Who Is The Real MARIAN RIVERA-DANTES?

Where are we going? Hello, welcome to my home. Hello! Hi, Dong. He accompanied me. You even have an escort. Let’s go!  Marian Rivera, you are a superstar.  Super wife. Super mom. People call you a superwoman. You have it all. Hmm… Now that you’re telling me this, I’m starting to think about it,  and it’s sinking in.

But I believe all of this is grace from Him. I don’t want to think, “Oh, I’m a superwoman like this, like that…” Not really. I feel like everything comes from Him, and I’m just happy that I’m able to fulfill my roles… In different aspects. Did you ever think you would reach this point? Maybe my becoming a mother, yes.

Because I’ve always dreamed of becoming a mom. When I was young, I guess my upbringing wasn’t perfect. It wasn’t like how most people imagine a typical family or childhood to be. For me, growing up, I had only one dream— I wanted to become a mother And when I became a mother, I told myself I’d give 100% of everything I could.

-Wait, that was really your dream? -Yes, that was really it. -To become a mother. -And to be a teacher! Those were the only two things I wanted. Really? You were two years old when your parents separated, is that right? Yeah, separated, yes. What happened after? After that, they agreed to part ways… they got divorced.

Maybe they just couldn’t make it work. Maybe their worlds weren’t meant to be together. So they decided that my “nanay” would take care of me. My grandmother. My mom, at that time, was a very hardworking woman. She would always tell me, every time she came home, “I’m doing all of this for you.” “I want to give you a good future.

” Not everyone is privileged enough to work here and find a good job. So when she saw an opportunity, she went abroad to support my studies and to give me all that I wanted. How difficult was it not having your parents around? Of course, for any child, it’s hard. There were school activities where my parents weren’t there, and I would see my classmates with their complete families.

I would think, that this isn’t what I wanted. But my grandmother would always make me realize that this was our reality and that I needed to understand. There’s one thing she always told me that I never forgot: She said, “My child, never hold resentment toward your parents because you will never be successful if you carry that mindset in life.

” But you never held any resentment? No. Even with your dad? None. Maybe because my grandmother raised me with that perception, that I needed to understand. That not everything works out the way you want to. There are things that happen unexpectedly, but in the long run, everything turns out for the best. But your dad had another family.

Yes. And I’m close to them. How did that happen? Everyone was very open. Even my mom was open about it… Even my dad was open. I would go there, stay there… It was the same with my mom. That was just the setup. I realized it was a blessing that I had two mothers— Because my grandmother raised me before, and now that my mom is here, she takes care of me.

And she even takes care of my kids now. Growing up, my mom would come home every year. So every year, we would see each other. She would stay for three or four months, then leave again. At first, I had many questions. But because my grandmother helped me understand everything, I grew up without any anger toward my parents.

Maybe I felt a little resentment or envy sometimes. Like when I would join school activities, like United Nations or contests, and I would see other parents so supportive of their children. And I’d wonder, “Why is it different for me?” But my grandmother would always say, “I’m here for you.

 I understand you…” She was my biggest cheerleader. She would clap and say, “Go, my child!” That’s how much she supported me. And at night, she would always ask, “How are you, my child? How are you feeling?” Whether I won or lost, I would sometimes say, “Nanay, sometimes I feel like something is missing…” She would then explain that my mom, my dad, my father… So I grew up understanding our situation.

There were times, especially in high school, like during graduations,  I question how other kids walk with their mother and father by their sides. But I’m with my grandmother. But I would see in her eyes the question “Am I not enough for you?” I could see that in her. And for me, even if I felt incomplete,  I felt complete because of her.

You’re so strong. You never had a phase where you asked,  “Why doesn’t my father love me?” Never. Because they never forgot to call me or send letters. I even remember my mom recording cassette tapes for me. She would even sing for me. Every time I needed something—sometimes a letter, sometimes a recording—I would listen to the cassette.

She would just sing and say, “This is my favorite song right now.” It was like our diary. This is where I grew up. Wow, so many posters. I even removed some! I was like, “What is this, my own museum?” Your house in Cavite is like a museum now. Your grandmother put up all your photos. Yes, from my early career. Everytime I had a role.

 Actually even when I was in APT, she has the poster and everything, I wasn’t even the lead then I think. All of that my grandmother collected. Even my movie premiere tickets, she kept everything in an album. It’s funny because if you visit Cavite, you’ll see all these photo albums. Nowadays, we have cell phones and the internet, But for her, everything is kept in albums.

