Isabel Preysler watches Julio Iglesias Concert

Filipina journalist Isabel Preysler and daughter Ana Boyer were at Isabel's son Julio Jose Iglesias's concert this past Friday, October 10, 2008 at a popular Madrid club. Julio sang Spanish versions of 80s hits like Cyndi Lauper's Time After Time, as well as his hits like 'Dejame Volar'. Julio Jose is Isabel's first son with ex-husband Julio Iglesias.
Isabel and daughter Ana were the loudest to applaud, and the pride Isabel felt for her son was present on her face. "I can't be objective because he's my son, but he was phenomenal," said Isabel on Julio's performance.
Julio Iglesias Jr.'s fall projects include the promotion of his new album, as well as his job as a spokesmodel for the new clothing line Soy, by Egatex. He modeled clothes from the line at the red carpet that night.Photo scans from Isabel Preysler Hola Magazine feature in October 2008 issue. Translated from Spanish by R. Arce.

Isabel Preysler 20 años aniversario Hola

Isabel Preysler recently celebrated her 20 year anniversary with Miguel Boyer, and appeared on the cover of Hola magazine for April 2008, and celebrated her anniversary 1 million Euros richer, as that's how much Hola paid her for the exclusive.

Now that's what I call 'Filipina power'.
Isabel Preysler celebra su 20 aniversario de casada con una exclusiva mientras su hija Chábeli acude a un programa de televisión a contar lo mal que los pasó con el divorcio de sus padres, su madre posa con su marido y sus dos hijas en Hola!

Impecabel, como siempre. Con una sonrisa de anuncio y un estilismo casual de lo más estudiado, la reina de las revistas de corazón Isabel Preysler ha decidido celebrar su vigésimo aniversario de boda posando junto a su marido Miguel Boyer, en la revista Hola! La exclusiva, millonaria, consta de un amplio reportaje fotográfico en el que la pareja se mira embelesada y cuenta que cada día está más enomarada. Además, entre las fotos se puede ver a sus dos hijas Tamara y Ana en una isla caribeña.

La ex mujer de Julio Iglesias parece estar más joven que hace treinta años y es que la cirugía y el photoshop ayudan a la diva a seguir siendo una de las mujeres más envidiadas y elegantes del mundo.

Mientras, su hija mayor Chábeli ha acudido a un programa de Televisión Española para recordar la separión de sus padres. La joven de 38 años pretende tener otro hijo para el 2009 y confiesa que le gusta venir a España (ella vive en Miami) de vez en cuando para ver a su familia.

Tamara Falcó Hola Cover October 2007

Filipina fashion designer Tamara Falcó Preysler, daughter of Isabel Preysler, is on the cover of Hola Magazine for October 2007. The headline says: "Tamara Falcó Preysler, like a princess in Paris, exclusive photos and interview."

She was also recently on the cover a few months ago with her sister Ana Boyer, with the caption saying "The daughters of Isabel Preysler, Tamara and Ana, have inherited their mother's glamour, exclusive photos and interviews."

Tamara and Ana have visited the Philippines many times before during their childhood with their mother of course to visit their grandmother and other family members who still live there, one time was right after Miriam Quiambao's wedding when there was some social party or something like that in Manila, but I remember hearing it from Maurice Arcache, who is one of Isabel Preysler's friends from the Philippines. Isabel was introduced to Miriam Quiambo, who showed off her wedding ring to Isabel. And Isabel jokingly said, "See Tamara, if you get married, make sure your boyfriend gets you a ring like that."

Tamara is the 26-year-old CEO of the 2nd Skin Company, her own line of clothing and fashion for young women.
I don't know why none of the TV networks in the Philippines ever do interviews with these girls or at least cover them in the media, they do stories with WWE wrestlers like Bautista (who I like and respect cause he's a nice guy) and simple contestants of some stupid dance show like ABC's Dancing with the Stars like that annoying Cheryl Burke with her hideous hairstyle, and interviews with Filipino contestants of reality shows like American Idol or So You Wanna Dance, but a Filipina CEO of her own clothing company, and she's only 26, doesn't even faze them. I guess a wrestler and dance/talent show contestants are more important than a Filipina CEO of her own company. Hmm...

