Heart Evangelista

Evangelista is the daughter of Reynaldo Evangelista Ongpauco, a restaurant magnate who belongs to a Chinese-Filipino clan, and Maria Cecilia del Gallego Payawal, whose family is from the Bicol province of Camarines Sur. Evangelista is the last born child, with siblings from both sides of her parents. She was born in the Philippines and moved to the U.S. before moving back to the Philippines in her early teens. She started her career at the age of 13 as a commercial model and actress.

As an accomplished painter, Evangelista had sold out solo exhibitions from various galleries such as the Ayala Museum[8] and Galerie Joaquin.[9] She uses her real name, Love Marie, in her paintings.[10] Her first solo exhibition was held at the Ayala Museum in 2014, entitled I am Love Marie: The Art and Works of Love Marie Ongpauco. On the same year, she participated in the Visual Arts Festival through the Focus on the Arts: Art in Transit exhibitions. She also held her second solo exhibition on the same year at Galerie Joaquin through her Love Marie gallery. Her third solo exhibition, Love Marie: A Solo Exhibition of a World Class Filipina, was held at the Raffles Hotel's Chan Hampe Calleries in Singapore in 2015. She also collaborated with Rocio Olbes's children's book, Daughter of the Sun and the Moon, and participated in the Art Fair Philippines 2015: maARTe and PortrAYAL (LAYA): Portraits for Freedom Big & Small Art Co.

In 2016, she collaborated with designer Mark Bumgarner through the LMxMB: when art meets fashion, as well as with A.A. Patawaran through the book HaiNAku and other poems. Her fourth solo exhibition was held at the Ayala Museum through her Oceans Apart gallery. Her iconic hand painted bags were also introduced on the same year at BMW BGC through her exhibition, Carry your heART. In 2017, she again collaborated with A.A. Patawan at the S Maison Conrad Hotel through the HaiNAku 1st Anniversary Exhibit. She also held, HEART & Style, a public exhibition of works of art at Fashion Hall of SM Mega Mall. In April 2018, she launched another art exhibit at ArtistSpace Gallery of the Ayala Museum.[11] On the same year, she again collaborated with A.A. Patawaran through the book, Manila Was A Long Time Ago, which featured her pet dog named Panda.[12][13] Her "Follow Your Heart" artwork was featured in the February 2019 US edition of Harper's Bazaar.[14]

Her foundation Heart Can aims to help children with respiratory diseases. Her foundation has been active since its inception and has helped thousands of children with special needs. Heart is also an LGBT icon[15] and a recipient of Lagablab Network's Equality Champion Award[16] in the Philippines, being a strong supporter for the passage of the SOGIE Equality Bill, which provides protections on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression.[17] A known international painter, Heart is also active in the artistic community, notably in Asia. She is also a spokesperson for PAWS or (Philippine Animal Welfare Society), launching various campaigns for the organization such as the Have a Heart for Aspins campaign.[18] She admitted in an interview that she was traumatized at a young age after seeing their neighbor slaughtering some dogs. When they told the authorities about the killings, her report was just made fun of.[19] Heart has also been supporting the Balikatan Thalassemia for children with rare diseases, Corridor of Hope for children with cancer and the Cerebral Palsy Association of Sorsogon where her husband hails from.

She is married to Senator Francis "Chiz" Escudero, the incumbent governor of Sorsogon. The pair were introduced by Evangelista's 'mentor', the late senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, who was a close friend of her mother.[21] On February 15, 2015, the couple wed in a private ceremony at the Balesin Island Club in the Philippines. It was in the same year that Evangelista adopted a puppy saved by her father from the streets of Batangas. She named the puppy Panda, also sometimes referred to as Panpan.[18][22] In May 2018, Evangelista announced that she and Escudero were expecting their first child together.[23] In the same month, however, one of the twins she was carrying was lost to a miscarriage.[24] In June 2018, Evangelista announced that she suffered yet another miscarriage, losing the last of her twins.[25]

• Heart Evangelista at IMDb