Bea Alonzo 

MANILA -- Christmas will be doubly exciting and special this year for actress Bea Alonzo as she is spending it for the first time with her whole family in Spain and Adorra.

“It will be very different this year,” Alonzo told ABS-CBN. “I am going to Spain with my family, so I can bring my nephews and nieces there. 

“It will be their first time to go to Spain with my brother and sister-in-law. My mom, from the time we were house hunting, she already went there to Spain. We are also spending Christmas in Andorra, so it will be a white Christmas for us.

“Then I’m going to London (United Kingdom) with my best friend, but my family will stay in Madrid.” 

It will be remembered that in 2022, Alonzo legally became a resident of Spain when she invested in an apartment in Chamberi, Spain. The place is situated in a quiet neighborhood in Madrid.

In Alonzo’s vlog, she shared that the architect of the building where her apartment is located is Tristan Domecq, the same architect who designed the house of Amancio Ortega, owner of the fashion brand, Zara

While the apartment originally dates back to the 1800s, the interiors of the apartment were newly refurbished such as plumbing and the newly-renovated rooms.

Alonzo reportedly purchased the Madrid apartment for a whopping 500,000 Euros or around P30 million, said to be beyond her budget.

\It will be different because it’s the first time for Alonzo’s family to spend Christmas out of the country. “Normally, we always spend Christmas here in Manila,” Alonzo said. “Noche Buena is always here. Then, we leave after the holidays.

“It’s our first time to spend Noche Buena out of the country. Then we will experience snow. So it will really be cold.” 

Alonzo disclosed her plans for the holidays when she was introduced as the new image model of My Diamond. The store is owned by couple Raffy and Kat Florencio.

Alonzo owned her first diamond ring when her mom bought for her after the success of the blockbuster hit, Cathy Garcia Molina’s “One More Chance” (2007), opposite John Lloyd Cruz.

“My mom wanted to gift me with something very special, so when I recall that memory will return to my mind,” Alonzo shared. 

“I went to Spain last September to get my residency card and when I returned, I got a necklace where the words ‘primera yo’ were engraved. That means, ‘myself first.’ I really invest in jewelry. That’s timeless. You can wear that all the time.”

Marriage is apparently not always the end game for Alonzo, whose engagement with Dominic Roque was called off early this year. 

“We have different paths, we have different destiny,” Alonzo said. “Of course, it will be nice but marriage is not my end goal. If it happens, I will be happy. But it doesn’t mean that I will beat myself up if or I would feel like a failure if it doesn’t happen. 

Romance, however, is not out of the question for the actress. “I am not saying that my doors are closed now,” Alonzo said. “Right now, honestly, I’m enjoying being single. I get to know a lot of new people around. 

“I’m enjoying my own company. May mga nagpaparamdam, siyempre I’m single but I’m not dating anybody exclusively or entertaining any suitor.” 

No Spaniard around, insisted Alonzo, who turned 37 last October. “I met a few guys in Spain. They are good looking, but I haven’t met anyone with a strong connection.

“I know I’m not getting any younger that’s why I’m not taking these things lightly. In all the relationships that I went through, you learn.” 

For her New Year’s resolution, Alonzo wants to give balance to her single life. “I want to achieve that proper work life balance,” she said. “That’s going to be my goal for the New Year.

“When you’re single, a lot of friends are inviting you because they know they can easily invite you now that you’re not with someone,” Alonzo said. “I realized I get to enjoy my social life now for the very first time in years because I was always in a relationship. 

“I rekindled friendships. I have friends whom I have seen and now, I get to be with them again. I also made new friends and I’m happy with that.

“I want to be kinder to myself next year. I will really aim to balance my life. Normally, work is my top priority. I love my job and I have a lot of things to do next year. I also want to prioritize my personal life.

“Right now, I’m rediscovering myself without a partner. I get to know myself a lot more, like when I traveled to Spain by myself last September. It feels good to know yourself and discover new things about yourself.”