Tamara Falco, the Filipina Paris Hilton

Young Filipina fashion designer, Tamara Falco, the 26-year-old second youngest daughter of Isabel Preysler, is recently being hailed as the Paris Hilton of Spain by the media due to her recent TV appearances in which she appears speaking in ... well a rather ditzy voice, which I think is kind of cute because she reminds me of some girls from my high school, however the media loves to make fun of her accent in Spanish with her problems in diction and pronounciation and the fact that she was born with the silver spoon handed over to her.

Tamara Falco recently released her own line of clothing called Second Skin, and has designed a few dresses for her mother Isabel Preysler and sisters Chabeli and Ana.


-What did you guys think about Hormigas Blancas, the recent TV documentary about your mother? Did you like it Tamara?

Tamara: I watched it for a little while, and then changed the channel.
(laughs)

-So you didn't like it at all?

Julio: Well the life of our mother, we already know it.


-You designed that dress?

Tamara: Well, my company designed it.

-Ah okay. Well, you look very beautiful.

Tamara: Thank you very much!

-Have a good time. Where's your boyfriend?

Tamara: In Madrid.

-Is he studying? Is he working?

Tamara: Today he had a job interview, so let's see if they choose him to start training.

-Are you gonna get married soon Tamara?

Tamara: No not for now. No it's not that I'm scared, it's just that I think I'm still too young. So...I don't know, I'll think about it, I dream about it, it's not something I would rule out all together.

-How long have you two been together?

Tamara: It's gonna be about a year.

But if I had to name a Paris Hilton of the Philippines, it'd probably be Kris Aquino.


It seems that problems in diction run in the family, as Julio Iglesias, Jr. has the same problem as his younger sister Tamara, which makes for extremely entertaining TV viewing. They're so funny.

Chabeli Iglesias: Tombola!

The daughter of Isabel Preysler, 36-year-old journalist Chabeli Iglesias, appeared in 1997 on the Spanish TV show Tombola. She was just talking about her separation from ex-husband Ricardo Bofill saying "Well, I think the people overexaggerate it. The press talks about what they want to, make it out to however they want it to be, invent whatever they want..." when all of a sudden, the panelists on the program start yelling at her all at once and call her "a boring, uneducated woman who doesn't do anything besides make TV appearances."

Watch it here:


Chabeli walks out and says "This program should be ashamed of itself."

The beautiful Filipina was just recently interviewed 10 years later in 2007 on the show Donde Estas Corazon, where she talks about the experience. In the end, the interviewer asked her "What if the same thing were to happen right now on this show, where everyone is talking at once at you, yelling at you, what if that were to happen right now?"

And Chabeli with her charm and humour says, "No, I'd tell everybody to shut up." Gotta love her sense of humour.

Isabel Preysler Hola Cover

Isabel Preysler was in Paris for a vacation, and while there, Isabel was offered the latest cover of Hola Magazine, looking stunning as ever.

Isabel Preysler Feliz Con Sus Hijos

Isabel Preysler: Acompañada de sus hijas mayores, Chábeli y Tamara, inauguró la nueva tienda de Porcelanosa en Barcelona

Isabel Preysler acompañada de sus hijas mayores, Chábeli y Tamara, fueron las encargadas de inaugurar la nueva tienda de Porcelanosa en Barcelona. Isabel es imagen de esta firma desde hace veinte años y esta es la primera ocasión en la que comparte protagonismo con Chábeli, recién llegada de Estados Unidos, y Tamara. Faltó la pequeña, Ana Boyer, que el mes pasado cumplió dieciocho años e Isabel explicó el motivo por el que no había podido estar acompañándolas: “Está con la selectividad, quiere hacer Derecho y Empresariales”.


Isabel que es siempre ejemplo de elegancia eligió dos vestidos de la firma Escada para este evento. Lució un traje palabra de honor en blanco y negro a la altura de la rodilla para asistir a la inauguración de la tienda que está situada en el palacio Malagrida del paseo de Gracia. Para la cena posterior en el hotel Arts, llevó un vestido gris perla realizado en gasa y satén. Su hija Chábeli, por su parte, lució un traje blanco de la diseñadora cordobesa Ana Torres en la inauguración que cambió por un palabra de honor rojo para la fiesta. Tamara fue fiel a la firma de la que es propietaria, The Second Skin co, y también al vestido palabra de honor. El que llevó en la inauguración era amarillo con una lazada delantera en negro, para la noche se cambió con un traje verde de gasa.

