his is how the elegant walk-in closet of Asia 's Songbird looks like, from the inside going out, its neat, tidy, very well-lit, very well-organized. Not a single brand-name item is misplaced. The cabinet on the left side contains her precious gowns, while the one on the right contains her jackets, long-sleeved shirts, and casual tops. The brown door on the right leads to Regine's main room, which comes a complete with a receiving area, an office, a balcony, and a sleeping loft. A fashion icon in her own right, Regine admits to being vain and making an effort to keep herself well-dressed.

“Kasi, nakikita ka sa TV, di ba? You're in this business—show business—so kailangan talaga, dahil puhunan namin ‘yon, di ba?”

The dressing up, she points out, she does primarily for herself. “Hindi ko ginagawa para masabing, ‘Ay, ang ganda,' or to brag. I do it ‘cause I also want to feel good. Ayoko din namang napipintasan. Kahit naman, kunwari, ordinaryong tao, if you want to look good and feel good, you make an effort to, you know, dress well.”

On October 23, Regine launched her own line of clothes for Sari-Sari. “It's called Reigne,” she says. “Bale, I own the company. I'm supposed to be designing some so the clothes.” At the moment, since Regine has been very busy, it's her sister Cacai who attends to the business. “But eventually, ako na,” Regine says. What kind of clothes does Reigne plan to make and sell? “Karamihan formal, gaya ng mga nakikita nilang suot ko. Hindi nga lang kasing-mahal ng mga binibili ko. They're not going to be very expensive.”

These photos are taken from the door looking in. The rack on the left side showcases her shoe collection, while the one on the right is home to more of her gowns. Her bags and hats are on the shelf at the end of the room. “Don't ask me kung ilan ang gowns ko, o sapatos ko... hindi ko na talaga alam,” she laughs.

Regine's sister Diane—one of a pair of twin sisters, the other being Deca—adds: “May iba pang nakatago. Pero minsan, ‘yong mga luma, ‘pinamimigay niya o kaya nagpapa-garage-sale siya. Karamihan ng bumibili, bading.” That's assuming that Regine's sister and former bedmate Cacai—now Mrs. Raul Mitra—doesn't get to the clothes first. “Si Cacai talaga ‘yong she'd come here, and she'd raid my closet. Talagang maghahawak. ‘O, akin na lang ito, hindi na ito bagay sa'yo.' Ganoon. Lalo na when she's not pregnant. She'll see things I haven't even worn and then she'll just get it. E, ako naman, I can't say no.”

Regine, whose fashion heroine is Cameron Diaz, says she does not mind wearing her clothes more than once, especially her gowns—such as this read one by Rajo Laurel. “Kunwari ‘yong mga sinusuot ko sa ‘Pinoy Pop Superstar.' E, ang gaganda noon! Sayang naman if once mo lang susuutin!” She's referring to the weekly reality talent search that she's hosting for GMA-7. “So I would wear them ulit sa mga awards night. Talagang nagre-recycle ako ng damit. Kasi, kahit naman kaming mga artista, meron din kaming ibang mga pangangailangan. Hindi naman lahat damit lang, saka if that damit is sobrang ganda—and we also pay for that, anyway - bakit naman gagamitin mo isang beses lang, di ba? Sa hirap ng buhay ngayon, parang hindi praktikal… I know that it was written about so many times na nag-uulit daw ako. I don't care!”

The diva's shoe size ranges from six-and-a-half to seven inches. She has 114 pairs in her shoe closet alone; the rest are in another part of the house. They come in every imaginable material, form, color, design, and label. The same goes for her bags, which number in the hundreds. “Hindi ako dito masyado bumibili ng mga bag at sapatos,” she explains. “Pag umaalis ako, pag may shows abroad, doon na ako talaga namimili. Pag dito kasi, walang time talaga.” When she does find the time, you can catch her at the Shangri-La mall, she says. “Minsan bumibili din ako sa Rustan's, pag may bago. O kaya sa Makati , kasi may Louis Vuitton na rin dito, e.” Without question, LV is her favorite brand.

Regine who's sporting long wavy hair these days, is also considered a trendsetter in hair fashion. However, she does not want to acknowledge that she can get away with any hairstyle. “Hindi naman siguro,” she smiles. “Kaya lang, alam n'yo kasi, pag may ginagawa ako—whether it's for fashion or kahit sa music ko, or makeup, or my hair—pinapanindigan ko lang kahit hindi bagay. Pero dadalhin ko lang ‘yon. Confident lang ako. Alam mo ‘yon kasi feeling ko naman, ganoon lang naman, e.”

