At age 16, just out of high school, she went to Manila from Laoag, Ilocos Norte for work. She started as a receptionist in the office of a movie magazine. She and another girl from the magazine went to LVN one day to get publicity stills for a
Nida Blanca movie when
Narcisa de Leon, the founder of LVN, spotted her. Dona Sisang asked her to polish her Tagalog, and come back when she felt she knew enough. A year later, she sent a copy of her photo to Doña Sisang, and was given a three-year contract.