Isabel comentó que no cree que sus hijos Enrique y Julio se decidan a casarse de momento: “Me encantan sus novias pero creo que no se casarán hasta que no estén listos para ser padres”. Enrique está saliendo con la ex tenista Anna Kournikova mientras que Julio está unido a la modelo belga Charisse Verhaert. Sus cinco hijos y su marido, Miguel Boyer, parecen ser el secreto de su felicidad ya que comentó: “Cuando estoy rodeada de mis hijos y mi marido soy totalmente feliz”.

Enrique Iglesias and Marriage

Enrique Iglesias is scared of marriage.

The 'Hero' singer is "wary" of tying the knot after seeing his own parents divorce when he was just three.

Enrique, the son of singer and legendary womaniser Julio Iglesias, said: "I think commitment is an important aspect of a relationship for women.

"When women get to about 29, they start wanting to settle down. As someone whose parents divorced when he was three I'm quite wary of marriage. I don't believe it is important for a committed relationship."

The 32-year-old star has been in a relationship with former tennis player Anna Kournikova, 26, for the past five years, and insists she is the only woman he has ever truly loved.

He added: "I was in my 20s when I met Anna. I've had my heart broken a few times but really I've only been in love once."

Enrique Iglesias is set to follow-up his hugely infectious top five smash hit single 'Do You Know' with the physical release of 'Tired Of Being Sorry'.

The electro influenced ‘Tired Of Being Sorry’ will be the second single from his already gold-certified new album ‘Insomniac’. This album is the eighth studio record from the Madrid-born, Miami-raised singer who has now sold over 20 million records worldwide.

‘Do You Know?’ is still firmly in the top five UK singles chart seven weeks after release and ‘Insomniac’ has already racked up over 100,000 sales charted at #5 one of his highest UK album chart positions ever. Seems Enrique, who admits to struggling with a concept for the album for the last three years, made the right decision when he refused to bow down to today’s sure-hit formula of hip hop and electronic inspired beats, instead choosing to maintain writing songs that he liked in his own unique signature style.

Tamara Falco Linea de Ropa

Tamara Falcó, daughter of Isabel Preysler, recently released her own line of clothing called Second Skin. Here's Tamara at the Marie Claire Awards at the French Embassy in Madrid wearing a beautiful white cashmere dress with accompanying white shawl/jacket from her fashion line, accompanied by younger sister Ana Boyer. Isabel's lovely daughters seemed to have inherited her mother's penchant for shawls, reflecting the style of the Philippines. Tamara also designed a few dresses for her mother Isabel Preysler, including one worn by Isabel during a highly publicized dinner party for George Clooney at the Preysler house.

Chabeli Iglesias Preysler in Spain

Chabeli Iglesias Preysler attends America's Cup Cocktail Party in Valencia, Spain, and is looking gorgeous in this blue satin gown with a shawl, reminiscent of styles in the Philippines.

with husband Christian Altaba

Isabel Preysler Tatler Philippines

Here's a picture of Isabel Preysler in the latest issue of Philippine Tatler magazine, which features Filipinos of poise and social standing.

I've met Isabel before, and she is a wonderful and kind person, not to mention beautiful at the age of 56.

Isabel Preysler Philippine Tatler Cover

By Ed Biado
Elegant, relevant, interesting. These are the three words that describe the Philippine Tatler, according to managing director Irene Martel Francisco. As expressed by editor Anton San Diego, the three words are premiere, frontrunner and interesting. They were obviously being modest.

Catering predominantly to the AB female demographics age 25 and above, the Philippine Tatler is the most recognized publication in high society circles. Giving their readers a peak into the intriguing lives of the affluent and the powerful, the magazine unapologetically mirrors the aristocratic lifestyle, honestly depicts it and ultimately, influences it.

Arts and culture, business, food and wine, trends and travel are the center of the Tatler world; a mélange of everything classy, exclusive, glamorous and definitive. To say that the Philippine Tatler is an authority is an understatement.

Lunching with socialites

Over dimsum at Shangri-La Makati’s Shang Palace, Francisco and San Diego let me in on what the upper crust magazine, and the upper crust itself, is all about.

