he Garcias—showbiz siblings Patrick, 22, and Cheska, 24; their brother Pichon, 28; and their mother, Celeste—used to live in a two-story house on Del Monte Avenue, Quezon City.

“Bahay talaga namin ‘yon,” says Celeste, fondly called Mommy Bing in showbiz. “Okey sana doon, kasi malapit lang sa ABS-CBN [where Patrick is a contract star]. Kaso, noong medyo dumarami sa mga bisita, wala nang maparkingan. So, naghanap kami ng marerentahan.”

Mommy Bing then rented out the Del Monte house. Her tenants fell in love with the house and later offered to buy it.

As for Mommy Bing and her kids, they found this three-story, five-bedroom condominium unit at Ortigas Center , in Pasig City —and here they have been living for three years now, with three helpers and a driver.

“We're just renting here,” says Patrick. “Kaibigan ni Cheska ang may-ari.”

They all like it here.

“Maganda ‘yong area, saka hindi ka mabo -bore kasi maraming kang nakikita,” says Mommy Bing, referring to the busy streets of Ortigas Center .

Adds the homebody Patrick: “Actually, everything is downstairs, pero minsan nakakatamad, e. Gusto ko sa bahay lang. There were times before na bumababa ako, kumakain or [punta sa] Starbucks, ganoon .”

For her part, Cheska—a former interior-designer student at the Philippine School of Interior Design—likes practicing her decorating skills in this house. “I like rearranging and fixing things,” she tells us. “I like mixing the old and new. I even have a feng shui book, ‘cause we also studied it in school.”

And Pichon? “He's my athletic child,” says Mommy Bing. “He's often out playing.” Pichon did TV and print modeling in the past, but unlike his younger siblings he got hooked on sports rather than showbiz.

When time permits, the Garcia siblings hie off to Ayala, Alabang, to visit their father, Francisco Garcia, a Spanish national who is legally separated form Mommy Bing and has a new family of his own.  

“Dati, umuuwi ako doon,” says Patrick. “Now, once in a while na lang ako dumadalaw. Lalo na pag sunod-sunod ang trabaho, ‘tapos usually around this area pa or Quezon City sunud-sunod ang trabaho, ‘tapos usually around this area pa or Quezon City , ganoon . Si Pichon ang madalas pa rin doon.”

The Ortigas Center condominium unit is the convergence zone for the three siblings' respective barkadas.

“Halos lahat sila, dito nagpupunta,” says the cool mom. “'Yong iba, dito na gusto makitira. Malapit sila sa amin. Kasi ako naman, open sa mga anak ko. Mas gusto ko pa ngang nandito sila. Saka nakakatuwa, kahit magkakaiba ng edad, ‘yong kaibigan ng isa, kaibigan ng lahat.”

At this point, there is no telling if any of the Garcia kids is willing to leave and go solo. Her smile turning into a grin, Mommy Bing says: “ E, tatlo-tatlo silang parang ugaling-bunso, e. Kasi lahat naman sila, parang na -spoiled. Kasi si Pichon, almost five years bago nasundan, so matagal siyang solong anak. Si Cheska naman , only girl. Si Patrick, siyempre bunso talaga .”

Patrick, who once tried living with friends, adds: “ Mas masaya naman ang ganito, e. Saka, parang solo na rin ako, kasi palagi akong nasa kuwarto, e. Dito, me gigising sa akin palagi.”

Cheska sums it all up: “ Saka close kami na family, e.”

We believe it.

This is the master bedroom, located on the unit's second floor. It serves as a supply room of sort. “Like it I need a picture frame for my room. I get it here,” says Cheska. During the photo shoot, Patrick finds an unopened set of glow-in-the-dark stickers and asks if he can have it, and in a corner Cheska sees a display drawer that she wants to put in the living room.

Mommy Bing is fond of oriental fixtures, such as the Chinese chest in foreground, and genuine Persian rugs, such as the one pictured here. There are more Persian rugs in storage, Cheska volunteers: “Ang dami, nakabilot lahat sa taguan.” Mommy Bing explains: “Kasi, talagang tumatagal. Magi-invest ka na lang din, di ‘yong genuine na. Kasi, para sa kanila [her children] din naman ‘yan pagtanda nila.”

Mommy Bing won't tell us her age. Cheska prods her: “Sige na, Mommy. You should be proud, dahil sino'ng ganyang edad ang ganyan pa rin ang itsura?” But Mommy Bing, a fine arts, a fine arts and advertising graduated of the University of Santo Tomas , shifts
the talk to her art collection, which includes work by ER Tagle ang Caloy Gabuco.

Alam ko, ginawan niya ng painting noon si Ninoy [Aquino] saka ‘yong Sultan ng Brunei ,” she says of Gabuco. She also owns a sculpture by Solomon Saprid and paintings by two National Artists, Hernando “H.R.” Ocampo and Vicenter Mansala. “Iyan ang ipapamana ko sa kanila.” Mommy Bings tells YES!

Patrick isn't embarrassed to admit that he's a mama's boy. “Si Checs, daddy's girl ‘yan,” he reveals. “Si Pichon, palipat-lipat, kaya neutral. Minsan kay Papa siya umuuwi, minsan dito.”

