Isabelle Daza is living the bicontinental life
One continent is not enough for our local personalities nowadays. That seems to be the trend now as showbiz fans are challenged to keep up with their favorite celebrities’ whereabouts.
As for me, I got to catch up with one of them. “It mom” Isabelle Daza just jetted off to Europe this week with her kids Balthazar, four, Valentin, one, and her second mom, Yaya Luning, who has been taking care of her since she was a child.
She may be in Europe now but she mostly divides her time between Hong Kong, where her husband is, and Manila, where her work is. Belle explained, “Kasi what happened was noong pandemic, nandoon ako sa Hong Kong na-stuck ako doon, doon na rin nakatira asawa ko, so parang I was Hong Kong-based, pero dito nakatrabaho. But because of the pandemic and everything that happened, I went back dito in the Philippines so I could work. Babalik din naman ako doon.”
Her secret weapon for being able to function and call different countries as her home base is this, “I think one is, I have a lot of help and a good support system. I think napaka-importante noon when raising a child. You know my mom comes to my house every day (in the Philippines) and two, probably always what people don’t see is that I work hard.”
Belle has two beautiful sons with French husband Adrien Semblat. Although she has a degree in education as her weapon, she says that being a parent will always have its challenges.
“Balthazar is very curious. Kinokontra niya ako lagi like, ‘No, I don’t want to take a bath,’” she said. “I’m really trying to unlearn (things) like before when I said, ‘Because I said so’ because they question you. And si Valentin naman, he’s starting to walk. I’m trying to make sure he eats healthier and mahilig siya sa gulay. I’m trying to be a good mom but ang hirap.”
Belle has long been part of Philippines’ IT squad since the early 2010s. It is composed of Anne Curtis, Solenn Heussaff, Georgina Wilson and Liz Uy, who are all parents already. Their following as a group is the gold standard of pretty and trendy. They always had the best fashion tastes and looks.
What their fans do not know is that away from the whole façade, Belle is far from ostentatious. At an early age, even before graduating, Isabelle already started investing in various businesses and properties. Now, she has a book called Yaya Luning, dedicated to her namesake home angel; the ice business Frnk Milk Bar; and the athleisure brand Recess.
“I try to be very practical,” she said. “I really work and save, pero syempre now with two kids, magastos talaga.”
Isabelle is also a mainstay of TV5’s successful noontime show, Lunch Out Loud, which airs Mondays to Saturdays. “Napaka-saya, it doesn’t feel like work at all,” she said. “It’s such a cliché, but I’m really excited to wake up early and go on set and tape dahil lagi talaga kami nagkakatuwaan nila Kuya Yani (Bayani Agbayani), Wacky (Kiray), Daddy Bills (Billy Crawford) and of course, Alex (Gonzaga), si Laboching and Jeff (Tam). Sobrang mahal ko ang noontime show.”
Isabelle also gives so much effort and thought to what she puts out on social media and takes her presence on the platforms seriously. She wants to remind her followers that her content is more than what is just a photo-finish look of perfection.
“We are in a very privileged position, but ang masasabi ko lang like kunwari content you put online, trabaho rin iyon,” said she. “When people see our lives, ang saya, bakasyon! Hindi nila alam na kailangan din pag-isipan iyon and if you do content yourself, alam mo na trabaho iyon.”
For aspiring content creators, here is a tip from Isabelle who has more than three million followers on Instagram.
“Don’t try to be someone else because that’s you and you’re the only one who can bring that to the table,” she said. “Napaka-hirap hanapin what’s authentically you and it’s a journey to get there. So, with me, for example, my mission (is), I want people to be the best version of themselves and then all my content leads to that mission.”
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