TUESDAY
GMA Network artist and multi-slashie Solenn Heussaff is known for her wild and adventurous side, which
- self, the statuesque beauty never hesitates to take on crazy antics, just to make people e TheManilaTimes talagaako palang,” by now, Heussaff rounded up, “There are so many things to do talaga, and I haven’t even started talking about their delicacies that are delicious. So you can see, there’s really so much to learn about Samar and the rest of the Philippines for that matter.”
On the surface, Heusaff indeed looks like the socialite whose idea of a getaway are five- star hotels and fancy restaurants, but in reality, she prefers exploring mysterious caves, wild rivers and
unspoiled treasures.
She also likes to immerse herself in the life and culture of places she visits, and cited as an example for Samar her experience in banig weaving—a popular livelihood in the province.
“When I tried banig weaving over there, I realized it’s so much harder to do than tapestry-making! They’re very artistic really, and I was style and fashion in general.”
Excited to discover more about Samar what with shoots she is scheduled to do for the province’s tourism and investment promotion, collectively dubbed “Spark Samar,” Heussaff said she also hopes to show her Argentinian husband Nico Bolzico around her adopted second home.
“I want to bring Nico there, also my brother Erwan [the celebrity chef and blogger and husband to Anne Curtis] because we’re an adventurous bunch,” she enthused.
“I also like five- star hotels with a beach front, but I’m really more the type of person that prefers to get out there and explore a place on a deeper level— appreciating it raw rather than too curated,” she added.
Finally, the Kapuso actress and “All Star Videoke” host encouraged her fellow Filipinos who are now traveling more than ever to first and foremost explore their home country before discovering other nations.
“I only visited Samar last year living here in the Philippines for 30 years and I am half Filipino!” she admitted, ashamed of herself. “My mom grew up here and never went to Samar either. That really has to change because there are so many beautiful places in the country that a lot of Filipinos don’t know about.”
Candid as ever, Heussaff zeroed in on the problem she sees among Filipinos that prevents them appreciating what the country has offer.
“I think that in our culture, many Filipinos tend to think countries abroad are so much better than ours, which we all know isn’t true. I also see the value of going to other countries and learning about other cultures, but won’t it be more intresting to do that when you know as much as she ended, her rhetorical question truly full of spark.