There’s even a label: “Premiere night of so and so…” And all of it is in there. All my posters are stuck on the wall. I would even tell her, “Nanay, should we take them down?” She said, “No one is taking those down.” So now it really looks like a museum—just full of my pictures. That’s love. She even cleans them herself. She won’t let anyone else do it.

That’s proof of her love, but not in a spoiled way. Yes, because she wanted me to learn things on my own. Since I was young, I had to wash my own underwear. She trained me that way. She’ll cook and I prepare all the ingredients we need. I learned how to cook because of my grandmother. She would cook, and I would prepare the ingredients.

When I grew older she would say you prepare the ingredients and cook. I’ll watch you. That’s how I was raised, which is why I learned a lot. Did your childhood affect how you became a mother and wife? Super. Super. Because the things I experienced,  I don’t want my children to go through. For example, as much as possible, I want to be there for all their school activities.

Every day, I’m the one who bathes them and takes them to school— because I never experienced that. Sometimes, my husband gets mad, He says, “Love, you just came from work, you’re tired, you need rest.” I tell him,  “I can sleep anytime, but the moment I take my kids to school, I can never rewind that.” So every day, I do the same.

Actually, just today I took them to school, went home, threw on some make up, and came here. Wow. And later, I’ll pick them up again. That makes you happy. Yes. Thhis is my dream— to have a complete family, a husband, children. And to serve them. What about being a wife? I’m submissive. Are you submissive? Yes. How? In what way? I’m the type who… And not just in sex, okay? That’s just a bonus.

Dad! Are you a submissive wife? Yes, because I really want to serve Dong. And I really want him to feel that I can give up everything for my family. As long as they are my priority. So, is the movie Rewind accurate? – But Dong isn’t like that. – He’s not like that. But you are? Yes, especially when it comes to my kids.

I adjust all my schedules just to be with them. Family is the priority. Not career. GMA knows that. – GMA knows that. – Really? Because whenever I get pregnant, I take a four-year break. I don’t appear on TV. When my child is older and I feel it’s okay, that’s when I go back to work. But for Zia, I was out for four straight years.

I took a break for Sixto four years. Weren’t you scared? That’s not what I was thinking about. What I really thought about was my dream. To take care of my child, to feed them, to serve my family—that’s really my drem. Maybe it’s true—everything is a blessing from Him. No matter what you do, even if you take a break, if the Lord wants to give you something, He will give it to you.

I didn’t even know I’d become an actress. Well, my mom once said to me, “It looks like you’re going to become an actress, but you’re too transparent, you can’t be like that if you’re going to become an actress.” “You need to shield yourself.” I said “Huh? Is that really not allowed?” You can’t be frank. I’m direct to the point.

If you’re talking to me, I’ll answer any question frankly. I told her,  “I don’t know, Mom. Maybe this is where fate brought me. Maybe this is my destiny.” And then, true enough, maybe because my dream was to have a complete family, the Lord gave me Dong. And here I am now. Now, I admire you for becoming a SPED teacher.

My real dream was to be a teacher. And I was so surprised because when we made a documentary… I didn’t know that my mom also dreamed of becoming a teacher. I only found out through an interview Dong did with my mom. What was your real ambition? In my slam book, my ambition was always to be a teacher. – Really, Mom? – I only realized it now.

Yes, my dream was to be a teacher. And whenever I was asked, I always said I wanted to be a teacher. Really? Yes! There were kids on my grandmother’s terrace. I was their teacher. “Oh wow, Mom, we were meant to be.” Such a strong connection with my mom. I didn’t even know it was her dream to be a teacher. After that, I asked her why.

Because she dreamed of having many children. And that’s what I always say in my interviews—I want many kids. I want a complete family. But she only had me. That’s all.  Just me. But one who turned out to be beautiful. So you became a teacher? After college, before I worked at the mental hospital— because I also worked there for three months— I first became a SPED teacher.

I don’t know why but I have a special connection with kids. And even more so with children who have challenges, whether physical or mential. I felt drawn to these children. So I thought, why not try it? The problem was, when I tried it, I would cry every time I went home. Why are you crying [grandma would ask] I said I couldn’t take bear seeing those kids like that.

I thought, Maybe this isn’t for me. Because instead of showing my strength… Although, I really did show it, I  think I used that in acting. When I was there, I was okay. But every time I walked out the door, I would break down. Everyday. And what did you learn? Patience and gratitude for what you have. And that we have no right to judge anyone or anything without truly knowing their situation.

