Moira dela Torre is celebrating a new kind of independence
MANILA, Philippines — Singer-songwriter Moira dela Torre is happy to be experiencing a new kind of independence these days.
“This season, I am experiencing a new kind of independence. I’ve just moved into my new home. I actually cooked my first meal here last night,” she shared recently with The STAR.
Moira is also celebrating her small joys like “my books, finishing my album. I love my floor!”
She continued, “I used to feel bad about delays but I realize that some delays are good, some delays are bad. I’ve moved kasi three times in the past year and a half… And I never got myself to get a bed frame. But here (in my new home), it fits right well.
“I’m thankful for the learnings that even in the delays, even in the things that I lacked, even in the things that I didn’t get before, didn’t get to do or regret doing, God turns things around and it all turns out to be the best.”
Moira, who has spent much of her time this year on the road, recalled how she used to dread coming home.
“For a while, ever since the tour started in February, I’ll be honest with you, my entire band, they’re all in relationships and the same with my team. Lahat sila may uuwian.
“It was my first time to kind of, you know, navigate being single again on tour. And I was so happy and excited when I was on tour with my band. And then, they’d say things like, ‘I can’t wait to go home to my wife, I can’t wait to go to my husband…’
“At the same time, I didn’t want to. I wasn’t looking forward to going home because I didn’t have anyone to go home to. I loved my tour. I love that I got to get away and escape.”
But when she recently settled into her brand-new place, she noticed it herself that things have changed.
“I think now that we’re kind of on a break — I’m going to be in Milan for ASAP for a couple of days, then the tour starts again in October — it’s not bad after all,” she said.
“I actually love just being home and I love going home. And I love being on my own and figuring things out on my own. It’s such a good season to realize and learn so many things about myself.”
The STAR had the opportunity to chat with Moira and just listen to her unfiltered thoughts and answers about being a woman and artist taking on this season of her life, following her latest endorsement project.
She was just announced as the first-ever celebrity ambassador of Maria Clara Sangria, as well as its non-alcoholic counterpart Maria Clara Virgin, by Destileria Limtuaco & Co., Inc. (the company has drawn attention and praise for unconventional yet “more inclusive” choices of celebrity endorsers like Ria Atayde for White Castle.) Talking about the campaign for the brand, which is anchored on the message of “self-love regardless of your situation,” brought out a certain excitement and an unexpected but very much welcome openness from Moira.
“I don’t want to shy away from being honest when I say I do drink but all in moderation and I love that Maria Clara is like, basically, your companion when you go home. And I feel like I’m in my season now of finding my footing again, finding my independence, finding myself again. And Maria Clara and its campaign and the product in general just fit into this entire era, this entire season.”
In fact, when the brand tapped the most-streamed Filipina artist to write a song for the campaign, their vision easily aligned with hers.
The Paubaya hitmaker said, “The song will remind (listeners) of where you’ve been and where you’re going and who you are as a woman. I love it! I love that it was not a hard song to write.”
Where Moira has been in life these past few years, where she’s headed for next, and what truly defines her as a woman and a person occupy some of her biggest realizations nowadays. No need to spell it out, but it’s no showbiz secret what Moira has been through in her personal life and even music career, not to mention the accompanying public scrutiny and commentary.
“I feel like a lot of people, especially women, can resonate with me when I say, we often feel like we’re not doing enough or we’re not enough or we’re too much. We’re never really found in the middle. We were in London a couple of months ago and my friend (Paolo Benjamin of Ben&Ben) asked me how I was and I said, ‘I’m trying.’ And my friend saw the guilt in my face and said, ‘Moi, trying is enough.’ That stopped me in my tracks and made me realize that I feel God doesn’t really look at how we perfect things and how much we just try,” she reflected.
“I used to feel that I needed validation from others. Whenever I hear these things about me from people, ‘Huh, I’m like that?’ And now, I’m just saying, ‘(Hay) I’m not like that.’ I feel like I’ve finally found that confidence in myself. And I’ve finally found who Moira is and I feel very proud about that.”
She recalled another very recent instance when she knew she had come to terms with herself and all.
“There was one moment with my friend, my backup singer, he and I were walking to the car, and then I just started tearing up. He said, why are you crying? I said, ‘I like where I am,’” Moira said.
“In a way, I felt sad that it took me all my life to say that for the very first time. But at the same time, I’m happy that the people who are supposed to be in my life are the only ones that got to stay. They were the ones that actually helped find me and helped me love me. And of all the things that I’ve worked hard for, I think being able to say ‘I like me’ is my favorite accomplishment so far.”
One couldn’t help but surmise that this openness was because Moira was finally healing from her heartbreak.
“I just learned to kind of heal privately, heal at my own pace,” she confirmed, before quipping, “Kung may galit man ako, kung may sadness man ako, nalagay ko na sa album ko.”
“Personally, I’m not there yet,” she admitted when asked if she was ready to open her heart again. “Right now, I’m just enjoying my time for myself.”
Nevertheless, The STAR asked Moira what can women out there, especially those still in their season of heartbreak, learn from her story.
“It’s okay to take your time in figuring things out. You don’t have to rush healing because the right people will walk with you,” she began.
“I think there were so many times that I don’t like being a burden. I don’t like showing my pain. Or I don’t like showing them that I’m not okay. Only with my first circle but when I’m out, I like having it together because I know that all of us are going through our own stuff… But then I feel like when I do that, I’m expected to actually have it altogether. And so because of that pressure, I give myself pressure,” she shared.
“For every overthinker and not just with women going through it but with everyone, I think, men and women, I feel like we all should just allow ourselves to grow the way we’re supposed to, the way we’re supposed to figure it out… If we’re going to allow people to dictate how we should grow, and if we are constantly going to allow people to define who we should be, it’s going to be so tiring.
“When I started just setting boundaries and creating this safe space for myself, that’s when I was able to love people better. That’s when I was able to be more effective in my skills and in my craft. That’s the only time in my entire life when I stopped seeking validation from others that I actually was able to tell my friends that I like me.
“It was also the time that a lot of people were questioning my actions, but I was so confident enough in myself that I get to stand on my own two feet now. So, yes, take your time figuring things out because you deserve it.”
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