Hi, my name is....

I think it was in fifth grade when Mrs. Salvador taught my class about pseudonyms. I found it intriguing that some people had alternative names. The idea exuded a certain air of adventure. Having more than one name also meant having more than one side to a person. And to me, it seemed like a romantic notion that a person can be known by a name other than his own. I guess it was this romanticism that led me to unwittingly collect my very own pseudonyms through the years.

Anna Karmina Balderrama Constantino. I was baptized with this name. I'm not too sure about where the "Anna" came from but I do know that "Karmina" was chosen so they could call me "Minh" (this, we'll get to later on). Obviously, "Balderrrama" came from Mom - Lourdes Alampay Balderrama - daughter of Angelina Alampay and Alfredo Balderrama. "Constantino" from Pop - son of Letizia Roxas and Renato Constantino.

Karmina. This is me. My real name. The first name that comes to mind when you think of me. That is, of course, depending on which period in my life you've met me. The name from which all others will come from.

Minh. My family's name for me. The root name of "Karmina". Before Ho Chi Minh came to be known as city in Vietnam, the name was a revolutionary. He led the Viet Minh independence movement from 1941 onward, establishing the communist-governed Democratic Republic of Vietnam in 1945 and defeating the French Union 9 years later. Ho then led the North Vietnamese in the Vietnam War until his death; six years after, the war ended with a North Vietnamese victory, and Vietnamese unification followed. The former capital of South Vietnam, Saigon, was renamed Ho Chi Minh City in his honor. And in his honor, too, I was named after him.

Minx. Ah, the name marked by the 80's, when everyone wanted an "x' or "z" in their names. I thought it was hip (translation many years later: baduy). Apparently, my friends thought it was cool, too. Cool enough to be my high school nick. Only a handful call me this name now. And I must say, those who do are my friends for life.

Ina. Bet you didn't know about this one. Well, I was a freshman in UP and I met these two girls - Erika and Michelle. We decided we'll be friends. We also decided to change our names. We figured, what a way to start college, right? Completely not be ourselves! Hahaha. Anyway, so Michelle became Mitch (yes, I know, how original) Erika became Ricky... And I became Ina. And that was that. The whole charade lasted for about a year, I think, and as soon as it ended, I lost touch with Erika and Michelle.

Tami/Yammi. The most special of all. Because this name is not so much about me as it is about the special little people who call me "Tami/Yammi". Before my first ever niece, Ia, was born, I prevailed upon my siblings to conduct an experiment. I said: Whoever said it has to be "Tito" or "Tita"? Let's change our names! I guess I was still reeling from the loss of "Ina" that I needed another name to take her place. And so we did. Maoi became Tama (short for Tita Maoi), Ninel became Tiny (short for Tita Niney), Taka for Kala (you get the drift...), I became Tami (TiTA MInh), and Red became Xioy (because he liked the sound of it). "Yammi" came about a few years later when my nephew Rio was born. I had an early morning show then and that meant starting my day way too early and ending it at about noon. My Big Bro and Taka were off at work and they always left Rio with us. And so, I became his companion (translation: Yaya). Thus the alternative to Tami - Yammi.

Karmina Constantino. The professional name. The screen name. I use it in intros and extros. It's the name I WANT to use when I meet a person for the first time. That is why if the new acquaintance is being introduced to me by someone who knows me by another pseudonym, then that can lead to a very awkward moment for me. Because I really don't want other people to know that I am Yami or Minh or KC (we'll get to this in a bit) right away. So I guess you can call KARMINA CONSTANTINO as my buffer name. It's the name I use to keep new "friends" at bay until I'm ready to let them in.
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KC. The year was 1996. While I was a newbie in the broadcast industry, my Pop, RC, was wrapping up (or so he thought) his career as a political activist. He was always in the news (fast forward to GMA's illegitimate reign - RC is now back in business because of the little woman's brazen disregard of the people's rights and intelligence). So it started out as a joke: "Si KC na anak ni RC." And then it stuck because eventually my colleagues just found my name too long. So from three syllables, they chopped it down to two: K. C.

Kayce. Because, believe it or not, some find that two syllables were still one syllable too many.

Karmina Constantino-Torres. January 3, 2006. I married Noel Torres and officially became Mrs. Karmina Constantino-Torres. Officially, yes. Legally, not so much. See, I still sign official documents with "KARMINA CONSTANTINO". My passport still carries that name, my license, too. My bank accounts are still under my buffer name. I just find that changing my name in all these documents would prove to be too much of a hassle. Good thing No agrees. So for all intents and purposes, this has been me since January of '06.

KC Torres. Sounds like a different person, doesn't it? I am still getting used to it and I think you are, too. New found friends in Philadelphia (where we stayed for a year and a half after getting hitched) knows me by this name and this name alone. I find refuge in this name. It served/serves me well after "disappearing" when I decided to leave Manila. This one is my "escape" name. It allows me to be me... without the expectations from my on screen persona.

Anna Torres. Nothing can be farther from the truth. This is entirely my creation. I figured, since I go by so many names, why not add one more. And off I played. So one day, after dropping some clothes off at the cleaners, I was asked by Anar (the shop's owner) what my name was so she can fill out the receipt. And so I said: Anna Torres. And so she wrote: Anna Torres. That same day, I told No all about it. He laughed at the story and shook his head saying: You're silly.

I am. And I love it.

So, I want to know... who am I to you? And why?