hese days, when people think of buying birthdays gifts for themselves, they usually go to the mall to check out cellphones, DVDs, CDs, iPods, even pets. But not Angel Locsin. She went out and bought herself a condo unit!

On April 21, two days before her 19th birthday, Angel Colmenares-that's the name on her birth certificate-paid the down payment on a one-bedroom condominium unit in Quezon City. A few weeks later, she moved in.

With regular shows like "Love to Love," "Click," and "All Together Now," all on GMA-7, and with a steady stream of movie projects, the latest being Singles form Regal Films, Angel is arguably one of the most sought-after teen actresses around. No wonder she can now afford to live on her own.

Her 43-square-meter unit may not be big by showbiz standards, but judging from the glow on her face when she talks about it, it may as well be the penthouse suite of a five-star hotel. Like any new homeowner, she admits to obsessing over her pad. Pointing to the walls, she says, "Kahit na umaga na ako nakakauwi galing sa siyuting, makikita mo ako, pinupunasan ko mga 'yan!"

The decision to live on her own came when her family, together with her manager's family, checked in at a hotel room, Angel turned to her manager, Becky Aguila, and said: "Tita, ang sarap pala magkaroon ng sariling living space. Kahit ganito lang kalaki, okey na sa akin."

Fortunately, her Tita Becky knew the value of investing Angel's money in real estate. "Sabi ko," Becky recalls, "instead of putting it in the bank na ang bangko lang ang yumayaman, maybe it would be best for her to invest it na lang."

Angel says owning a pad has taught her a lot about independence, and has made her take her future more seriously: Alam mo naman 'tong trabahong 'to, hindi naman 'to permanente. At least 'to [the condo unit], obligado ako magbayad talaga. 'Yong hindi ako magiging magastos sa kung saan-saan."

The fact that her condo is near her Tita Becky's house also has its advantages. She jokingly tells Becky," "Pag wala akong ulam, dideretso ako sa iyo!"

-Angel says her old room, in the family house, was very colorful. For a change, she decided on neutral colors for her pad. "Pagdating ko dito sa bahay, gusto ko, marerelaks talaga ako. Kung colorful, baka paghiga ko pa lang sa kama ko, ay!-gising na ako!"

She and her manager Vecky agree that the colorful lights above the bed provide a nice contrast to the browns and whites, but the toys at the head of the bed were a bone of contention: "Sabi nga ni Tita, 'Puwede bang tanggalin 'yon?! Ayoko! Ayoko talaga, maski hindi siya bagay. Diyan lang talaga kayo! Walang gagalaw!" Those toys are memorabilia over the years, given to her by fans, friends like Oyo Boy Sotto and his rumored girlfriend Nadine Samonte, and of course the late Miko Sotto, who was Angel's boyfriend at the time of his death.

-Because of her busy schedule, Angel has yet to stay in her new home for one who day. She told her manager: "Tita, baka naman puwedeng ditto lang ako sa bahay ko, isang buong araw lang talaga, 'yong ie-enjoy ko lang?"

-though she prefers sneakers, Angel also stocks up on high-heeled shoes for pictorials, appearances, and movies. But she can't wear them for long: "'Yong mga kunwari sa kotse ka lang, bababa ka lang, magko-coffee ka, sasakay ka ulit sa kotse mo, parang gano'n lang-hindi ko carry, e."

-If Angel manager had her way, the living-room wall would be displaying a big picture of Angel instead of a generic painting that can be bought from any mall. Unfortunately for her manager, Angel was adamantly against the idea: "Ayoko picture ko diyan! Hindi ka na ba nagsasawa sa mukha mo?" The Japanese-inspired wooden divider, seen here, actually influenced the whole look and feel of Angel's pad. When she first viewed the place, the dividers were already in place. She had just seen Quentin Tarantino's film Kill Bill Vol.1, and she loved how the dividers reminded her of the movie. "Binagayan ko lang itong pintuan, 'tsaka' 'yong kulay niya gano'n."

-Her building has a laundromat for its tenants, but Angel hasn't taken her laundry there. "Inuuwi ko sa bahay. Iba kasi 'yong labang-bahay, e!" - -