Road to the ABS-CBN Ball with (from left) Sofia Andres (in Joe San Antonio with jewelry by F&C), Janella Salvador (in Mark Bumgarner with jewelry by Diagold), and Sue Ramirez (in Mark Bumgarner with jewelry by Miladay) Photography by Dookie Ducay

Whenever the topic is beautiful and talented women who are as feisty as they are feminine, a chock-full of figures come to mind, especially in local showbiz. It could be that classy old-timer who outshines everyone in the room, that ethereal girl whose glass skin is as smooth as mulberry silk, or that multi-hyphenate who looks like she harnessed the sun’s energy with the spirit she has.

Enter Sofia Andres, Sue Ramirez, and Janella Salvador. These Star Magic A-listers are no stranger to the spotlight. They are absolute belles of the ball, who exude class and confidence.

Sofia (in Bela Borromeo with jewelry by F&C), Janella (in Mark Bumgarner with jewelry by Diagold), and Sue (in Hannah Kong with jewelry by Miladay)

Janella, for one, has since been in the ’biz for a long time now, and with theater actors for parents, love for acting sure runs in her system.

In 2012, through the daytime TV drama Be Careful With My Heart, Janella became a breakthrough artist. She kept at her A-game as an actress, swaddled singing to her career, and made a massive comeback post-pregnancy.

Through her role as the serpentine supervillain Valentina in the television remake of Darna, Janella, yet again, has yielded praises from the public.

Sue, meanwhile, first dipped her toes in showbiz in 2011 when she was cast in the revival of the 1990s classic, Mula sa Puso.

The melodrama catapulted Sue to further corners of showbiz, where she was able to showcase more of what she’s made of. In time, her biggest break to date knocked at the door in the guise of a kontrabida.

From her innocent image, she graduated to Lexy Lucero, a shameless husband-stealer and homewrecker in The Broken Marriage Vow.

Sofia, in the same vein, started in the entertainment industry early. Come year 2014, her career shifted 360 degrees when she waltzed her way down to the KathNiel smash hit She’s Dating the Gangster.

Today, this actress and Zoe Essentials entrepreneur has also crossed over to the digital entertainment scene and is one of the most followed celebrities online. Sofia makes a splash as an influential content creator and fashion muse for luxury brands.

Recently, Sue and Sofia also took on the action-romance series The Iron Heart alongside Kapamilya star Richard Gutierrez, where the two have demonstrated their acting chops in dramatic and action-packed scenes.

Janella

An air of sophistication follows in a space each time Janella Salvador enters it. The Darna actress has something in her that strikes a chord, and it seems that confidence is her catchphrase. Best believe that stardom is Janella’s match, too, and her talent obviously backs that up.

As one of the brightest stars today, Janella’s stature in the industry remains solid but also malleable enough to take on different and challenging roles. That is why there is no surprise in seeing her navigate different possibilities, despite being a mother and having a busy calendar. Janella just recently joined her fellow ASAP Natin ’To artists in Milan, Italy, where she performed for the Filipino and foreign audience alike.

In a catch-up interview with Metro.Style, she said she is more than excited to share the same space and energy again with her co-artists. “I really missed dressing up, conceptualizing, and collaborating with my stylist (Perry Tabora) for what I’ll be wearing on the red carpet,” she began, when asked what she missed most about the ABS-CBN Ball. “It’s rare that we’re all together in one event so I really look forward to seeing my friends.”

“I can’t wait to see who’s invited this time because so many people have left but also so many people joined us in this network, so I’m excited,” Janella added. She also hinted at her haute attire for the grand gathering, “For the past Star Magic or ABS-CBN Balls, I’ve been more of a princess. This time, we’re going for something very different. I think I’m going to go for something more sexy.”

Janella made sure of that. “I’m always hands-on with all of my outfits for the Ball because I’m very picky with what I want to wear. If I don’t want to wear it, I’m not going to wear it,” she asserted. And while she said that fussiness is not at play, her need to feel pampered from time to time is of top priority.

“I rarely really get pampered so for the Ball, I’d really make sure I pamper myself, [that] I’m well-prepared,” she shared. “So I guess that’s my favorite part—preparing for the ball, fitting my outfit for the first time, [and] getting my nails done. I rarely get my nails done!”

Like a toast to ABS-CBN Ball’s comeback to the red carpet, she told us, “I think the most important red carpet must-have is confidence. No matter what you’re wearing, no matter what your makeup is, no matter how nice it is, if you don’t have confidence, you’re not going to shine.”

