Hilda Koronel: ‘I am happier now’

Hilda Koronel: ‘I am happier now’

by Janet Nepales

September 11, 2013

Los Angeles – “I am happy where I am right now,” Hilda Koronel said as she sat in a garden chair, dressed comfortably in a flowing white skirt and flowery top. “I am now just a regular housewife and semi-retired.”

For someone who just turned 56 last Jan. 17, Hilda looks vibrant, youthful and blooming.

Now based in Los Angeles and happily married for 13 years to Filipino-American businessman Ralph Moore Jr., Hilda took a break from show business for seven years and did one movie recently, the Star Cinema film “The Mistress,” which was directed by Olivia Lamasan and starred John Lloyd Cruz, Bea Alonzo and Ronaldo Valdez.

“My kids are all grown up so I am trying to enjoy my grandkids,” she said. (She has four grandkids)

Hilda has five children: Leona (with the late-actor Jay Ilagan); Ivy (adopted); Isabel (with the late Bambi del Castillo); Gabby (with Spanky Monserrat); and Diego (with Dr. Victor Reyes). She enjoys her quiet domestic life as a simple housewife, mother and grandmother.

Recently, she made a splash again when the late Lino Brocka’s 1975 film, “Maynila: Sa Mga Kuko Ng Liwanag,” was featured at the Cannes Classics section of the recently held Cannes Film Festival this year.

“Maynila” was digitally restored by the World Cinema Foundation, headed by Martin Scorsese. It was shown at the Salle Buñuel of the Palais.

Of her recent Cannes experience, Hilda admitted that it was a “bittersweet, fun, nerve-wracking and nostalgic experience. I thought of Lino Brocka who brought us to Cannes the first time with ‘Insiang.’ He would even do my hair and he would ask his fashion designer friends like Christian Espiritu to do my gown. He was like my mom. We were proud to represent the Philippines.”

She noted, though, “Too bad Bembol was not able to come. It was more his film.”

After seeing the movie again, she marveled, “I looked so young and slim. I was only 17 years old then. The film looked really crisp. I am glad they were able to restore it.”

The first time she went to Cannes in 1978, Hilda made a splash at the Croisette where “Insiang” was screened at the Section Parallèlle/Directors’ Fortnight. She remembers wearing a Christian Espiritu gown that made the front page of the daily, France-Soir, upstaging Farrah Fawcett.

This year, Hilda went to Cannes with her hubby Ralph, her good friends Dr. Tess Mauricio and husband Dr. James Lee.

“It was raining at Cannes,” Hilda recalled. “Thank God it stopped when we reached the red carpet or else it would have been hard for us to walk around in the rain with an umbrella in our gowns,” she said. Forgoing a designer gown for something off the rack, she pointed out, “There were a lot of designers who were willing to dress me up but there was just no more time.”

Among the many stars on the red carpet, her eyes were glued on the statuesque and lovely Nicole Kidman. “She was the first one we saw and I just couldn’t take my eyes off her.”

She also recalled, “We were so nervous to be on the red carpet. We said let us just go up. We were shy.”

Hilda confided, “I miss the people,” adding, “It will always be my country. Filipinos are very warm. When I lived here in the US, it was a culture shock for me. People here mind their own business. So I just got busy with my children and my garden. It is so quiet. I was used to having my own maids. I miss my maids!”

Speaking of Lino, she said, “He is very frank. You hurt people when you are very frank. He says what is on his mind. He is like a brother to me.”

On some of her leading men, Hilda revealed:

“Jay (Ilagan) and I were very young when we got married. He entered show business earlier than me; he was a child actor. When he died in that motorcycle accident, it was only six months difference when Lino died. Our marriage was not going to work. He had so many girls. But we always put our kids first before anything else.

“Walter Navarro, I heard, died horribly. I feel sorry for him. He was very talented as a singer but very shy.

“Christopher de Leon was my best leading man. We are (of) the same age and we were both talents of Lea Productions. Most of my films were done with Boyet. He is very professional and a very good actor.”

As to doing more movies, “I don’t think my husband would allow me,” she disclosed. “If he cannot go with me, I cannot do it.” She disclosed that she got many offers to do indie films after “The Mistress” but she declined.

Hilda married Ralph in May 2000 in Laughlin, Nevada. She said one of the secrets of their marriage is their friendship. “We do everything together and I always ask him first for his opinion before I do anything. We respect each other in that sense. It is better to find out what the other one is thinking before you do something.”

Ralph, looking at Hilda lovingly, said, “I love her. I respect her. I believe God put us together. So I worked at that. For me, I always think of her when I am at work. We text each other. She tells me everything that she is doing.”

He added, “I am grateful to God. Every time I wake up and she is lying beside me, I am grateful for another day with her. She is a wonderful wife. Her cooking is amazing – the best cook in the world. I love her dinuguan. I say, ‘Honey, stop but don’t stop. It’s so good, it’s bad. But it’s so good.’”

Ralph admitted crying when he first saw “Maynila.” He said, “I am so proud of her.” When he saw “Insiang” for the first time, “It was emotionally disturbing for me to see her crying in the movie.”

He said he didn’t know Hilda Koronel the actress when they first met because he was born in Oregon. “I just went to the Philippines when I was eight years old. Now I try to watch bits and pieces of her movies on YouTube… I was excited to see ‘Maynila’ in Cannes. I just wish I met Lino Brocka, too.”

The two also are into healthy living, taking care of themselves with good diet (organic food) and exercise.

Ralph, who is turning 60 years old this year, looks young for his age, just like Hilda. They credit their youthful appearances not only to healthy living and good attitude but also to Dr. Tess Mauricio’s non-surgical Time Machine procedure, which is not actually a machine, but the use of several machines to make a person look young and produce more collagen.

Hilda also added, “I am happier. I am not stressed. When I was younger I was more high strung. Now all my kids are grown up and I just have one son who is going to Nursing. I am more relaxed now. I feel that it is now more about taking care of myself than my kids but I think of them all the time.

“Now, I take care of how I eat (and) maintain myself. Well-being is important now that we are aging. We exercise daily so, hopefully, we will have 30 more years. I am kinder to people. I have become a better person.”

(http://www.mb.com.ph/hilda-koronel-i-am-happier-now/)