“First of all, the Philippine Tatler is under the Edipresse [Group] umbrella, publisher of the Asian Regional Tatlers,” Francisco clarified. The Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Korea, Shanghai and Beijing Tatlers make up the Asian Tatlers franchise. “We are not affiliated with the British Tatler, although we share the same roots.”

“When we first started in 2001, we were the only ‘society’ magazine in the Philippines,” stated San Diego. Back then, critics were convinced that a “society” magazine was not viable in the Philippines due to the country’s unstable economic fabric.

San Diego explained that to beat the skepticism, they made it a point to aim really high. Their first issue had the “First Daughters” on the cover, Luli Arroyo, Jackie Ejercito Lopez, Imee Marcos and Jo Ramos.

And hit the mark, they did. That virtually controversial cover sealed the deal. Because of the unprecedented success of the Philippine Tatler, other publishing houses scampered to come up with their own Tatler equivalent. However, the Tatler remains the benchmark in “society”-magazine panache.

San Diego recalled another first in publishing history—their first anniversary cover with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and then-Cabinet members in a “Men in Black” pose.

He illustrated that every photo shoot is a milestone because they mostly shoot elusive people in radical concepts. He then went on about how exhilarating it is shooting someone out of their comfort zone and extracting something special out of them, and that how different it is with models and actors who are used to the flickers of the camera flash.

Their July 2007 issue was augmented with the expertise of noted fashion photographer Nigel Barker, where he captured the luminescent shots of 12 of the country’s most beautiful women, including Kit Zobel, Ina Ayala, Lucy Torres Gomez and Ruffa Gutierrez.

Speaking of “the most,” the Philippine Tatler also prides itself in being the pioneer and raising the bar in “society” list-making. Through the years, they have come up with the most exquisite lists such as most invited, best hostesses and most eligible singles. What’s next, then, for the “spirit of high society?”

“Our September [2007] issue is the biggest so far. It’s a tall order to surpass that,” revealed San Diego. The cover, which I saw a digital copy of, and 16 pages of the magazine will be dedicated to Madrid-based Filipino journalist, model and mother of pop superstar Enrique Iglesias, Isabel Preysler, whom the Spanish press fondly calls “La Reina de Corazones” (the Queen of Hearts).

San Diego admitted that this is his favorite and gleefully raved about how wonderful it was working with Preysler, but claimed, “The current one is always my favorite.”

Society evolves

“High society now is less static,” disclosed Francisco, describing how it is getting more fluid and flexible.

“The social climate is changing,” San Diego added. He meant that more and more are being educated on—and interested in—the finer things in life. This manifests in the progression of the magazine as it got bigger, in terms of number of pages, until it reached its biggest in 2006, coinciding with the strengthening economy.

That also means that taste evolves. The Philippine Tatler recently underwent an editorial revamp in order to keep up with the advancement of technology and to accommodate the younger reader. The content and layout changed, though ever so slightly to preserve the Tatler feel.

“You can go a little bit to the left or the right. Just don’t go too far from the center,” San Diego uttered, motioning with his hands.

Gawad Kalinga

That’s Filipino for “to give care.” That’s also the latest Tatler advocacy. The magazine has chosen Gawad Kalinga as the beneficiary for the 6th Philippine Tatler Ball, to be held on Sept. 29.

For this year’s anniversary celebration, their aim is to build a Gawad Kalinga Village of 30 homes. The Philippine Tatler will pay for the construction of 10 homes at P75,000 per home. They hope to raise enough funds to foot the bill for the remaining 20 homes.

“Any wealthy person can help,” Francisco started to expound, putting on a more serious face, which wasn’t the case when we were talking about the glitz and glamour side of the magazine. She said that not everyone has the means to spread the word and found it humbling to have the opportunity to be able to use a medium, like the magazine, as a vehicle to help those in need.

Corporate social responsibilities have always been part of the Tatler itinerary. Just last March, the Philippine Tatler raised P4.2 million to aid breast cancer patients through their Pink for Life campaign.

“In a Tatler Ball with 400 guests, we can urge them to support a cause. It’s like a captured market. We don’t sell tickets, it’s all invitational. But we still manage to raise funds for our elected beneficiaries,” she explained, citing their project for Operation Smile that helped 533 children with cleft-lip as an example. Their total yield of P3.2 million was the single-biggest donation the organization received last year.