And then you worked at the mental hospital? Yes! I enjoyed it there.  I really enjoyed it there. Seriously. I super enjoyed it there. Not because I wanted to be around those kinds of people… I enjoyed it because that’s the reality of life. You get to see different kinds of people, their problems, their backgrounds, and why they ended up that way.

It’s so interesting to understand why these situations exist. What was your job there? I facilitated. I distributed medicines. Then there were moments when you had heart-to-heart talks with the patients— asking them what they needed. But of course, there were times when things went too far. That was no longer my job; the doctors had to handle it.

But weren’t you scared? There was one time I got scared— something I’ve never shared in any interview before. Someone was… you know… doing that in front of me And I was like, Why is this happening? He looked so happy doing it while looking at me. Yes. I thought, Why is this happening?  So, I talked to the doctor, and apparently, that was their… their way of creating an illusion of power.

It’s like they draw strength from it— the more scared you are, the more aroused they get. And what did you do? I learned. Oh, you get aroused? Alright then. I ignored it. More practice. Really? So, every time he saw me, I acted like it was nothing. Like, Come on, do it. I see you. Whatever. Then he stopped doing it.

You’re so strong. But deep inside, I was praying, Oh God, what did I get myself into? But that’s when I became stronger. That’s what I always say— you have to know how to compose yourself in any situation. You grew stronger through your experiences, not just… Yes, totally. Everything combined. Growing up without parents, being raised by my grandmother, my struggles in high school, and how I had to take tricycles to get to school because I had no car… All those life experiences—I’m truly grateful for them.

I’m incredibly thankful that my mom worked hard to provide me with everything she could, to give me a better and easier life. And where is your mom today? She’s in Cavite. But we live in separate houses. Here’s my grandmother’s house, and here’s my mom’s house— they’re right next to each other. Because back when I was doing Marimar, I told her, There’s no reason for you to leave me for work anymore because I have a chance now—I’m an actress, I’m earning.

Who knows? Maybe I’ll earn more. You don’t need to worry about supporting me or paying for my education anymore. What I need is you. Come home and prove to me that you’re my mother, because I need YOU more than financial support. What about your dad? Do you keep in touch? Yes. Yes. But sometimes I don’t understand him because he speaks Spanish.

So when I call my dad and can’t understand what he’s saying, I’ll hand the phone to my mom and say, You talk to him. Then when I need to ask my dad for something—like about the wedding— I let my mom handle the conversation. Many people may not know that you’re a Spanish citizen. Yes. You were born in Spain.

Yes. Did you ever consider becoming an actress there? Oh, not really. It was clear to me that my goal was to work so that I could share whatever I had with the people I love. My status—whatever it is now—is just a bonus. And after that, my real dream was to have a family. So I never really thought about Hollywood or anything like that… That was never the plan.

I just wanted a simple life like this. Are you going to have more kids? He wants to.  He really wants to. He keeps saying, Please, one more, one more. So now, I’m 50/50 on the idea. I mean, I’ve always wanted a lot of kids. I even told Dong I wanted a big family. But now I think, can I really give 100% to all of them? I already have two kids, plus Dong, plus myself.

 If we have another baby, can I still divide my time and energy and give everyone my full attention? He told me, Just give my share to the youngest, just give me one more. So we joke around like that. So it’s kind of planned? Not really.  Dong told me, Whatever your heart tells you, I won’t force you. But if you ask me, I want one more.

Wow. Like getting pregnant is that easy, right? Okay. How did you know Dong was the one? At first, I didn’t. But as time passed—and as I got older… I was never the type to have flings. Oh, I like you. I’m not like that. Maybe it’s because I grew up in the province, and my grandmother raised me differently when it came to relationships.

As far as I remember, I only had one ex before Dong, and then he became my boyfriend and eventually my husband. So just two people—and I married one of them. Before he courted me, I already felt a spark. I went to Quiapo with my mom and a friend. I prayed so hard . I said, Lord, I don’t want flings. If he’s meant for me, then let him be for me.

But if he’s not, please take him away now. Give me the one who’s truly meant for me. Then the next day, he showed up with flowers. I was like, Lord, is this the sign? And from then on, things just kept going. Then one day, he asked me, Can I visit you in Cavite? I want to meet your grandmother. And I thought, Why does he want to meet my grandma so soon? And then I saw, you know like he was lit up with sunshine, that maybe this is it.

