Following the competition, the 21-year-old mestiza charmer — along with “AsNTM” winner Sheena Liam of Malaysia and compatriot and fellow finalist Jodilly Pendre — visited Indonesia. And just like Christian Bautista and acoustic singer-songwriter Sabrina, she was warmly received over there.
“I have somebody who is representing me in Indonesia. I have a very big fan base there because I am their market,” she told InterAksyon during the recent cover shoot for the latest issue of Animo, a lifestyle magazine featuring prominent students and alumni of De La Salle University. The issue hits newsstands this week.
Katarina said she has other fans living overseas which is why she also started a video blog on her YouTube channel called “#KeepingUpWithKatarina” to stay in touch with them.
“I’m trying to establish myself here and in Indonesia at the same time. I would also like to try Malaysia and Hong Kong but I’d like to be successful in all Asian countries,” she added.
Together with Jodilly who she now considers her best friend, Katarina also hopes to further pursue her modeling career in London which they are scheduled to visit this year.
“What I do after ‘Asia’s Next Top Model’ is what will set me apart from the winner. I am pursuing modeling because I was given this opportunity that thousands of other applicants wanted,” she boldly declared.
If Katarina sounds like she’s not lacking in confidence, it’s because she has every reason to be full of it, especially after her experience on the show.
“I had very limited modelling experience when I joined ‘Asia’s Next Top Model’ but I still made it to the competition. Even when I got in, I almost got eliminated from the very first episode so I had to work very hard to make it as far as I did,” she recalled.
And no, she did not always consider herself as beautiful.
“I was actually a wallflower for a while when I was studying in the States. I didn’t have any boyfriends but I did become homecoming queen.”
On “AsNTM”, Katarina had the distinction of being the only contestant criticized by the judges for, believe it or not, being too pretty.
“It’s the worst criticism I got from the judges. When they told me ‘I’m too pretty’, I would just smile and say thank you and then they’ll tell me it’s not supposed to be a compliment. During the finale, I was really flattered to be compared to Elizabeth Taylor who was not only beautiful but also a legendary international icon,” she exclaimed.
With her striking features, it’s also natural to assume that Katarina has a very happy lovelife. Surprisingly, she is single at the moment after she broke up with her last boyfriend during her “AsNTM” stint.
Dennis Trillo has been reported to take a fancy at Katarina. The popular actor even went as far as to campaign for her victory through social media. Told about this during the viewing party of the “AsNTM” finale, Katarina said she appreciated the gesture but made it clear that she was not interested in getting into a new relationship at the moment.
Aside from aspiring to be a world-class supermodel, the Lia-Com major said she is still an active and very much competitive member of the DLSU Track and Field team.
“So I really don’t have the time to date right now. But who I date will certainly be an investment as I won’t go out with him just for fun. I don’t think I’d date a model or an actor, that’s not my thing,” she declared.
If she’s not into models and actors, what exactly would she be looking for in a guy?
“I think there are lots of things I would have to consider. It doesn’t matter how much money a guy has or what a guy’s status in society is, I wasn’t raised that way. For me, the things that do matter are: Can he support himself? He has to have good intentions, good morals and good values,” she wondered.
“Passion is also a big thing, so is ambition, determination. I saw those qualities in my grandfather, in my uncles, my dad, in my younger brother. Someday, I’d like to marry someone who’s like my grandfather or who’s like my dad. They would be the perfect example of an ideal guy.”
source: interaksyon.com