“It really becomes a responsibility. You do it once, you have to do it again,” said Francisco of the Tatler’s CSRs, showing her fervent affinity to sponsorship programs. Following all her involvement in benevolent work, through the magazine and otherwise, she grew to be more passionate about using her voice—and machinery—to create awareness among the “society” crowd to push her philanthropic agenda.

As much as she maintained that the magazine, through its fund-raising auctions and balls, is still the ideal channel for her to execute her social responsibilities, Francisco articulated that if to put up a charitable institution, she prefers that it be a scholarship foundation.

Just fabulous

I had a brilliant time lunching with the Tatler heads. In between plate changes, we would swerve a little from the interview and talk about tons of other things, like the last CDs we purchased, musicals we want to see, the difference between Zara and Gap, out-of-the-country trips and the like. Though disappointingly, there was nothing in the grapevine.

At one point, San Diego joked about feeling like the interviewer because he was asking me assorted questions; what college I went to, how I got into the industry and other résumé-like queries.

We even got into a discussion on the future of high society, specifically the Greenbelt-flocking, club-going cliques. Politically correct opinions were expressed on how “young society” will mature and outgrow the insistent partying. Francisco very understandingly called it a rite of passage. She did, however, establish that it really is exceptionally different from the house parties in evening gowns that she was used to in her youth.

In the course of two hours—from high noon to 2 p.m.—until we reached the conclusion of our meal and were scooping out the last of our dessert, we would pleasantly be interrupted by other socialites that were dining at the restaurant.

Time does fly by when you’re having fun. My lunch with Francisco and San Diego was hearty, juicy, informative and highly inspiring. I can’t wait to do it again.

Isabel Preysler Philippine Tatler

WITHOUT BATTING AN EYELASH A Madrid fashion shoot By Maurice Arcache Columnist Inquirer MANILA, Philippines—It was a glorious summer in Madrid when the Philippine Tatler made a special trip to the fabulous home of Isabel Preysler, one of the world’s most beautiful and stylish ladies, for an exclusive photo shoot and interview for the cover of its sixth anniversary issue, dahlings. Spaniards call her “La Preysler,” shouting “guapa” when they see her in person or “la guapassissima Filipina.” She arrived the night before the Tatler’s visit and was complaining of allergies that were making her teary-eyed. Worried, she told us she should schedule the shoot for the next day. She did not realize how close to perfect she looked as she sat in her bathrobe having her makeup and hair done by her personal hairdresser and makeup artist, Lola Viray. Philippine ambassador to Spain Lani Bernardo and his wife Conchitina said Preysler was charming and down-to-earth. Conchitina recalled one evening when she and Preysler, escorted by their husbands, went out to dinner. Upon seeing Preysler, the people in and outside the restaurant chanted “la guapa, la guapa (beautiful, beautiful).” A barrage of paparazzi waited for her outside. Conchitina said she never saw anything like it before, palanggas. Aside from Isabel P’s charm and femininity, what makes her attractive is her childlike quality, though her eyes hint of naughtiness. Such beauty and personality enamored her to everyone, particularly the Spanish media. Magazines gave her such titles as “La Reina del Glamour” and “La Perla de Manila.” Though people know she is beautiful, they often ask, “Is she nice?” The answer is yes! She is nice, humble and self-effacing. She is the face of Suarez Jewellery as well as Porcelanosa, for which she did a campaign with actor George Clooney. She is happily married to former Spanish Finance Minister Miguel Boyer, dahlings. After two years of coordination and numerous phone calls, a short four-day trip to Madrid in the fab Qatar Airways made Tatler’s anniversary cover featuring Isabel Preysler a reality. For mega photographer Raymund Isaac, editor in chief Anton San Diego, and lifestyle and social editor Maurice Arcache, as in moi, the drive up the driveway lined with cypress was already jaw-dropping. We were greeted by Isabel’s simpatica house help, Veronica, who spoke only in Spanish. I spoke to her on behalf of Anton and Raymund. Lola V. and stylists from Armani arrived almost at the same time. We also brought some clothes from the Philippines’ prince of alta moda, Inno Sotto. Isabel said, “I always want to promote the Philippines and help every way I can. Inno is a dear friend and I have always loved his clothes.” As the long day drew to a close and after seven changes, Anton asked her to pose with her dogs Tessie and Lily, lovingly named after her aunts (her dog Betty is named after her mother), would you believe? She said she and husband Miguel thought the aunts might not appreciate the gesture, but when they asked, the women readily said yes. In the course of the pictorial, Isabel’s gorgeous daughters Ana (Boyer) and Tamara (Falco) stopped to say hello. Finally, at about nine in a still bright summer evening, we called it a wrap. To say that this shoot was one of the most memorable we had done in six years would be an understatement. To travel to Madrid and feature one of Europe’s most recognizable faces, famous for her glamour, style and beauty, was a thrill, palanggas. It was a dream come true and, as we said earlier, worth the wait, dahlings.

