Lovi Poe shuttles among three countries, but Philippines is still home

MANILA, Philippines — Ask Lovi Poe where she lives now after she tied the knot with scientist and British film producer, Monty Blencowe, in August last year and she can hardly give you an exact place.

“In truth, I can’t exactly say where I live now,” smilingly admitted the actress,, who is in an LDR (long distance relationship) with Monty. “I live in between. I live in London (England), I stay here in Manila most of the time and my husband is in Los Angeles.”

She is not actually getting ready to get pregnant soon. “If it happens, it happens,” Lovi said. “I will welcome it completely and it’s going to be a blessing.”

She added, “Right now, I’m still enjoying work. There are so many things to do in my calendar. I have so many projects lined up.”

Admittedly, Lovi has fears and big worries when she does get pregnant. “Of all the roles that I will play, probably being a mother will be the most difficult and the most challenging ever,” she said.

“I’m such a perfectionist when it comes to the characters that I play. What more in real life? If there’s one thing that I want to do perfectly, it is to be a good mother. When that time comes and if God blesses me with that opportunity, I just want to be a great mother.

“I sometimes even call my friends and ask them how is it to be a mom. When I see my mom how she treats me. I’ve been raised by a single mother, so I hope I get to be as good as her.

“I hope I get to be as good as my assistant and my RM (road manager). They are such great mothers and they get to take care of me, as well. So I get to go to work and do my job. I look up to those people. They set a good example.”

She continued, “Since my husband and I are always apart, I want to spend more time with him when we’re together. We’ll enjoy first each other, work and see how things go.”

The hardest thing for Lovi after she got married is to balance things. “I try to find the perfect balance,” the actress shared. “I love my job. I love working so much. My husband knows it and he knows he can no longer change that in me.

“I’ve been working since I was 15 years old. My husband is very supportive. We are apart again for six weeks and it’s not the typical set-up for most couples, but we are making it work. We want to make it work.”

Lovi is simply grateful that her hubby is very understanding of their set-up and whatever her goals are. “I try to do the same for him,” she said. “I try to find the perfect balance.

“We find time for each other. It’s not the easiest thing to do. But I’m happy where I am at. We’re always on FaceTime. It helps a lot. He finds time for me even if I’m busy. Where work takes me, that’s where I’ll be.”

Lovi is happy being home here in the Philippines for most part. “When you return home here in Manila, ang sarap ng pagkain, iba ‘yung mga kasama mong tao, ang sarap mag-Tagalog. Simple things, but I enjoy everything.”

The actress recently ventured into producing films. “Still part of the industry, but creative projects for other people are what I love to do,” she said.

The moment the cast will be complete, Lovi will star and produce a film with director Jerrold Tarog. She will also shoot an action film with Richard Somes.

“Especially now. I have this extra love for Filipino brands. I just finished filming ‘Guilty Pleasure’ with director Connie Macatuno who also loves to showcase Filipino brands, Filipino clothes and designs. I want to bring that even more.

“I love acting so much. I’m in my happiest when I’m acting. I cannot easily let go of acting. I still want to continue if they will have me. I see talented people and hard-working co-actors. I will definitely love to put them in films that I’ll be doing with my husband.”

Lovi recently renewed her partnership with SCD products, represented by the company’s CEO (chief executive officer), Grace Angeles. SCD stands for Eevor Skin Care Depot named after Grace’s second child. There’s also Tinkerbell fairy on the logo because the owner likes the character.

“Before, we were still looking for our image model for SCD, a high quality line of products,” said Grace. “Very efficient and very effective but for the masses. Very sophisticated and elegant.”

“I remember when Ms. Gracie and I were talking before, she told me herself that she actually tests the formulation and ingredients of SCD products every time they have something made.

“Before she releases the product, she tests it repeatedly. More than anything, trust is important when you choose a brand. I’ve always believed with Ms. Gracie because I know she will not come out with a product that she can’t vouch for.

“So, I trust Ms. Gracie that’s why I use SCD products. When you’ve already proven one product, you will not try anything else. You don’t want to worry for your skin because you need to care for it your whole life.”

Not a few were surprised that Lovi managed to maintain her flawless skin, despite her morena color.

“I think self-care is really important,” Lovi pointed out. “Even if I lack sleep, I never disregard my skin. Especially before I got married, I had so many rituals.

“I think that’s also what’s important. Aside from the food that we eat, it’s also the products that we put on our skin. I do a wholistic approach. Working out is also important for me. Also what I eat. It’s a whole routine for me on a daily basis.

“I never say that I don’t have moments where I eat a lot of junk food. But I do better the next time.”

When she was younger, Lovi didn’t know how to take care of herself. She was never vain.

“Of course, as you grow older and you mature, your priorities change,” Lovi allowed. “You realize sunscreen is so important, the most important thing ever. I hope I realized that earlier. But it’s never too late.”