It seems only yesterday when Maja was discovered in 2003. Her first soap was “It Might Be You”. In 2006, she won as most promising star by the Guillermo Mendoza Awards and the best new female star in the Golden Screen Awards and Star Awards for her role as a psychic girl in “Sukob”. Other films she did were “First Day High”, “One More Chance”, “Cinco”, “Villa Estrella” and “24/7”. On TV, she was launched in 2009 in “Nagsimula sa Puso”, then did other soaps like “Impostor”, “Minsan Lang Kita Iibigin”, “Lumayo Ka Man sa Akin”, “Binondo Girl” and “Ina Kapatid Anak”. She was launched with her then BF Matteo Guidicelli in “My Cactus Heart” but she won best actress in the Urian and Luna Awards for her title role performance in “Thelma”.
What would she say are the highlights of her ten-year career? “Siempre, big blessing na tumagal ako ng ten years kahit very tough ang competition sa showbiz,” she says. “Highlight din my winning the best actress award, then my dancing in ‘ASAP’ kunsaan ako nahasa sa pagsasayaw and doing ‘Ina Kapatid’ kasi nagmarka talaga sa tao yung role ko as Margaux. This concert tour is definitely a big highlight kasi umikot na kami sa buong Pilipinas and now, there are now negotiations to stage it abroad. I myself conceptualized it with Gerry Telan. Since it’s my 10th anniversary, I want to give back to the people so I’m sharing the proceeds to Ephesus, a home for abandoned children in Bulacan.”
Doesn’t she consider her colorful lovelife a highlight, since she was linked to several guys? Coco Martin and Matteo Guidicelli even exchanged blows at a Star Magic Ball because of her. “Sino bas a tingin nyo ang biggest highlight sa kanila?” she asks us.
We tell her it’s definitely the one who’s her present, Gerald Anderson, as it even affected her friendship with Kim Chiu and she got a late of hate mail from bashers. How did this affect her? “Wala ka namang magagawa sa ganun. Tanggapin mo na lang kaysa sagutin sila, para lang hindi na humaba. Respetuhin na lang ang opinion ng ibang tao. Basta ang importante, kilala mo ang sarili mo.”
What’s her latest projects? “I finished a movie with Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, ‘Tatay’, directed by Joey Reyes. It starts na para kaming aso’t pusa then we become best friends. Patapos na rin ang ‘Status: It’s Complicated’ sa Regal, directed naman by Chris Martinez. I play a conservative girl looking for Mr. Right pero ang natagpuan ko, si Jake Cuenca na super babaero. Kasama rin namin dito sina Eugene Domingo, Solenn Heussaff and Paulo Avelino. On TV, I’m about to start a new soap, ‘Hanggang Kailan Kita Mamahalin’, with Angel Locsin, Jericho Rosales and JC De Vera.”
What’s her birthday wish? “Now na 10 years na ako, I want to do something new. Since nakilala na ako sa acting and dancing, I now want to be a singer. I’m taking voice lessons and may offer na rin to do an album. Kaya nga enjoy ako in performing sa concert ko as a singer-performer dahil I get to sing live. Dream ko na kasi noon pa na mag-perform talaga sa harap ng maraming tao and now natutupad na yung pangarap na yun in ‘Maja Unveils @ 10’.”