Enrique Iglesias on Filipino heritage

Capital Radio
Interview with Rachael Hooper
Listen to SoundByte

R: We dragged him into our studio, which is rather cold, he had to put his jacket on, grilled him with your questions, that you guys sent in last night after hours. So without further ado let me hand you over to myself and Enrique Iglesias.

R: Enrique thank you very much for coming in first of all.
E: Thank you.

R: You did great tonight! Most people come in our living room they do three songs, you did eight?
E: No we were just screwing around see to get the sound right, but the audience was great they were very cute.

R: They were very excited.
E: Yeah they were very nice.

R: We've been giving the tickets away all week and they've been going mentalfor you. So it was so nice that you did that first of all.
E: And it was very laid back, so it's cool, you know. There was no pressure whatsoever.

R: Have you done that sort of thing before?
E: Yeah a few times but not a lot. Not a lot, I mean not for radio.

R: We just imagine that you'd play just huge screaming gigs, you know, as opposed 15 people sat in a living room.
E: No. I know but it was cool, that's what I said, it was laid back so there was no pressure. It's good to do gigs like that.

R: That's cool. Well we have a whole host of questions, which I can't ask everyone's, lots of people wanted to come to the gig tonight, but they couldn't come because we didn't have that many tickets, so I have some questions. If they're a little close to the knuckle they're not my fault, ok it's the ladies fault.
E: That's OK.

R: Here we go. First of all Brandy Mancini, she e-mailed in last night to Capital and said she would like to know the profile please of your ideal woman. The women in London are mad for you, can you tell them, please.
E: I don't have an ideal woman. The day I get married, that'll be my ideal woman.

R: They're all going to be ringing up now.
E: But I don't really have, I can't tell you that she's gotta be like this, or, I'll probably marry the opposite.

R: So do you find that you find someone and the person at that time is the person?
E: I think it's all about chemistry, if you like someone, you like someone and that you can't really control.

R: Absolutely.
E: And I'm like, I'm not very picky.

R: I can't believe that somehow.
E: Should I say that?

R: You have! So basically Brandy could be in with a chance there if she managed to meet you at one of your gigs in London. You never know, you never know! Melanie Brown also e-mailed into us last night, and she says she was lucky enough to meet you in London last January, when you were here. She's obviously one of your dedicated fans. And you told her that you speak, is this right, Tagalog? Tegalog?
E: Ah Tagalog.
R: Tagalog? So completely wrong then!
E: I was like, Tagalog?

R: What is it? And were you telling her the truth?
E: Oh Tagalog, no because I am part Filipino.

R: Yeah.
E: And in the Philippines they speak Tagalog, but I don't really speak Tagalog. Did I say I spoke Tagalog?

R: So she says.
E: No I don't think I, no oh maybe, oh I'm sorry if I did. I'm a stup~d li@r sometimes.

R: She was probably so overawed at meeting you, she just imagined that maybe happened.
E:Oh.

R: But I wanted to know what it was, because I never heard the word.
E: No that's why because I'm part Filipino.

R: Fantastic.
E: I don't look Filipino, but I am.

Enrique Iglesias, Isabel Preysler and the Filipino Identity

So I watched the TV Española 2-part special on her "Hormigas Blancas", and I thought it was fantastic. I think many Filipinos, since I debuted her on my other celebrity site a few years (which until then, most didn't have a single idea that Enrique Iglesias' mom is Filipina) have a rather distorted viewpoint on her life, reflecting their being raised in Filipino movies which espouse a "mestizo elegance" lifestyle in which they, the public, and even the tv networks assume that affluent Filipinos walk around in luxurious silk bathrobes all the time, lounge around the pool drinking wine, and bossing their servidumbre around.