Patrick's bedroom is a gallery of his collectibles—perfume bottles; weird masks that he has turned into lampshade heads (such as the one you see to Patrick's right); framed artworks from childhood; framed photos of himself, his family members, and his close friends; toys; and flags such as the Ferrari flag above him).

Below his bed, he has placed a lighting system tat emits red lights move from slow to fast and from jumpy to flowing, or simply remain stationary. With a disco light hanging in another corner, this room can be easily transformed into a party place. But Patrick likes things quiet these days.

The star of ABS-CBN's “Mangarap Ka” and Regal Films' Mano Po 3, My Love is a self-taught computer whiz—and a technician at that.

“Itong laptop, sa mommy ko ‘to,” he grins (below, right). “I have my own, pero nasira, so niligawan ko ‘to. ‘Binigay naman. ‘Tapos, merong mga nakatambak na lumang speakers sa bodega. Kinuha ko, ‘tapos, kinonek ko din para siya na ‘yong maging main [computer] monitor.

“So, anything I type or search here in my laptop or sa wireless keyboard [the one he's holding], sabay mo makikita sa screen ng laptop at TV. Kaya hindi naman magastos, kasi I use old stuff naman.”

Patrick proudly says he did all these technical jobs by himself. “Pag may naisip akong ikabit, ‘kinakabit ko,” she smiles. “Pati ng sa CR, may speakers saka maliit na TV as [computer] monitor… Ang dami na ngang kable dito, kung saan-saan, sala-salabat na.”

The he jokes: “Isang araw, sasabog na lang ako dito, e. Pero meron naman akong mga safety gadgets din, para nako-control ang flow ng kuryente.'

The TV set in the photo at far left, is connected to the computers, and is a multitasker. It serves as plain TV, computer monitor, DVD monitor, and Play Station screen. Patrick, however, is more inclined to downloading and playing music—mostly R&B—on his computer than spending time watching TV or playing.

“I have about 1,737 songs, so far,” he tell us. “Pindot ka na lang nang pindot. Like, let's say may kanta akong naisip. I either search by artist, by song title, or by genre, ayun na.” He's also happy to download music for people close to him, such as one of the househelp, who gave him a list of her favorite OPM songs.

The Christmas lights you see here, by the way, are another tambak item in the house. Patrick explains: “Ako din naman ang bumili niyan. I think sa Mini Mart, last year. ‘Tapos, natambak lang. Parang nagsayang naman ako ng pera, so sabi ko: “Kahit ko nga.' Ayan. Hindi ko na inalis. All year-round, nandiyan.”

Cheska—Cheka or Checs to her close friends—refers to her domain as the pink room. “O, di ba, parang room ng little girl?” she beams. “Halos lahat ng gamit ko, pink. Pag magkasama nga kami ni Doug, natatawa siya, kasi pag may nakita akong pink na item sa store, hihinto ako. ‘Tapos daw, kahit anong liit noong item, bibilhin at bibilhin ko.” Doug is her boyfriend Douglas Kramer, who plays basketball for the Ateneo Blue Eagles.

This ultimate girlie nook is what greets you when you enter Cheska's room.

Like other parts of the house, this is also a gallery of framed and unframed memorabilia, including photos of Cheska with showbiz cousins Sharmaine Arnaiz and Bunny Paras and showbiz friends Danica Sotto and Anne Curtis.

Also here are artworks that she did in her younger days.

Like Patrick, Cheska has her own bathroom. Naturally, everything in it comes in pink—bead curtains, shower curtain, candles, towels, bath rugs.

The furniture pieces here are, like the chinaware in the display cabinet, all antiques. That door you see leads to Patrick's room. Behind the blinds is a balcony from which you get a good view of Ortigas Center 's Pearl Drive Avenue.

Cheska has just rearranged some of the furniture pieces in this Asian or oriental-themed living room in time for this pictorial.”Pag wala akong magawa inaayos ko ‘yan,” she explains. “Like, if I find something nice from another room, I put it there.”

The former interior design student regrets that she was unable to finish her course. “It's so hard,” she laments. “I didn't take [acting] jobs for nine months! I didn't thin the course was hard, pero when I was there na, grabe!” These days, she's considering taking another design course—fashion.” “My mom said there's more money in fashion,” she laughs.

The display cabinet in the corner houses Patrick's acting and sports trophies and citation.s these include Most Popular Teenage King of RP Movies (from the Guillermo Mendoza Memorial Foundation Awards; Dr. Jose Rizal Gintong Kabataan Award for Entertainment; best actor for Batang PX (from the Young Critics' Circle and Star Awards and best child actor for the same film (from FAMAS); German Moreno Achievement Award ; and third place in the first All-Star Invitational 9-Ball Tournament, Gutson's.

HOUSE IN AMERICA

The Garcia's bought this two-story, five-bedroom house in the Santa Clarita Valley in California , U.S.A. , in 1994. The property has a three-car garage and gardens in both the front and the back yard. This will be her retirement home, Mommy Bing says: “Binili ko lang ‘yan para bakasyunan. Pero halimbawa, may gustong diyan na mag-stay, mag-migrate, magtrabaho, di, diyan sila.”

Since all the members of the family are still enjoying life here in the Philippines , they're just renting the house out to Americans. “Kasi wala namang masyadong Pinoy doon,” she ads. “Noong binili namin ‘yon, me mga tumutulo pang part. Saka wala pa kaming kapitbahay. Ngayon, meron na.” - -