Wisecracks and side comments keep conversation with young telly star Katrina Halili engaging, gawddamn entertaining, and, if done with professional purposes in mind as this piece, utterly knotted.

“Para sa akin…,” she would begin answering a question, then butt in abruptly on behalf of her jolly self, “alangan naman para sa yo, di ba?” Whatever bit of wisdom she would impart would then be suffused more side comments and wayward jokes. And what have we left after? An incoherent record of a fun conversation.

If we cared for you less, we would have lest it at that. Then you'd have to plough through eight pages of beautiful pictures and even glorious gibberish. But we knew good words are half the experience of your time with an FHM babe, especially one like Katrina who's been an FHM 100 Sexiest mainstay two years in a row and, more important, someone you'd been clamoring for a cover spot for ages. Since we'd worked our asses off getting her on the cover, it wouldn't work to push ourselves once more for a more lasting impression.

So what we did was kept the unintelligible first interview for posterity and reference, then called Katrina up again for a phoner and made sure we understood each other. A dozen “intelligent” questions, tape recorders, pen, paper, you name it. But you can't pin down a 19-year-old charmer on a Saturday night, can you? “Last time you said you wanted to try and play lead…” we began. “Ay, wag na lang pala. Okay na ako sa kontrabida. Walang tulog [pag bida], ang haba oa ng lines. At lagi kang umiiyak. Nakakapagod kaya yun, yung maya't-maya umiiyak? Eh kung ikaw kaya…”

From then on, we knew it was going to be a long night. Not that we minded. Oh no, w were speaking with one of the country's hottest young women, and was even inviting us for a drink or two.

“Grabe ang serious na nito ha,” she said an hour into the conversation—an hour already?!—signaling the end of our chat. “Sige nandito na friends ko, sa susunod na lang tayo mag-usap.” We put the phone down, a bit disappointed it ended too abruptly.

But… didn't Katrina say there was going to be a next time? Hold on. Rewind tape. Press play. “Sa susunod na lang tayo mag-usap.” Why yeas, madame. Yes. Yes. And, ahem, yes of course!

How was the shoot? There were some excited fans trying to get a peep, you noticed?

Ano ba?! Okay lang, hindi naman nakaka-ilang yung pictorial. Pero ang pangit di ba? Nahihiya ako siyempre. Alangan naman sabihin kong hindi puwede, ha ha! Ayokong may nanunuod sa akin. Pero siyempre, dedma na lang. Hindi tayo matatapos kung ganun.

How do you feel about being included in FHM's 100 sexiest? Did you expect to get into the list again?

Oo. Charing! (laughter) Hindi. Flattered. Especially last year. Bago lang kami pero lahat kami from StarStruck kasama.

You received one of the loudest cheers at the party.

Nahiya ako! (laughter) Hindi ko alam kung anong gagawin ko. Pagdating ko, itinuturo pa lang sa aking yung instructions, tinawag na ako. Dire-diretso na lang ako, hindi ko nga alam kung saan ako pupunta.

And for next year, what rank do you wish you'd land in?

One. Ay, pressuring lang… hindi naman po.

Why, don't you feel sexy?

Hindi naman. Medyo lang. Ha ha!

But do you try to pamper yourself and make sure you look good?

Ngayon na lang. Kasi nag-Darna na ako. I became conscious when I started showing some skin. Dati, hindi ko napapansin. I have a small face, and haba-haba ng leeg ko, tapos ang liit-liit ng legs ko so feeling ko, payat ako. Pero kug magpakita ka pala ng skin, bawas dapat sa kain. Puro fruits na lang. ngayon, pumayat na ako.

What do you think is it about you that excites men?

Sabi ng iba, my eyes daw. Chinita na almond bay un? Basta almond pa yung sabi ng iba, para raw nangungusap. Weapon ko yun.

You've made it clear that you have no plans of going bold, that sexy is the farthest you'd go. Care to point out the difference?

Basta hindi yung walang damit. Hinid naman proke't sexy nakahubad na, di ba? Basta totoong tao, hind nagpe-pretend. That's sexy.

So appearances don't matter?

Siyempre the first thing you'll notice is the physical appearance. Ang plastic ko nmaan if I say na mabait lang ang gusto ko sa lalaki. I like guys with nice eyes and nice teeth.

Do you mind playing villain roles?

Sa akin, wala namang problema. Siguro ganun talaga ang bagay sa akin. But, yes I like playing kontrabida roles. Pag kontrabida, mas mabilis [ang trabaho]. Unlike pag bida, and daming long lines; laging umiiyak pa. nakakapagod yun.

How do you prepare for such roles?

