COMING HOME

The Fil-Am Hollywood superstar Vanessa Hudgens returns to the Philippines to retrace her roots and showcase her beautiful country to the world By Maritess Garcia Reyes. Photography by BJ Pascual.

- Boy Abunda

Vanessa Hudgens was born and raised in Los Angeles and has lived happily in the US for more than three decades, enjoying a hugely successful career. But the 34-year-old has long felt there was a piece of her personal puzzle missing. Recently, that manifested in a desire to finally visit the Philippines, the homeland of her mother, Gina Guangco Hudgens, to better understand her Filipino heritage. “I’m in my thirties now and thinking about raising [my own] family. I want to get to know my heritage so my [future] children can know their background … [and] learn more about their blood,” says the actor who made her name in the Noughties Disney movie series High School Musical.

In her own words, Hudgens was raised “very American”—apart from growing up accustomed to having rice, adobo and pancit, distinctly Filipino staples, on the dining table. But Hudgens’s mother also instilled in her and her younger sister Stella particularly Pinoy values: kindness, respect and close family ties. “I tried to infuse Filipino culture. Kindness is number one, and [I taught them] not to forget who they are and to be true to themselves. Family is also important,” says Guanco Hudgens. Hudgens agrees: “The family aspect of the Philippines is so prominent. I’ve always been close to my mum and sister; we roll as a pack. That’s something from my [Filipino] heritage.”