That’s when I realized—wow, he’s really making an effort to know my family. I thought there was something there. How long were you together before getting married? Oh, my goodness. Dad, I don’t even remember anymore! I’ll ask him later. Honestly, we have so many birthdays, and anniversaries we need to celebrate,  but I forget all of them.

I told dad, okay? I had anesthesia, I already have two kids, I had a normal delivery, so a lot has happened, so I’m not really good at remembering dates. Did you ever doubt at one point that it may not be him? Not really, because I saw how serious he was. And also, his personality, and anything under the sun—we’ll talk about them.

Whether positive or negative, we became very open with each other. Soulmates. I hope so.  Because with Dong, I’m really proud to say… Dong influenced me to have a broader perspective on people. Dong was the one who made me realize that there are more good people than bad. Because sometimes I get scared, you know, in showbiz, you encounter so many people.

But Dong never failed to remind me that there are more good people.  Remember that. Do you get jealous easily? Only when necessary. I’m very transparent . It’s a shame, if only I could rewind, right? I wish I could rewind, but I can’t. So, were you jealous before? Because there was a reason. A woman doesn’t get jealous for no reason.

And if you don’t feel any jealousy at all… People say, “If you’re jealous, that means you don’t trust your partner.” No. It’s in a woman’s nature. If you see something suspicious that your partner is doing, what, are you supposed to just admire them and say, “Oh, how sweet they are together, how sweet!” My God, that would be so hypocritical.

No. No. No, for me. If you see something questionable, you will react. My only problem was that I reacted to the woman, when I should have reacted to him instead. That’s it. Wrong! Have you made peace with all the women you fought with before? I think so. When I see them, they get uneasy because they know why I did what I did to them.

But now, when I see them, I try to be civil. And at one point, I even took the initiative and told one of them, “I forgive you.” – You said that? – Yes, she was shocked.  She was stunned. My point is, I’m just really happy with what God has given me. There’s no reason for bitterness anymore—I’ve let that go.

I’ve reflected on it—learn your lesson, girl. Don’t do that to anyone else. But you know, it’s still better when you have no enemies, when you forgive those who have wronged you. Yes. Do you have any insecurities? Be honest. – Of course, every woman has insecurities. – Like what? I’m curious. Before, when I joined pageants, I was always the shortest.

And maybe my hips— sometimes, when I wear a dress, I feel like my hips are too big. But then I say, “Hello, Spanish blood!” So, yeah, those things. That’s it? Maybe my English. No way. Because it’s a big deal now. But for me, it was never really a problem. In Cavite, we didn’t speak English all the time. Even in school, not everyone spoke English.

But when I moved to Manila, it was like, “You need to be fluent in English. If you have an interview, you have to…” Right? My daughter actually teaches me now. Zia teaches me. That is so good! Right? I told myself, this is where I’m comfortable. Sometimes, when Dong and I talk, I tell him about it. That’s why I love my husband so much.

He tells me, “No, we love you for who you are. You don’t have to change.” ut he also says, “If you really want to improve your English, why not? ” “There are many teachers out there who can teach you.” But I’m not really into that. I feel like I’m okay as I am because this is where I’m comfortable. But I can try if you want! You can ask me, and I can speak in English.

 I even told my daughter, “My weakness is yours to make up for.” Because my daughter— wow, she’s super fluent in English, with a British accent! It’s crazy. That’s funny. “Just put my things in a bin.” What bin? Turns out, she meant ‘cabin!’ Oh my God, Zia. I learn so much from my daughter, really. How are you as a wife? Are you super watchful? Oh, no.

Even if you ask Dong, when we were just boyfriend and girlfriend, we never checked each other’s phones. I never called him like, “What are you doing? Who are you with? What are you eating?” Never—not when we were dating, and not even now. What about him? Does he check on you? Sometimes. Sometimes. – Really? – Yes.

Why? He’s protective. He always wants me to be secure, to be okay. He would never leave me somewhere unless he knows I’m safe. “I found the reason why I was born, and that is to love, and to love greatly.” Thank you, because you are the answer to all my prayers. Thank you, because you completed the meaning of true life.

You’re a powerhouse.  He is my… That’s his personality. And through our experiences as a couple, his character was honed even more. Especially now that she’s a mother and having experienced all the success in terms of her career, it’s like she matured as a person. – Into the woman that she is now.

 – Because before I was immature? We all are like that. But through the years, especially now, her identity has become sharper because of all the opportunities she’s had. How many years were you boyfriend and girlfriend? – I honestly don’t know anymore. – Married for 10. Married for 10. And… maybe together around 6 years before we got married.

