A Paris Dream Come True

Paris Hilton rocked Manila fittingly: there were press conferences and shoots for her Century Properties project and parties to cap the night off. Her busy itinerary ended with a “Meet and Greet” session, along with the ribbon cutting of her handbags and accessories store at The Atrium of SM Megamall.

Fans from all over the country flocked to the venue to see the Barbie doll-like heiress. Local celebrities such as Melissa Ricks, Helga Krapf, Empress Schuck, Kit-Kat, Angel Aquino, JM Rodriguez were also there to witness the official opening of the store. The first sighting of Hilton excited the crowd with cheers from all over the place, but Melissa Ricks’s reaction was the most priceless one as we saw her wiping away tears:

“One of my dreams was to meet Paris Hilton and it came true!” Ricks says. “She’s so sweet and carefree! She has fun with her life and she’s very strong despite all her intrigues.”

When Ricks became a fan: A couple of years ago when she started her show “The Simple Life.” Since then, I’ve been a fan. I bought her books and I have all her fragrances!



Hilton’s Twitter friend and fan, 20-year-old Patricia “Isha” Andrea Dinio, was also present at the event. She reminisced with us her Paris Hilton experience: “It was a dream come true, like I have to really tell myself so many times that it really happened. Magical in a sense that I've been wanting and dreaming to see her for 10 years now and, now, it happened.”  Isha Dinio proudly shows off the three bags that Paris Hilton gave her.

Their cyberspace friendship had blossomed over the years, with Hilton giving her a total of three bags, eight perfumes, three shirts and accessories—all as her graduation gift to Dinio, who is now a Tourism Management graduate. 

In return, Dinio gave her “a doll wearing baro't saya and a picture frame bordered with banig and Philippine Shells which I bought from Kultura.”


“Paris Hilton has been with me in the special events of my life. She tweeted me on my 20th birthday, wished me luck in my OJT at a prestigious hotel months ago, left me comments on my pictures wearing my OJT uniform, and became so proud of me when I graduated from college. Paris is really an icon everyone should know; she's sweet to all her fans, makes time for them and even replies on some tweets and letters that her fans send to her,” reveals Dinio.


Paris' schedule started with the ribbon-cutting ceremony, and ended with the Meet-and-Greet session at The Atrium of SM Megamall:

Kenjie is one of many fans who purchased a Paris Hilton bag and got to meet and get Hilton’s autograph. I love that Paris used a hot pink pen to sign on them—so cute!

*Photos by me and Danilyn Nunga.