But of course that's not reality, Filipinos born in the middle to upper class still have to work hard for what they have, if that lifestyle in the movies were true where they were just lying around all the time, then for sure, the money would be gone in a second because they didn't have to time to work because they were too busy lounging around!Many Filipinos assume that Filipinos who migrated to Spain (like Junior Morales, and Isabel Preysler) speak only Spanish and don't know how to speak Tagalog, even if they grew up in the Philippines, and that's a ridiculous notion, stereotype, and belief, because you cannot be born and raised in the Philippines, talk to your neighbors and childhood friends, and attend Philippine schools by just speaking Spanish, of course they speak Tagalog. I do know that Isabel Preysler has hired Filipino women to be the yaya of her kids in Spain, and many members of her staff are Filipino, and Enrique Iglesias has said that he always heard Tagalog being spoken around the house growing up.

This assumption comes from the assumption that the Filipino identity is completely separate from the Latin/Spanish identity, forgetting that the Spanish identity has already been incorporated in the national Filipino identity along with the Malay elements, molding into one unifying culture - the Filipino culture.

Many Filipinos are also saying that Isabel Preysler is not Filipina, she's actually of pure Spanish blood, and that's not true either, and you only have to take one glance at her beautiful face and almond-shaped eyes to see that.

Isabel Preysler does speak Tagalog and English, and I know this because I've spoken personally to her in person before, and she is the nicest person you will ever meet. She's a true Filipina woman, and she always represents our country to the highest degree in Spain.

Filipinos also should stop referring to her as a Spanish mestiza, because even if she is, that doesn't make her special or unique or anything because a lot of our people are Spanish mestizos, not just among the rich because there is a lot of untraced Spanish ancestry in Spanish colonies due to the way things were, but that does not take away from the fact that she's a Filipina. In fact, it's politically incorrect to continue to use words like "mestizo", "mulato", and other terms from the colonial period that refer to race in Spanish-speaking society, because everyone is trying to look past race now. So when I see Filipinos are still doing it, I'm okay with it because I understand that they don't speak Spanish and so they're not so attuned as to the cultural norms of a completely different society than what they're familiar with. The Filipino race doesn't exist, the Malay race exists, but Filipino is not a race, it's a nationality.

I just know that there are a lot of stereotypes in the Philippines that need to be erased, such as: Mestizos are Rich, Chinese are Rich, Filipino-Americans are all rich, Filipino-Americans are all snobby and mayabang (conceited), and finally, celebrities of Filipino descent (Enrique Iglesias, etc.) are not proud of their heritage. These are detrimental to our national pride and we need to stop all of this miseducation among our people.

The Filipino heritage has already been infused with Spanish/European heritage, so to continue to refer to a Filipino person as a "Spanish mestizo" as if it was something special is redundant in itself, because many of us Filipinos are Spanish mestizos, but our nationality and identity are as Filipinos.

So this was my latest revision, someone keeps changing her second apellido to Arrástia, which is incorrect, it's Arrástria. Also, someone keeps saying she comes from a Spanish-Filipino family, which is redundant and not doing anything to promote Filipino pride, because remember, even if a Filipino is of Spanish descent, he still a Filipino because that's his nationality and his country. Many Filipinos don't understand this and always view Spanish as a separate "race" than Filipino, forgetting that Filipino is not a race, it's a nationality, and the two are many times one in the same (as in part of the same person, a Filipino of Malay/Spanish descent, like many of us are).

Here is Isabel Preysler's bio from Wikipedia:

Isabel Preysler Arrástria (born February 18, 1951 in Manila, Philippines) is a Filipina journalist, model and former TV talk show host in Madrid, Spain. She is known in the Spanish press as "La Reina de Corazones" (the Queen of Hearts) ever since a best-selling biography by the same name was published about her. She is the mother of international pop superstar Enrique Iglesias, Julio José Iglesias, Chabeli Iglesias, Tamara Falcó and Ana Boyer.

Preysler was born in the middle-class neighborhood of San Lorenzo, Manila, Philippines, the third of six children to a middle-class Filipino family. She attended the Colegio de Monjas de la Asuncion, a private Catholic school. Due to her good behaviour, she was often selected to represent the Virgin Mary in the local Christmas parades.

