Debutante, Dabarkad, and Disco Diva Atasha Muhlach Writes Her Own Story
It’s a Friday night in September at the Newport Performing Arts Theater. Performers in full disco regalia take the stage. In the audience, celebrity couple Aga Muhlach and Charlene Gonzales sit with pride as they watch their daughter breathe life into Annie Batungbakal, the quintessential working girl and dance floor diva from the hit Hotdog song from the 70s. It’s an impressive feat for a girl whose life has little in common with the character she’s playing.
Privileged Debutante
Atasha studied at an international school in Manila, then went to England for business studies at Nottingham Trent University, graduating with honors and giving the speech for her batch. In 2022, she was among the few young women in the world to be invited to Le Bal des Débutantes in Paris. Her twin, Andres, escorted her to the charity ball, where she waltzed with her father. For the occasion, she wore a crystal-studded gown by London couture label Sabina Bilenko, paired with a turquoise necklace and a serpent-shaped bangle from V Muse.
Truly, it was not an experience young girls have every day. Atasha makes no secret of such things, describing the Le Bal experience as “a great opportunity to meet new people and make new friends.” But what she has done since is where her story gets interesting.
At Home with the Masses
In 2023, she signed with Viva and made herself a fixture on the long-running pang-masa noontime show Eat Bulaga! The show’s set is a far cry from a Parisian ballroom, but Atasha still feels like she belongs. “Eat Bulaga doesn’t feel like work, it feels like home,” she told her co-hosts. On one occasion, she let slip that her allowance in school was a mere hundred pesos a day, which came as a bit of a shock to viewers.
That ease may come from how she was raised. For all the glamour, the twins grew up in the province, in Batangas, playing jackstones and buying colored chicks. They didn’t get cellphones until they turned 16, and it was their parents who taught them to wakeboard. “My parents taught me that simple is always better, you don’t need something extravagant,” she once said.
And then there was Bongga Ka, ‘Day!: The Annie Batungbakal Musical. Word of
her casting in July brought the “nepo baby” talk. Atasha did not bat an eye. She spoke of the hard work of the audition, months of singing and dancing and putting herself in the ‘70s even though she wasn’t around then. The comments can sting, but she says it’s part of the job. “Tao pa rin naman ako. Minsan, nasasaktan naman ako,” she revealed in an interview. At an earlier press event, she was firmer: “My parents won’t ever allow us to use the Muhlach card.”
Full Circle
Early reviews when Bongga Ka, ‘Day! opened left no doubt that Atasha had silenced the naysayers. For her, the win was more straightforward: having people laugh and have a good time was enough. Opening night brought her full circle, back on the same Newport stage where she made her theater debut 15 years earlier. In 2011, nine-year-old Atasha played Brigitta von Trapp in a production of The Sound of Music.
Offstage, her style carries the same mix of polish and play. She describes it as “chic with a playful edge,” built on “a classic good pair of jeans” and statement accessories, with Miu Miu, Prada, and Chanel among her favorite labels. Her skincare is as simple as her upbringing: “a good facial cleanser, moisturiser and sunscreen.” On free days, she paints, a hobby she taught herself and took up again during the lockdown.
Turning 25 this November, Atasha is just starting to put her stamp on things. Recently, she was named one of PeopleAsia’s Women of Style and Substance, the youngest to be included in the prestigious list. Though she remains humble, Atasha doesn’t disavow her background or make excuses for it. “I believe every opportunity is a privilege,” she says.
Bongga Ka, ‘Day!: The Annie Batungbakal Musical runs until October 31, 2026 at the Newport Performing Arts Theater, Newport World Resorts, Pasay City. Tickets range from ₱1,300 to ₱4,500 and are available online at premier.ticketworld.com.ph, at all TicketWorld outlets, and at the Newport World Resorts Box Office.
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