Nineteenyear-old Francesca Palabrica is a 5-foot-10 beauty with a 23inch waistline. People mistake her for a model, and some believe she could be a beauty queen.
But that’s not all. She’s majoring in BS Physics, an honors course. Francesca is also the associate vice president for academic projects of the League of Ateneo Physicists. She’s likewise a soloist and rapper of the Ateneo Glee Club.
She started ballet at age 2, and began learning wushu at 5 years old. She attended the London Performance Course at the Royal Academy of Dance in London at 13. She competed in the Philippine Olympic Committee-Philippine Sports Commission (POC-PSC) Wushu Federation Philippines’ National Wushu Championships in the Straight Sword 2nd Level International Routine Event when she was 16.
A consistent honor student since grade school, Francesca has honed her God-given talents quite well. She went to grade school at Paref Woodrose, with a special citation for her outstanding performance in nationwide writing competitions such as Readers’ Digest and Save The Seas National Writing Contests. She also won oratorical contests in both English and Filipino, and earned a best actress award as well.
She started singing classical opera in her high school years under the tutelage of Tessie Agana Santos. She pursued singing classical opera with Fides Cuyugan Asensio upon entering college.
She also did oil painting at the L’Arc en Ciel Gallery of Elaine Ongpin Herbosa in high school and joined art exhibits.
At De La Salle Zobel she was a consistent honor student and recipient of the St. Br. Miguel Febres Cordero FSC Arts Scholarship. She was also in the school’s debate varsity team and a soloist in the school chorale and the De La Salle Zobel Young Singers.
a 360-degree view of Metro Manila’s key cities on the 22nd floor, Cheska strikes a pose in Zara and Bershka.
She also played Mary Magdalene in the school’s production of the rock opera “Jesus Christ Superstar,” under the direction of Repertory Philippines veteran Michael Williams and Theater Down South’s musical director Joonee Garcia.
Francesca’s prized living treasures are her BFFs (best friends from different stages of her life) and her pets (a white dog named Eminem, a black dog named Dr. Dre, a turtle named Obama and a pet duck named Tinola).
Her cherished possessions are her pointe shoes, her straight sword, her art brushes and her Bible. Yes, she is prayerful.
She likewise enjoys singing in the church choir whenever time permits. To her, singing is the highest form of praise and worship to God.
To her small circle of friends, Francesca is one of the boys. A regular teenager, she enjoys playing computer games such as World of Tanks and League of Legends. She also loves reading Marvel Comics, Deadpool and Tin Tin.
From “Spiderman” and “Batman” to “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” she watches this movie genre with her buddies.
During quiet moments, Francesca’s constant companions are her books by Dan Brown, Tess Gerritsen, John Grisham and James Michener. Her alltime favorite books, though, are “The Little Prince,” which she took up in Grade 7, and Margaret Mitchell’s “Gone with the Wind,” which she read and finished at age 8.
Photos: Winston Baltasar
Fashion: Zara, Pull & Bear and Bershka
Venue: Bellevue Hotel, Muntinlupa
