MANILA, Philippines — Janella Salvador has found purpose and direction in life.
The first-time mother added that her pregnancy and her baby have allowed her to tap into her "inner strength."
“Some people tend to think that when you become a mom, of course, you have to have everything perfectly planned out, like everything’s under control,” Janella told Metro.Style.
The actress graced the cover of the magazine in time for this month's Mother's Day celebrations. Her son Jude also joined the shoot.
“It’s really tough to keep it all together, but you have to… It’s okay, it’s okay to not have it all together. It’s okay to struggle, and the mere fact that you’re worried about being a good mom means that you’re already being a good mom, because you care,” she added.
Janella is thankful for partner Markus Paterson for being there for her and their son. She is also thankful for the guidance of her mother, theater actress Jenine Desiderio.
In the cover story, Janella opened up about dealing with confidence issues after giving birth, but that she’s “slowly getting her old self back” by devoting more time for some much-deserved self-care activities.
No to 'parent-shaming'
Parents only want the best home for their families. But what if the home that they tirelessly build is constantly challenged by criticisms and judgments? In a new video series, PLDT Home reveals the most pressing issues that many parents face today and calls on families to speak up, connect and celebrate each other’s uniqueness.
A perfect home is not defined by the bigness of its structure, intricate interiors, art-decorated walls, and the sturdiest roof one can buy. Ultimately, the home is a place where people build relationships and make meaningful memories with their loved ones. But for many parents, there has always been a constant challenge of being at the receiving end of unwanted remarks and shaming for the way they raise their families.
Starting this May, PLDT Home introduces a new video series tackling real stories of parents who continue to overcome parent-shaming, the struggles of parent guilt, and the challenges of raising young children in this pandemic. Frontlining the series are parents and content creators Andi Manzano-Reyes, Camille Co and media personality Marie Lozano.
For Andi Manzano-Reyes, a mother of two girls (Olivia and Amelia), while pandemic parenting has been tough, the solid support system of her loved ones helped her get through and overcome parent guilt.
“Stop second-guessing yourself, go by it daily and be focused. I’m thankful for the support system I have at home: the whole pandemic has made me realize the core people I need in my life,” she said.
Media personality Marie Lozano shared, “Pre-pandemic, I was out a lot for work and I missed out on a lot of things with my son. This situation where we are now has made me realize what really matters. We have such high expectations for ourselves in how we parent but what matters most is we show or remind our children that we love them.”
As a new mom, Camille Co revealed that there’s a whole lot more about parenting that people don’t see on social media. She said, “Being able to grow a human inside you and sustain the baby once you give birth is the most special thing that a mother can experience. But it’s not all peaches and cream. Sometimes you get so sad and frustrated and it’s okay. We need to trust the process and enjoy this experience as parents.”
Indeed, there is no one-size-fits-all in parenting. And to honor parents for their relentless efforts and unique ways to raise their children the best way they can, PLDT Home fosters a movement that inspires them to embrace their own parenting styles and support one another to do the same.
As the country’s fastest fixed network, PLDT Home enables families to enjoy the strongest connections that allow them to do all things better and together at home. PLDT Senior Vice President and Head of Home Business Butch G. Jimenez shared, “Digital connectivity has always been at the core of every home. PLDT continues to innovate and provide the most reliable digital services so that families can stay strongly connected and do better at home with our fastest home broadband.”
In the new video series, the company emphasizes that “there’s no time like this and there’s no parent like you.” Watch the latest heartwarming digital video series in this link.
Yes to 'positive beauty'
Coming to terms with yourself, flaws and all — and in the age of social media, no less — can be difficult. When unrealistic beauty standards are reinforced everywhere you look, self-acceptance doesn’t always come easy.
As a top beauty and personal care company in the country, Unilever acknowledges its role in championing a new era of beauty. Through projects such as Dove My Hair, My Say and Real Beauty, Unilever resolves to make beauty a positive and inclusive experience for all. As its next step towards celebrating the beauty in diversity, the company launches "Yes to Positive Beauty" on Shopee, a campaign that aims to encourage Filipinos to embrace their unique beauty, support inclusivity, and say “yes” to positive beauty.
Bianca Umali called her foray into livestreaming "a leap of faith." A year later after taking the plunge, however, Bianca shares that pushing the boundaries of her capabilities was one of the best things she’s ever done for herself. “Embracing yourself, I've realized, is not about staying in one place. It's also about branching out to the different facets of your being.”
Bianca admitted that she used to hate her chinita eyes and longed for double eyelid surgery. Now that she recognizes that she does not have to follow unrealistic beauty standards, Bianca is determined to create authentic content as a public figure. She frequently goes live sans makeup. “My viewers can see me raw and unedited, and in turn, they get to see me as a real human being. They’ve seen me with dark circles, blemishes, and puffiness.”
One simple step towards embracing yourself, according to Bianca, is to filter your media consumption. “Our self-image only gets shattered when we are made to believe we do not measure up. Fight this belief by being in command of what you take in, and you will always see yourself as beautiful.”
Likewise, Mary Grace Khu used to believe that only people with model-esque features could land jobs as on-cam talents. She eventually realized that her shape, size and skin tone shouldn’t hinder her from going after her dreams, and thereafter snagged a job in the industry.
As a public figure, MG still feels self-conscious from time to time about strangers’ opinions, but for the most part she has found a supportive community in her viewers. She credits this to her authenticity and drive to advocate self-love online. “I am taking this as an opportunity to share my experiences and stories. I will always be real about it, as it would be hard to sustain if you're trying to pretend or be like someone else.”
MG also believes that beauty isn’t one dimensional. “I see beauty in a holistic manner: being healthy, having a positive mindset, and being confident in my own skin.”
She added that it is through one’s personality that true beauty radiates, and so she endeavors to bring sunshine to others by spreading positivity through her content.