ACTRESS Bea Alonzo is looking forward to spending a different Christmas this season, which will be doubly exciting and special for her as she is marking it for the first time with her whole family in Spain and Andorra.

Alonzo wants to experience a white Christmas. “It will be very different this year,” the actress said. “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 with me. We are also spending Christmas in Andorra, so it will be a white Christmas for us.

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

It will be different because it’s the first time for the Alonzo 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 plan for the holidays when she was introduced as the new image model of My Diamond, coming after the likes of Charo Santos-Concio, Kris Aquino, Heart Evangelista, Anne Curtis, Liza Soberano and Jinkee Pacquiao. The store is owned by couple Raffy and Kat Florencio.

Alonzo owned her first diamond ring when her mom bought one 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 at that time, 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 diamond 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.”

It will be remembered that in 2022, Alonzo 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 1800 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 were newly refurbished such as plumbing and the newly-renovated rooms.

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

Alonzo cannot be any happier that she got associated with a brand that has been around for more than two decades now.

“I’m very happy to be representing a brand that promotes sustainability, responsible and ethical sourcing,” said the actress.

“Jewelry are really investment pieces for me. I love fashion. I love collecting bags and shoes, but if I were asked, I would always invest in jewelry.”

She is always accompanied by her mom whenever Alonzo buys jewelry. She wears her jewelry in events, showbiz functions and even private parties.

My Diamond has five collections – classic, signature, unity, dream and white halo. Alonzo was thrilled that she gets to endorse the pieces like what other celebrities such as Kris Aquino, Anne Curtis, Charo Santos Concio, Heart Evangelista, Liza Soberano and Jinkee Pacquiao previously did.

Marriage is apparently not always the end game for Alonzo, whose engagement with Dominique 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 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,” she granted. “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, I learned.”

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. 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.”

The actress wants to be kinder to herself next year. “I will really aim to balance my life,” asserted Alonzo. “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.”

Alonzo is still doing the teleserye, “Widow’s War,” on GMA Network. “We got extended that’s why I’m very happy and excited about that,” she said.

For 2025, Alonzo is slated to complete one movie, a series for streaming and another teleserye with GMA 7. “It will be a very busy year,” she said. “But busy is always good.”

In “Widow’s War,” Alonzo reveals the plot that audiences can anticipate. “Malapit na ang mga revelations,” she said. “Malapit ng ma-unravel who is masterminding the killings. So the episodes get more exciting every night.”