October 29, 2025 | 9:33am
MANILA, Philippines — Writer and editor Dindo Balares gave an explanation as to why host-actress Kris Aquino broke her strict isolation to celebrate the birthday of designer Michael Leyva.
On his Instagram account, Dindo — a close colleague of Kris — said the Queen of All Media really honored her friends.
“‘Di lang basta-basta dumarating si Kris, maraming beses ko nang napatunayan. She shows up, fully and sincerely,” Dindo said, sharing a pandemic experience where Kris sent help even as she was beginning to experience the symptoms of what would be numerous autoimmune conditions.
Dindo further shared that Kris organized Michael’s birthday lunch for his charity last October 24, Friday, with catering by Chef Jessie Sincioco, whose recipes are a favorite of Kris’.
“Kung naiba-ibang tao lang na may ginagamot na multiple autoimmune diseases, hindi ito gagawin. Pero pamilya na rin si Michael,” Dindo continued. “It is not vanity but loyalty that moves Kris: the impulse to honor a friend’s goodness and to amplify what is kind and true.”
According to the writer, Michael managed to draw prominent clients because of Kris’ friendship and support, “They saw, through her, the sincerity of his craft and the purity of his purpose. In standing beside him, Kris lent not just her name, but her credibility, her trust, her light.”
He added that Kris endured the pain of her numerous conditions throughout Michael’s birthday celebration, reflecting her “heart that refuses to turn inward despite suffering’ and that “rather being defined by illness, [she] is defined by generosity, empathy, and grace under trial.”
Through the pain, Kris told Dindo that at the very least she knew she made Michael happy that day.
“Sa bokabularyo ni Kris, friendship is never transactional. It is covenantal — rooted in gratitude, sacrifice, and faith,” Dindo said. “What she does for a friend goes beyond gestures; it is a reflection of her soul’s generosity.”
“In her giving, even amid weakness, she reminds us that true friendship is not measured by presence in prosperity but by faithfulness in frailty. Kris Aquino remains, above all, a giver of love, of loyalty, of light. And that is why those who walk with her, as friends or as witnesses, never leave unchanged,” he ended.
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