Actually, wala. For Darna, I just did a workshop for the fight scene.

But you strike us as sweet! Are you saying you don't prepare and are naturally bad and ruthless?

And daming nagsasabing bad ako. Hindi ko nga alam kung bakit. Ang dami ring nagsasabing gimikera raw ako kahit parati lang akong nasa bahay. Ang dami ko raw boys kahit wala naman. Hindi sila naniniwala sa akin. Lahat ng masasamang masasabi tungkol sa akin narinig ko na yata.

So how do you deal with these misconceptions?

Dati, nasasaktan ako. Especially before, in high school. Pupunta akong restroom, dun ako umiiyak. Iyakin ako—hindi ko alam kung bakit ako naiiyak. Pero dinededma ko na lang. I would become masungit. Pero ngayon, dedma pa rin. Kasi nakakasakit lang sila ng ulo, di ba? You can't please everybody.

Apart from rumors, is there anything else that makes you cry easily? Movies? Sad endings?

Crying is a sign of anger. Pag umiyak ako, galit yun na hindi ko mailabas. Minsan pag pinagbibintangan ako ng hindi ko naman ginagawa, sobrang ikinagagalit ko yun. I'm not very confrontational.

Okay, so you don't go out…

Sa bahay lang, I just stay sa room. Bibili ako ng mangga, ng hopia, papapakin ko yun. Ganun lang. Pag aalis ako, i-invite ko yung friend kong staff—staff pa ha, hindi artista. Coffee lang, ganun. Ngayon, I have friends who are coming over, chikahan lang.

… And you have no admirers? Oh come on.

Care nila! Ha ha ha! Hindi, wala nga. As in. Gustuhin ko man, wala talaga. Zero love life. Bahala na kung may dumating.

But what if the person who comes along isn't exactly how you thought MR. Right would be? What's Mr. Right like, anyway?

Mabait, sweet, gentleman. What I really, really like is someone who knows how to get along with my friends. Marunong makipag-usap sa friends ko, marunong makisama sa tao sa bahay. Basta mabait.

Are you sure you're not describing anyone?

Wala nga. Basta.

Tell us how you're like when you go goo-goo eyed over a boy…

When I like someone, hindi ko maitago. Halata ako, eh. Pero hindi ako nanghaharass, ha? Basta, hindi ko kayang itago. Kunwari, hwne I'm eating, paaabutan ko rin siya ng pagkain. Pero ayoko na nga, eh!

What turns you off?

I get turned off when they are too obvious. Pag halatang-halata? Pero teka, baka hindi na sila nagparamdam! Ha ha ha! Gusto ko kasi, pinupuntahan ako, tinatawagan, nangungulit. But I only like it if I actually like the guy na. when I like him already, hindi kailangan ng sobrang laking effort. Actually, siyempr kailanga pa rin niya mag-effort…

What if you don't like the guy?

If I don't like him, tiyagain niya na lang ako. Mainitin kasi ang ulo ko.

This issue is our gifts special. What can a guy you don't really like give you to at least give him a chance?

Diamond ring. Joke! Ha ha ha! Basta totoo siya. Basta sincere, best na yun.

You remind us of another FHM babe, Rufa Mae Quinto.

Isa siya sa mga idols ko. Idol ko rin sarili ko, ha ha! Natutuwa lang ako sa kanya. I also like Claudine Barretto and Regine Velasquez in her movies.

You're quite the independent woman. Do you still follow other people's advice?

Basta may balance. Kung alam kong tama ang ginagawa ko, gagawin ko. Alam ko naman ang limitations ko.

Have you ever been hurt with this principle?

Kailangan mo yatang maramdaman yan. That's life. Hanggat masaya ka, gawin mo. Okay lang masaktan paminsan-minsan. If you don't get hurt, you won't learn. Ako masaya na rin kasi natututo ako.

Wow. That seriousness was unexpected. First: what makes you happy?

My career.

And second: What's the best lesson you've learned in hurting?

Na dapat mas mahalin ko ang sarili ko. I hear that all the time pero recently ko lang napatunayan. You have to love yourself first before you can love anyone else.

That's drunken talk already. It's Saturday night, are you sure you've not had a tipple?

Hindi, I'm staying here at home, may friends na pupunta. Chikahan lang. yun nga, tumawag yung friend ko, nagtatanong kung magdadala pa raw siya ng drink.

Drink! So what do you think?

Vodka Ice. Basta ayoko ng mapait. Ayoko ng lasang beer.

And how many bottles does it take for you to get drunk?

It depends. Pag inuman na lasingan, ibig sabihin may problema na ako nun. Tequila na yun, wala pang chaser! Ha ha ha!

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