Body Talk with Riza Santos

Aside from new friends, guess what Riza Santos, 2006 Miss Earth-Canada, gained inside Big Brother’s house? Seven pounds, would you believe?

“It was because I ate a lot of peanut butter inside; in fact, I ate a lot maybe because we had so much down time and I was stressed-out,” laughed Riza who was among the 15 housemates of the ABS-CBN reality-TV Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Edition 2 (won by Ruben Gonzaga of Davao) who spent 84 days together. “Now, I have to work out double time to shed those excess poundage.”

Asked what was the best lesson that she learned “inside,” Riza gave a famously “beauty contest” answer.

“Dealing with people from all walks of life in different situations. Remember, I had to live with these people 24/7. And that’s a lot of time! Also, I learned more about myself more than anything.”

Before winning the Miss Earth-Canada crown (after competing in three other contests, one of which declared her Miss Teen Philippines-Canada), Riza was in school finishing Biological Sciences, preparatory to a medical course. She also served as a soldier in the Canadian Army.

A pure Filipino (her father, Ruel Santos, is from Bulacan; her mom, Dina Buenaventura, from Bataan) born in Alberta, west of Canada, Riza said she’s 100 percent Filipino and 100 percent Canadian as well.

“I grew up in a huge Filipino community where there are around 40,000 Filipinos. There are more than 111 Filipino associations in my city and that’s how I learned how to speak Tagalog. I was brought up the Filipino way. I know a lot of Filipino dances; I know how to dance the Tinikling and Singkil. I come from a conservative family but I won’t say that my parents are strict.”

A Virgo, Riza stands 5’7", weighs 120 lbs. (from 125 when she came out of Big Brother’s house) and measures 35-25-35. A contract artist of Viva Records, Riza aspires to be an over-all performer.

“I have experience in hosting but my forte is singing and dancing. I’m into acting now.”

-Philippine Star -full story