Janella Salvador

Sue

“Kailangan ng mahabang meditation. Hindi ako masyadong social person!” Sue responded when I asked her what rituals she performs when attending the ABS-CBN Ball. To psych her up, she said she takes time strengthening her mental state.

“Madaldal lang po ako pero kailangan ko talaga ng matinding mental preparation kasi siyempre, ang tagal nating hindi nag-attend ng mga social events,” the leading lady shared. “I think ’yun ’yung pinaka-kailangan kong paghandaan—pa’no ba ulit mag-socialize? Parang mag-a-adjust na naman ako ulit.”

Besides beefing up her social skills, Sue is also anticipating meeting most of her friends in the affair and her fellow The Iron Heart actors. She said, “[I miss] just hanging out with your friends out of work, you know?! It feels like work but it’s not really work when you’re there, kasi it’s very happy lang when we’re together.”

“Parang everybody’s just celebrating for the night and lahat, good vibes lang,” Sue added. “I’ve been away from The Iron Heart taping kasi nagkaroon ng mga schedule problems, so I’m very excited to see The Iron Heart peeps—sina Richard [Gutierrez], Sarah [Lahbati], sina Sofia [Andres]. I think si Pepe [Herrera] will also be there. [It’s] really just the people that I’ve worked with recently kasi medyo may sepanx [separation anxiety] ako talaga sa kanila.”

Joining Sofia in this cover shoot is also something that Sue admits she is happy about. According to her, her friendship with the actress is one thing she is appreciative of. In The Iron Heart, in fact, her action scene with Sofia is her favorite.

“I feel na ’yun na ’yung pinakamatinding fight scene na ginawa ko for the show. And of course, I’m doing it with a very close friend. It was very collaborative between us. We were sensitive to each other so nag-enjoy kami while doing it,” Sue said. Apart from Sofia, Sue, too, is all the more excited to have a moment with her fellow Kapamilya artists.

“Of course, we had a lock-in situation for tapings, so ang nakikita lang talaga namin are those people that we’re working with,” Sue reasoned out. “All those other friends that we have, hindi namin masyadong nakikita ’cause they’re also locked in. So this is the time to really get together and just feel the togetherness.”

Meanwhile, Sue is resting her case when it comes to grandiose preparations for the gathering. As per Sue, she trusts her team enough to even sweat the details. “Actually, hindi ako masyadong hands-on! I trust my team, I really do, and I know naman na they’re not going to do anything na makakapagpahiya sa’kin,” she stated, saying that a little surprise won’t have to hurt. “I want to be surprised also; I don’t want to be so curated.”

It seems like Sue’s sunny disposition extends to how she describes beauty. She celebrated her 27th birthday just last July, and she just picked up weight from the parties, too. “Nag-gain ako ng kaunting weight, but hindi naman siya important,” Sue thought to herself.

“I just got back to fasting, para lang maganda ’yung fit ng gown. Siyempre, para sa designer na rin, du’n sa stylist ko (Joanna Garcia)... Exercise? Hindi ako ma-[exercise]. I’m more of a stretching kind of person than mga exercise so, oo, nothing strenuous!”

Sue Ramirez

Sofia

Time is a luxury for Sofia. She loves to cherish the little time she has with her loved ones and her daughter Zoe, above all, so she would savor every second she is with them. “I consider Star Magic and ABS-CBN as my family, so [I am] most excited about [seeing] beautiful people around with their beautiful gowns, outfits, and everything,” Sofia shared.

Each time Sofia is asked a question, she would always throw a quip or two. As to who she wants to meet at the AbS-CBN Ball, she said, “Meet? Meet? Oh my God, I’m an introvert! That’s the last thing I would think of... I don’t know. I think the universe will just surprise me. I’m open to making friends with everyone.”

“May na-miss ba kong friends? Of course! Well, katatapos lang namin mag-shoot ng Iron Heart in Iloilo and I’m sure that I’ll get to see them again,” she bounced back, sporting a serious face this time.

As to what she’ll be wearing, she nodded quickly and turned to the ceiling. “To be honest, I really trust my stylist (Steph Aparici) and I don’t have to worry about anything. She knows my body type,” Sofia said.