In fact, she says, she has never been vain about her hair. “Mas pinagtutuunan ko pa ng pansin, kuko ko, e,” she laughs. “Sa buhok, kahit ano ginagawa ko. Like now, mahaba ‘yong buhok ko because I'm doing a soap opera [“Forever In My Hear”] and my sister [Cacai, who is also her business manager] doesn't want me to cut it. I actually like having short hair because it's easier to maintain. Kaya lang, ang mga kapatid ko, gusto nila ako na long hair, kasi parang mas madami daw maiaayos. Mas bagay daw pag sa gown.”

Dieting, says Regine, is something she's not too fond of doing. “Paumpisa-umpisa lang,” she admits. “After noon, wala na. I love fruits and vegetables. I like salad… I love to eat, and I don't feel guilty when I eat. Although after, I'll starve myself. Like ngayon, nagda-diet ako… hindi lang ako kumakain. Okey ba ‘yong diet na ‘yon?” We tell her it's suicide. “Parang ganoon na nga,” she laughs.

Regine used collaborate with fashion designer Louie Mamengo for her gowns. When Louie left for the U.S. , she went to Rajo Laurel. “I really like Rajo, and matagal-tagal na rin akong nagpapagawa sa kanya. But I'm also working now with Pepsi Herrera. He's very good. I've been working with him sa ‘Pinoy Pop Superstar'”

She likes Rajo and Pepsi primarily because they listen to her suggestions. “I can tell them something I don't like and they won't feel bad. Dapat ganoon. Dapat meron kang relationship with your designer. Hindi puwede ‘yong ipipilit ng designer mo isang damit sa ‘yon. What if you don't feel comfortable? So, ako, I work well with designers who are very open-minded. Hindi ‘yong, ‘Hindi. Maganda ‘yan. Uso ‘yan.' Ayaw ko ng mga ganoon. Kasi, siyempre ikaw naman magsusuot, e.”

She has also recently been using gowns by Randy Ortiz. “I also love Randy. He made this beautiful gown in my concert with Ogie [Alcasid] na sobrang sexy.”

Regine's first biggest expenditure was for a wristwatch, a Techno Marine. “Hindi pa uso ‘yong Techno Marine dito,” she recalls. “Mas mura pa noon kesa ngayon, kasi nga uso na siya.” A wristwatch is also, at the moment, he most expensive accessory—a Franck Muller. “Mahilig kasi talaga ako sa relo, e. Gusto ko talaga ‘yong Franck Muller. Type na type ko siya.”

Here are some of her favorite timepieces, in a 3-by-3 leather box. The three pieces that are spread out are Techno Marine (pink strap), Gucci (wide black leather strap), and another Techno Marine. Inside the box are two Bulgaris, two Cartiers, one Dion, one Techno Marine, one Rolex, one Fred, and one Franck Mullerr.

These shirts and casual tops are for non-public-appearance working days, such as a concert rehearsals, recordings, and going to and from her taping or shoot locations. At home, however, you can catch the diva wearing dusters or sundresses. “I have a lot of dusters. Pero medyo sosyal na ‘yong mga duster ko ngayon—‘yong mga Victoria 's Secret na. ‘Yong parang T-shirt? I'm so comfortable wearing that. In the house I'm like that the whole day. And ‘yong mga T-shirts na pantulog, that's what I wear. And I also like wearing mga sundress. But if I go out, I'm always in jeans. Pero kasi, minsan parang ang hirap nang mag-jeans. E, hindi naman ako nagso-shorts. So, ang pang-alternate ko, sundress. Kasi, after a while parang ang sakit na sa legs saka sa singit pag every day kang naka-jeans. So, ‘yong mga mukhang pantulog pa ring ‘pinanlalakad ko. Kais magre-rehearsal lang naman ako, ganoon.”

Here are three of her favorite shirts. The yellow one is a stretched Gap, size small; the white is Giordano, size medium; and the gray one is Xhiliration, also medium.

Regine carries her jeans well, especially the worn-out, grungy type shown above—an Abercrombie & Finch, which happens to be her latest favorite denim brand.

“Na-realize ko nga na I have sooo many jeans!” she laughs. “Ang dami-dami! Actually, kumonti na nga ngayon, kasi nag-part na ako with other jeans. Pero before, pag nagga-garage-sale ako ng mga gamit na kailangan ko nang tanggalin, ‘binebenta ko ‘yong mga clothes na iba pero never ako nagbebenta ng jeans. ‘Tapos, ang dami-dami ko na nga, bili pa ako nang bili. Feeling ko, wala akong ganito, ‘tapos pagdating ko dito, sandamakmak ‘yong jeans. Pero now, marami na akong tinanggal ng jeans.”

