Vanessa Hudgens’...

buyer and collector, then endorser, Ivana is now fine jewelry store investor. She is set to co-own and open a branch in Cebu.

She chose the Queen City of the South to be the location of her first store because “Cebu is beautiful. I love Cebuanos and my mom is half-Cebuana. My maternal lola is from Cebu.”

On now being a fine jewelry store owner, Ivana gushed, “Di pa nagsisink in. Nagugulat nga ako, o nga no (whenever it’s mentioned). But it’s something that I will treasure a lot because jewelry never goes down, it always goes up in value. It is one of the best investments, for me.”

She also shared how her business relationship with Drake started.

She also accompanied her post with the hashtag “#WeGiveTheWorldOurBest,” the much-talked-about phrase which had a senator calling out the tourism department as the campaign “commodifies Filipinos.” a store because of its dashing French doorman.

The phrase was spotted in an overseas ad that featured British-Filipina nurse May Parsons who administered the world’s first COVID-19 vaccine in England.

Vanessa’s Independence Day post was well-received by some Pinoys who cheered her for commemorating what is called the “true birthday of the Philippine nation,” according to a former president.

“We indeed #givetheworlfourbest. Thank you for being our voice,” an Instagram user partly wrote.

“Happy [I]independence [D]ay, kababayan,” another online user wrote with a Philippine flag emoji.

Nevertheless, Ivana maintained that she’d rather end up with a full-blooded Filipino in real life.

“Ang bet ko talaga ay Pinoy. Pinoy talaga! Hindi ko kailangan ang sobrang yaman. Hindi manloloko, alam mo, very basic. (I want a guy who’s) nonshowbiz,” she said when asked by this paper for her ideal guy.

“Of course, it’s important — kailangan siya pumasa sa Mommy ko Well, hindi lang sa mom ko but also with my whole family. And (the constant love) advice ng mom ko ay ‘wag kang laging magmadali and ‘wag mo ibigay ang lahat.”

“But right now, I’m focused on myself, my family and my work,” Ivana quickly pointed out.

Ivana was briefly interviewed on the sidelines of the launch of the newest LVNA branch on Thursday at the Shangrila Mall East Wing. It was announced that from being jewelry

“Yung nanay ko, dini-em siya (my mom DM-ed him on Facebook). It’s because my mom is a huge (jewelry) fan. Since I was young, she’s been teaching me to invest in jewelry, all diamonds, all gold pieces, because you can really use them. So when she saw LVNA, ang gaganda ng designs, everything, she direct-messaged (Drake), she never does that. It was her first time, then kay Drake pa,” she recalled.

Both Ivana and Drake admitted that her profile as a content creator and showbiz personality, and his jewelry business both “boomed” over the pandemic.

“I think because everything has its own time,” was how simply Ivana put it. According to sources, she has been receiving acting offers but has not decided on her comeback vehicle yet. She was last seen onscreen via the 2022 ABS-CBN primetime series A Family Affair and Metro Manila Film Festival entry Partners in Crime with Vice Ganda. There are speculations that she’s appearing in another network, but that remains to be seen. n

“I love that you embrace Filipino culture and history, @vanessahudgens! Maligayang [A]raw ng [K]alayaan (Philippine flag emoji),” commented a different Pinoy. Others, however, were more wary of Vanessa’s Philippineoriented post.

“It took you 30+ years to love [PH]? Lol,” a Filipino on Facebook wrote.

“Talaga ba, sis,” another social media user commented.

“Aralin mo muna correct spelling man lang ng Pilipinas at Philippines, ineng… My heritage and history ka [diyan]!” exclaimed a different Pinoy.

“Kasama sa pay kaya may pa-greet na ganyan, but noon ay waley [wala],” another Facebook user wrote.

Vanessa’s appointment as the country’s global tourism ambassador was previously met with mixed comments, with some Pinoys suggesting other personalities who they felt were more apt for the role due to their evident love for the Philippines.

These include Filipino-American influencer Bretman Rock who is vocal about his Pinoy heritage and South Korean personality Sandara Park who frequently posts about the Philippines on her social media accounts, among others.

The government’s global tourism ambassador initiative is part of the branding campaign and marketing strategy of Paul Soriano’s office and the tourism department.

Soriano, the nephew-in-law of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, is the presidential adviser on creative communications.

The global tourism ambassador initiative aims to attract international tourists and push for the resurgence of the Philippines as a travel destination. n