Money is easy and it comes regularly. One endorsement can actually earn an actor a minimum of a seven digit fee. So it’s no surprise that they can afford to be very generous.
Remember Gerald Anderson’s gift to Maja Salvador on their first Valentine together four years ago?
A chopper ride to Tagaytay that cost the actor roughly 150,000 pesos. Aside from lunch in Antonio’s, the helicopter package came with “a bouquet of roses, a cuddly bear, and Belgian chocolates for the lady, plus, a bottle of champagne.”
Pretty fancy for a one-day occasion, right? But Valentine’s Day or not, some actresses had received gifts that were truly extravagant.
A HOUSE
One of the houses of the late comedienne Nida Blanca was a gift from politician Romeo Jalosjos through a one-peso deed of sale.
The Laguna mansion of Vic Sotto and Pauleen Luna was said to be Bossing’s gift to his wife, who supervised its construction.
In August 2016, Ryan Agoncillo posted a video on his Instagram account surprising Judy Ann Santos with a house he reportedly bought for her in Las Vegas, Nevada. Ryan clarified they bought it the previous year, but it was the first time Judy Ann saw the property because she was pregnant with Baby Luna and could not travel.
But even if “walang okasyon,” Ryan likes to surprise Juday. In June 2016, he brought his wife to Hong Kong so they could eat at the restaurant of the famous French chef, Joel Robuchon.
Another surprise from Ryan was the “seasonal” Black Truffles that Juday relished. They left for Hong Kong at 7:15 am and returned to Manila that same day.
A CAR
In December 2016, in two separate weddings, a groom and a bride gave a BMW car as a wedding gift to their respective spouses.
Karel Marquez surprised husband Sean Farinas with a BMW 5-series sedan. She subsequently clarified it was not brand new.
Bangs Garcia was given a BMW 4 series M Sport by her groom Lloydi Birchmore.
Both cars have a seven-digit price tag.
Meanwhile, Angelica Panganiban’s ex-boyfriends had also given her cars as gifts. In 2009, Derek Ramsay bought a yellow Mini Cooper for her as a gift for their third anniversary. The couple broke up in 2012, the year Angelica supposedly sold the car she named “Baby James Cooper.”
But the actor clarified in an interview that they had gotten rid of it even before they broke up.
Also in 2012, John Lloyd gave Angelica a Mercedes Benz SLK350, which he bought for 5.1 million pesos in cash. A source told us that John Lloyd placed a bouquet of roses and a box of chocolates inside the luxury car before it was delivered to the home of the Kapamilya actress.
But the first guy to give his ladylove an expensive car, on national TV, was David Bunevacz. It was right after the Celebrity Duets finals, where his wife Jessica Rodriguez was a contestant.
She lost, but with her brand-new BMW X5, which then cost 5.6 million pesos, she went home a big winner.
In April 2008, Gerald Anderson’s gift for Kim Chiu’s 18th birthday was a pink Ford Lynx. At that time, the actor said he was just planning to court the first teen winner of Pinoy Big Brother. In May 2010, Kim gave Gerald a golf cart and a Louis Vuitton bag for his 21st birthday. Gerald then quipped, “Yung LV bag, hindi ko gagamitin dahil napakaganda. Pero yung golf cart, gagamitin ko yun.”
The ex-couple lavished each other with generous gifts. In 2009, Kim’s birthday gift for Gerald was a 14 cu. ft. two-door refrigerator. In 2011, she also gave him a massage chair.More than two years ago.
Jason Abalos also gave girlfriend Vickie Rushton a Honda Accord, which then had a starting price of 1.5 million pesos.
A BIG BIKE
Marian Rivera’s Christmas gift to Dingdong Dantes in 2011 was a Ducati Diavel, which reportedly cost more than one million pesos.
The Kapuso actress then said the price was nothing, Dingdong was “priceless.”Her husband rode the same motorbike to get to the church when they got married in December 2014.
Gladys Reyes also made her husband Christopher Roxas the happiest man when she gave him a Royal Enfield motorbike on their 13th wedding anniversary.
The brand’s Philippine website indicated that a Bullet Classic 500 costs no less than 300,000 pesos.
JEWELRY
Gretchen Barretto’s collections of jewelry, watches, and pearls have come from her dada Tonyboy Cojuangco. She has Rolex watches, Cartier bangles, Bvlgari rings, and Jewelmer South Sea pearls.
Just to give you an idea on how much the pearls cost: a pair of 13mm white pearl earrings ranges from 160,000 pesos to 200,000 pesos.
In 2011, Regine Velasquez’s Valentine gift for husband Ogie Alcasid was a Rolex watch. The Songbird remarked, “He deserves that watch kasi matagal na niyang gustong bilhin yun.”Saka ang cute-cute niya kasi hindi talaga niya hinuhubad.”
Based on this year’s price list released by LuxuryBazaar. com, the cheapest Rolex watch has a tag price of $5,050 while the most expensive is worth $113,800.
Some couples like giving luxury bags or shoes to each other, or, just like Ryan and Juday, they enjoy out-of-the-country trips.
A few spent on pets. Billy Crawford gave Coleen an expensive cat as an anniversary gift in 2015.
Because he is allergic to furs, the singer/host bought a hairless Sphynx cat all the way from Russia. They named her Anya, and her tag price was reportedly 200,000 pesos.
But these gifts are mere trimmings in relationships. As cliche as it may sound, nothing beats the effort put into it by the giver of gifts.
Truly, it’s the thought that counts.