Once in a while, the songbird is in the mood for some headgear. Here are some of her top picks:

* Brown snakeskin cowboy hat by Something Special

* Blue snakeskin cowboy hat B (no label)

* Canvass baseball cap by Port Authority

* Beige fisherman's hat (no label)

* Red plaid newsboy cap by Shake Shake

Regine's room, situated on the second floor of her Bulacan house, is actually a house in itself. It has a mini sala that serves as her entertainment area. A nook serves as office space—this is where she keeps her iMac computer, which keep her abreast of goings-on in the outside world. Then there's the walk-in closet, the extension of which is home to Regine's spotless bathroom with a bathtub. A narrow staircase leads to the loft, which was originally designed to be the attic. But she changed her mind and wanted it to be her office. Then she changed her mind again and made it her sleeping quarters instead.

“I realized kasi na kung office lang siya, I probably won't go there. Alam mo ‘yon? I'd probably stay downstairs, diretso tulog na. Tatamarin na ako umakyat. So I said, doon na lang ‘yong bed.”

Except for the light fixtures, the bedroom area is bare of any modern electrical gadgets.

“Ni wala akong stereo doon, e,” she tells us. “I purposely did that so that when I sleep, I just sleep there talaga. Kasi before, may TV talaga. Hindi ako nakakatulog kasi pag may nakita akong magandang palabas, siyempre papanoorin ko. E, dito, pagka inantok na ako, pag-akyat ko, talagang matutulog na lang ako. At pag natutulog ako, ayoko ng noise. Kahit anong noise. Saka ang ilaw, patay lahat. Madilim.”

Regine is also proud of the bed that her equally famous father, Tatay Gerry, had crafter for her.

“Kasi, di ba nga, mababa lang ‘yong ceiling, so ginawa niya ‘yan,” she beams. Also , her loft is special because: “There has never been a time na humiga ako doon na hindi ako nakakatulog. Kahit hapon. Any tie of the day, especially at night, pagsayad ng likod ko sa kama, not even two minutes, I'm dead. Which is great. Kasi before, I had such a big problem sleeping. May insomia ako. Especially after a day's work, usually mataas pa ‘yong adrenaline ko, e. Pero dito, walang problema.”

The songbird says her room is really where her heart is. “Kaya kahit na ginagabi ako ng uwi—bukod kasi sa nade-depress ang nanay ko pag wala ako dito—kina-career ko talagang umuwi kahit na malayo. Kasi I'm so comfortable here.”

If there's one thing that can make her uncomfortable in her own room, it's when she discovers that her spray can of Baygon insecticide is missing.

“Lagi akong nagi-spray ng Baygon!” she laughs. “Kasi, ayoko ng lamok, ng ipis, ayoko ng langgam. My sisters think it's weird. Nabubuwisit nga sila sa akin, kasi lagi akong nagi-spray, ‘tapos natutulog ako. “Tapos, pagpasok nila, ‘Ang baho! Ang baho!” E, ako, sanay na ako. Baka nga ‘yon na ang pang-addict ko, e. As in, tingnan mo ‘yong banyo ko, puro Baygon.”

Regine says she can stand the smell of insecticide, but not insect bites: Alam mo kasi, sa akin, ‘yong pagtulog, napakaimportante sa akin. Kasi nga, feeling ko, lagi akong antok, lagi akong kulang sa tulog. So, para magising ako dahil may lamok, di ba nakakairita ‘yon? Inaagapan ko na.”

This is the entryway to two major areas—the walk-in closet, just past the door, and the bathroom, which is behind the carved wooden door. The two paintings on the wall on the left are by Malang, while those on top of the ornate wood cabinet—depicting shoes—are by a painter named Murielle. The clown figurines are part of Regine's collection. “Dati pa ‘yan,” says Regine. “Ngayon, hindi ko na maasikaso.”

Besides making Regine's bed, Tatay Gerry personally made the shelf you here. “Handyman talaga naming, tatay ko, e. That's why I like coming home here, because of these things.”

The shelf contains some very precious items: the original taped copies of her concerts and shows, album compilations of all her movie stills, her drawing books with her sketches and doodling, a framed first photo of the house upon its completion, and a framed butterfly collection that was a gift from Sharon Cuneta.

Her huge flat TV, which comes complete with the entertainment system of DVD and MP3 players, plus speakers, is a gift from her home studio, Viva Films, after the 2003 Metro Manila Film Festival. “Bonus daw nila sa akin noong nag-guest ako as Darna sa Captain Barbell.”

Regine says of her room: “It's a girlie-girlie room, alam mo ‘yon? All my things are here… my little collections.” These include: stuffed toys, mostly from fans; clown figurines; Anne Geddes dolls; photos of herself and her seven pamangkins. Note the black mini-fridge on the left. The top is chock-full of chocolate bars and candy; the inside, water, cheese, Magnolia Chocolait. “'Yong mga candies, sa mga pamangkin ko. Pag nagpupunta sila, dukutan nang dukutan. ‘Yong Chocolait at cheese, akin. Kasi minsan, umuuwi ka, umaga na. Tatamarin na kong mag-prepare sa ibaba. Ayoko namang manggising pa. ‘Yon ang panawid-gutom ko.”

