Straight from Heart: “I Really Want to Express Myself Fully, With no Limitations Whatsoever.”

It was a strange moment in Heart Evangelista’s life when Esquire Philippines profiled the then 28-year-old for the cover of our May 2013 edition.

To recap: Her parents had just very publicly decried her relationship with Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero through a press conference. And so Heart, the daughter, chose to break up with mom and dad, packing all her stuff into paper bags and moving to, as she described, a new place “somewhere between QC and Makati.”

But leave it to a strong, broad-minded woman to look at things from all sides. For Heart, this was the moment when she could truly and finally be her own person. It was the time to make big and scary decisions, and Heart chose love and learned to be free.

Of course, we know how the story turned out: Heart and Chiz surmounted the odds, eventually tied the knot, and today, appear to be in a forever state of marital bliss. (As seen on Instagram, the actress was beyond excited when her husband visited her while working in China).

Heart is happy now and also back then—even if she was in the middle of a storm. Just take a look at her undeniably radiant portraits below.

Happy birthday, Heart!

On past experiences

“I appreciate my job. I appreciate the people in my life. I'm patient. I understand more. I’m excited to use all my past experiences and drown in this. I really want to express myself fully, with no limitations whatsoever.”

On her relationship with Chiz

“Showbiz and politics, oh my God, it’s a crazy combination. You must love each other to survive.”

On politics

“The one thing I know is if you’re a good person, they cannot put you down. It may be dirty, but your goodness will shine.”

On philanthropy

“I don’t think you have to be a politician to help people.”

Photos and quotes from the May 2013 edition of Esquire Philippines