Her nickname as a child was "Chabeli", which would later be the nickname of her first child. According to the book "Reina de Corazones" by Paloma Barrientos, she dated Gregorio Araneta, Charlie Lopez, and Bobby Santos, among others, as a teenager.^[1] Her older brother Enrique died in Hong Kong due to a heroine overdose. She named her second son Enrique Iglesias, in honor of her deceased brother. Joaquin, her second oldest brother, also had problems with drugs, but overcame them and now lives in Canada.

During her youth, Isabel participated in a charity beauty pageant for the Sheraton Hotel in Manila and was crowned queen. Jun Ikalav, a playboy with a bad reputation, started dating Isabel. This worried her parents, and at the age of 18, she was sent to live in Madrid with her uncle and aunt to study at Mary Ward College, an Irish Catholic university in Spain, where she studied Accounting. It was at a party in 1970 that she was introduced to a family friend by the name of Julio Iglesias, who at the time was not yet a famous singer. The couple had their wedding just seven months later and were married for seven years, during which time they had three children, Chabeli, Julio Jr. and Enrique. In accordance with their rising careers, Julio as a singer, and Isabel as a model in Spain and Europe, they exploded onto the scene in 1971 and became overnight superstars in Spain and Latin America.

Following their divorce in 1978, Isabel launched her own career as a journalist for Spanish magazine ¡Hola! and her first interviewee was Julio himself. She also interviewed Richard Chamberlain. She married the Marquis de Grignon, Carlos Falcó, on 23 March 1980, a short-lived marriage resulted in the birth of a second daughter, Tamara. She later married former Spanish finance minister, Miguel Boyer, with whom she has another daughter, Ana. This marriage symbolized for critics the alliance of the ruling Spanish Socialist Workers Party, part of the leftist opposition to Francisco Franco, and to the "beautiful people" (aristocracy and bourgeoisie).

Often dubbed "La Perla de Manila" by the Spanish media ("The Pearl of Manila"), readers at Hola magazine have voted Isabel as the most elegant and best-dressed woman in Spain for 1991, 2002, and 2004, and she has consistently topped the best-dressed lists over the years in various Spanish magazines.

In 1984, she hosted the Spanish lifestyle TV programme, "Hoy." She has been chosen by several companies to be an image sponsor for their products, including Ferrero Rocher, Suárez jewelery, and, most notably, the Spanish tile company, Porcelanosa.

In 1987, her two sisters moved to Spain with their families to be closer to Isabel.

Her father, Carlos Preysler, has passed away. Her mother, Beatriz Preysler, still lives in Manila where Isabel is known to visit frequently with her children. She is close friends with Maurice Arcache, a local Philippine journalist and socialite. She frequents social events in Manila, including events hosted by the Spanish Embassy of the Philippines. She is also friends with Miriam Quiambao, Miss Philippines-Universe 1999, ever since they met at a party hosted by the Philippine Daily Inquire, a national newspaper, and with fellow Filipina and acclaimed fashion designer Monique Lhuillier, who she met in Los Angeles during a trip. She is known to wear Lhullier gowns at social events in Spain.

In May 2001, she was Prince Charles' guest of honour for the opening of his Spanish Garden at the Chelsea Flower Show in England. She was his guest of honor again in 2005 at a garden party during a trip to Spain by the Royal Crown.

In 2004, the became Spain's welcoming host for David and Victoria Beckham when she hosted a welcoming party at her house for the celebrity couple. She became close friends with Victoria and was often photographed shopping with her during their stay in Madrid. ^[2]

Most recently she launched her official website at the suggestion of her son Enrique, who is one of her biggest fans. She continues to be the national spokesmodel for Ferrero Rocher, Suárez jewelery, and Porcelanosa, for which American actor George Clooney recently joined her in Fall 2006 to represent the brand in a new advertising campaign. ^[3]

As Enrique points she is noted for conserving her beauty in spite of her age. She, her family, and her home are frequent presences in Spanish magazines. She also helps participate in events for the Philippine Embassy in Madrid.

References

1. ^ "Hormigas blancas" Isabel Preysler - TVEspañola http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oe2IMgnY04s
2. ^ www.20minutos.es/noticia/234551/0/vicky/bree/desembarco/
3. ^ Hola! Magazine November 8 2006 http://www.clooneystudio.com/articles/hola110806.html