Regine Velasquez was born to a poor family and was only 12 when she started singing for a living in her home province in Bulacan. “Kumakanta ako noon sa D'Marcus Restaurant sa Baliwag,” she recalls. Her take-home fee was P150 a night, which was already meager back then. “For three sets ‘yon, 45 minutes per set. “

In 1986, she won the title “Ang Bagong Kampeon” in the TV talent show of the same name. Life started to get a lot better.

Now, at 34, she has certainly achieved far more than she ever dreamed of, and is enjoying the rewards of her dedication. The promdi has morphed into a box-office movie actress, a notable TV host, a top product endorser, and a leading member of a soap-opera royalty. But more than that, Regine still reigns, 18 years after. “Ang Bagong Kampeon” as the country's top-selling recording artist and concert diva.

Despite her successes, Regine's feet remain firmly planted on the ground. She has even refused to be uprooted from the province of her childhood. “Gusto ko dito, e,” says the multimedia star on the afternoon that YES! visits her in Guiguinto, Bulacan.

Specifically, she loves the house that she has built, the house where she and her family have been living for the past 15 years.

“Nabili namin ito, house and lot na,” Regine gives a history of the property. “When we found this place, mura alng namin nabili. Kasi dati, nangungupahan lang kami. Sa isang apartment lang kami lahat. E,siyempre, naglalakihan na, dumadami na ‘yong pamilya. So, sabi ko, it's time for us to get a house.”

She got one on installment. When the Velasquez family moved in, it was a bungalow. “Hindi pa ito ganito,” she says. “Pero mga six or seven years din namin tinirhan ‘yong luma.”

When she had enough money saved, Regine bought the adjoining lot and had a high concrete wall built—a two-story, four-bedroom structure with high ceilings and tall windows, exactly the way Regine wanted it.

“I talked to the architect,” she says. “Kasi, ‘yong bahay before was bungalow nga. Parang hindi ka makahinga, kasi wala masyadong windows. ‘Tapos, mainit kasi mababa ‘yong ceilings.”

She laughs, “That's why medyo galit kami sa bintana Ang lalaki ng mga bintana namin.”

Another thing Regine specifically wanted was space for a lawn and a driveway. “Kasi dati, sagad-sagad, e,” she explains. “'Yong pagpasok mo, bahay na agad. Ang I didn't want that, kasi parang feeling ko, mas delikado. At least, meron pa silang dadaanan, di ba? Then, nagpalagay ako ng driveway para din sa mga cars na nandiyan. Plus, minsan madaming pumupunta dito, ‘tapos nakalagay lang sa labas ‘yong kotse.”

But as much she loves it, this house, says Regine, has actually been built not for herself. “This is my dream house in the sense na masaya ako dito dahil nandito ang pamilya ko. But essentially, para sa parents ko talaga ito.”

That is why, after she had her way with the ceilings and windows, Regine turned over the rest of the construction and decoration work to her mother. “E, ang nanay ko, medyo European and kanyang style. If you notice, ma-carving siya maski sa mga gamit.”

In time, Regine hopes to build another house, her own dream house, which she intends to be a modern one.

“My house would be contemporary,” she visualizes. “It's probably just gonna be concrete and wood. I like wood. ‘Tapos, ayoko noong masyadong maraming gamit—although and dami kong gamit talaga—pero if it's gonna be my house, I want contemporary talaga.”

When she's able and ready to build, she will have to choose from the lots she has invested in through the years. She has one in Meycauyan, Bulacan, and another in Ayala Heights , Quezon City .

But for now, Regine still very much enjoys her Bulacan home, especially when all the rest of the family members—with seven children as new additions—come to visit for a bingo game.

“Gusto kasi ng nanay ko, ‘yong sabay-sabay kami nakikita,' she laughs. “So, nagpauso ng bingo. Sampung piso bawat card. Pag madami kayo, exciting! Madaming barya, nakaka-excite. Pinag-aawayan pa namin talaga minsan ‘yon. Pag may hindi naka-attend, may P1,000 na multa. So, top money pa ‘yon! Masaya pagka nanalo ka, kasi ang daming barya, e. Nakakatuwa.”

Regine begins to speak like a bingo expert to our uninitiated ears.

“Lalo na pag punuan na—ang last game kasi, punuan ‘yon—‘yong pupunuin mo lahat ng slots. One hundred pesos na ‘yon per card. Hindi ba ang saya noon?”

We agree. - -