On the topic of getting ready for the celebration, Sofia revealed, “I’m really not maarte kasi, as long as I’m confident with what I’m wearing. Before, I was super arte with everything! Ngayon, parang I just realized, when you’re comfortable in your own skin, you can wear whatever you want.”

As to what she remembers the most out of all the Star Magic or ABS-CBN Balls she attended before, Sofia mused, “I think the very first ever Ball that I got to attend kasi I didn’t expect to be part of Star Magic. Kasi before, my insecurities were very high and parang to be part of something is different.”

“Alam mo ba, ’pag nasa ball ka, ang daming magaganda, ’di ba? So parang you get to feel so shy and a bit intimidated and reserved,” Sofia looked back, but learnt. “Now, parang, the more you get older, parang you’re more comfortable [na].”

Sofia Andres

As Sofia, Sue, and Janella step into the spotlight once more, an outcry of self-acceptance, self-care, and self-love reverberates around the room.

For Sofia, who doubted her potential in the past, the dreamer in her led her way to stardom, self-worth, and courage. She is no longer the newcomer who used to downplay her uniqueness, and at present in her career prime. Today, as she triumphs over the ever-changing climate of entertainment, she wants nothing more than navigate motherhood. She said, “I’m working on being present for my daughter kasi I’m done with my project, so I have time to be with her more. She’s growing too fast and I don’t want to waste the time that I have left.”

Sue, however, glistened with honor as her best times in the ABS-CBN Ball turned up in her memory. As to what her favorite fashion moment is, she recalled: “I think [it] was [in] an ABS-CBN Ball also. I was wearing a red gown. ’yung hair ko nu’n. Naglagay pa kami ng kunwaring mole. ’Yung eyeliner ko was red. It was super iconic. I think ang daming mga articles na lumabas na isa ko sa mga best-dressed and I agree kasi talagang ’yun ’yung time na nag-prepare kami talaga. We really had a peg and we followed it.”

Smitten with nostalgia, Janella also noted that this time around, she is more attuned to what she wants and that she is long past her delicate period. “It was still the Star Magic Ball back then. It was in 2010 and I was only 12 years old,” she looked back. “I didn’t know what was happening and I just remember being so starstruck by all the big stars. I was so shy and it was my awkward stage so I will always remember that.”

To Janella, who is now more sure of herself, meeting for a night of giving back and gratitude is something that she knows the Kapamilya stars will take pride in. Thrilled, she said, “Ilang years na ’yung Ball and I think the last ABS-CBN Ball was before the pandemic, so I’m sure everybody’s excited for this. And, it’s a comeback!”

Sofia Andres

Sofia Andres

Sue Ramirez

Sue Ramirez

Janella Salvador

Janella Salvador

Sofia, Janella, and Sue

Sue, Janella, and Sofia

Metro Road to ABS-CBN Ball 2023 with Sofia Andres, Janella Salvador, and Sue Ramirez

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Catch the ABS-CBN Ball 2023 Red Carpet Special live on Metro Channel on September 30 at 6 PM. The celebration will also air on ABS-CBN Entertainment and Metro.Style on YouTube, and is available on iWantTFC and TFC IPTV Video on Demand.

Photography by Dookie Ducay

Metro Head: Christina Lopez

Editor-in-Chief: Geolette Esguerra

Sittings editors: Grace Libero-Cruz, Kate Paras-Santiago, Troy Barrios, and Red Dimaandal

Creative direction by Randz Manucom

Makeup by Julius Cabanisas (Sue), Donita Ygrubay (Sofia), and Cielo Medved (Janella)

Hairstyling by July Vito (Sue), Mark Jefferson Zamora (Sofia), and Renz Pangilinan (Janella)

Styling by Joanna Garcia, assisted by Nica Espinoza and Carlie Lajara (Sue); Stephanie Aparici, assisted by Rohan Oncada (Sofia); and Perry Tabora, assisted by Kris De Leon (Janella)

Videographer for interviews: Jethro Flores

Videographer for Fashion Film, BTS and Teasers: NicePrint Photo

Set design by Robert Blancaflor, with production manager Rein Alajar

Shot on location at Makati Shangri-La

Content producers: CJ Reyes, Judy Arias, and Carla Buyo

Shoot assistant: Mika Yusay

Special thanks to Star Magic, Gidget dela Cuesta, April del Rosario, Thess Gubi, Machi Ishikawa, Marga Catalan, Love Andaya, Alex Camus, and Paolo Cortez