Redefining the biz in showbiz

Celebrity entrepreneurs launch businesses amid pandemic

by Nina Tambal / September 8, 2020

Entrepreneurship has taken a whole other level these days. You may have heard about your neighbor or your friend exploring business opportunities online, whether it’s selling food, clothing, or plants, among many others. So, it isn’t surprising that even celebrities have launched their own businesses.

But what exactly are these business ventures? And what has inspired these celebrity entrepreneurs in the Philippines to choose the type of business they have launched? Here are some of our local stars redefining the biz in showbiz.

Tuesday Vargas: Tuestogrow

Riding in on the wonderful wave of plant care, Tuesday Vargas is selling plants online. As a halamom herself, she turned her hobby into a business during the pandemic. In her Tuestogrow Instagram page, you’ll find a variety of plant babies waiting to be adopted as well as items related to plant care, from pot sets and garden shears to organic fertilizers and hygrometers.

Debating if the platito or plantita life is for you? We’ve provided the ultimate guide that will help you jumpstart on your plant care journey!

Sarah Lahbati: Crave Simply

Launched last May 20, 2020, Crave Simply features delicious dishes made by Sarah Lahbati’s mom, Esther Lahbati. As Sarah has always been a proud fan of her mom’s cooking (much like all of us), she wanted to share its wonders with everyone else. The Swiss lasagna is the star of their menu, but they also offer biko, bolognese spaghetti, ube, bicol express, garlic shrimp, empanada, and ginisang bagoong.

Albie Casiño: Papa Bagnet

Who doesn’t love a bit of scrumptious bagnet every now and then? Albie Casiño sure does! Whether you’re in it for the crispy skin or the tender and juicy meat, Papa Bagnet is a celebrity business that will satisfy your bagnet cravings. Side dishes such as salted egg, Vigan longganisa, Hungarian sausage are also on offer.

Lovely Abella: Lovely Cosmetics

GMA star, Lovely Abella, has been keeping herself busy with a lot of things amid the pandemic, from conducting live workouts with her lovely fitness squad to creating Youtube videos with her boyfriend. The hustle doesn’t stop with this celebrity entrepreneur as she launched her own line of cosmetics, featuring lipsticks that are vegan and made with certified organic ingredients.

Chef Gino Gonzalez and China Cojuangco: China X Chef Gino’s Kitchen

With food businesses being the craze all over the nation, it’s only right that celebrity Chef Gino Gonzalez pursue a venture that he will excel in. He and his wife, China Cojuangco, collaborated in order to bring top quality products, both frozen and ready to eat, to anyone who wants a taste of unique culinary creations. Get ready for some delectable duhat wood-smoked longganisa and other savory offerings!

Curious about what other professional chefs in the Philippines are up to? We’ve featured a few that have persevered and inspired people in their industry to soldier on during this trying time.

For most of our lives, people have had this notion about celebrities or influential figures being untouchable. And that they will always have the wealth and fame that they worked so hard for. But the pandemic has hit us with the reality that even those who are rich and famous also need to find ways to pivot and earn a living during a challenging time.

So, here’s to all the celebrity entrepreneurs of the Philippines. The realm and culture of entertainment may have changed, but you are showing the world that you can get through anything. Because as Stephen Chbosky once said, “Life doesn’t stop for anybody.” All the more reason we must keep soldiering on until we reach the light of this seemingly endless and dark tunnel.