Something like that. How did you know she was the one? Oh, right away. Right away. I’ll throw this at you.  The first time I saw her. I’ll treat you to lunch. Then treat me to papaitan! She said she’s a submissivie wife, is that true? – Yeah. – Oh, you agreed? A submissive wife? Yeah, she’s a Leo. So we have the same personality, but most off the time, we agree on anything… Only sometimes— Only sometimes there’s a Leo clash.

Yes. But really, she serves, as she said? Yes, she does. That’s so sweet. Because, you know, I wouldn’t know. It’s just not obvious. Yeah, not obvious. But a lot. Wow. Aww, that’s why I love you. Your family is so privileged. What do you do to teach your kids good values? Yes, actually, my wife and I never fail to remind our kids every day.

We can’t say, “We’re eating chicken, and they get dried fish”—that’s not right. We have to balance things out with the situation and the behavior. And as parents, we never fail in that aspect. For example, they have tasks when there’s no school. Like sweeping, cleaning—Zia even washes her own underwear. Even now, she does it.

Whether there’s school or not, she has to wash her underwear before going to bed. And why did you teach her that? Because that’s what my grandmother taught me. That’s how I was raised. “Wash your own underwear.” So I passed it on to Zia. And she’s okay with it. That’s amazing. But honestly, after she washes it, I wash it again.

Because she’s not really good at it yet. But at least she knows she has a task, a responsibility. – Are you a strict mom? – Strict. Very. We really don’t have gadgets. Wait, at all? None at all. At home? They have an iPad, but only for school. When they get home—no iPad. We have a no-iPad policy. No games? None.

Wow. Netflix, they watch Balota and Rewind.  What about a cellphone? They don’t have a cellphone. Even Zia? Actually, we sometimes feel sorry for our daughter. Because she says, “Mom, all my classmates have a cellphone, except me. Why not me?” So her dad explains it to her, and she understands why. Because a cellphone comes with a big responsibility—are you ready for that? These are the things that can happen if you’re not careful.

So we laid it all out for her. Because as parents, it’s not enough to just say, “No cellphone, no iPad” without giving a reason. Every time you stop them from doing something, you have to explain why, so they understand. They use the landline when they need to call us. – No. – Yes! Sometimes it’s sad, especially when you see all her classmates with cellphones.

So Dong and I just look at each other and say,  “Come on, let’s buy food or something.” You know, you try to distract them. But she knows. We always tell her, “Different family, different rules.” How do you discipline? It depends. We tried different approaches. At one point, I really thought of spanking. We tried spanking, scolding, yelling, and talking.

What worked? What? Talking. Heart-to-heart talks. Even my daughter told me, “Mom, even if you spank me over and over, I will never listen.” If you scream at me, I will never listen. ”But if you talk to me and tell me what to do, I will listen.” She’s a bit independent and mature for her age. Like you. So that’s what we did.

You really have to try different formulas to see what works. And what works is sitting them down and making them understand why they were wrong. And I’m not afraid to say sorry to my kids. We do Bible study every night. Every night, we read a verse about God. Then we reflect on what we read. I instill in my kids that we need God in our lives—we can’t be without Him.

I give them 100% of my love to them. But their joy?  I can’t give that to them 100%, but they’ll get it 100% if they have Him in their lives too. That’s the kind of love I teach them. There are many showbiz couples that don’t last. How do you both prevent that? I guess I’m lucky to have a partner who’s very supportive of everything I do.

Whether it’s my career, being a mom, or any personal goal, Dong supports me 100%. And what’s great is we’re both like that, we’re happy for each other’s success. There’s no insecurity—like, “Oh, you have more than me, while I only have this…” There never came a point where we needed to compete with each other.

For us your success is my success, that’s what my husband always says. When good thing happen to me, he’s always there to say that he’s happy for me. That whatever success he has achieved, is my achievement as well. From the moment we said “Yes” on the altar, we became one. We were molded into one being.

There’s no reason for us to separate, because we made our vos in front of the Lord, that no matter what happends we’re here for each other. We’ll make our union stronger, we’ll nurture our family from so much love. What will have to happen for you to agree to a third child? Dad! The truth is I have the same questions.

Just joking… – There. – You’re giving me a hard time here. ‘m kidding. He doesn’t need to do anything. Nothing. With Dong you wouldn’t have a hard time,  because all the way he’s there for you. With Dong you wouldn’t have a hard time,  because all the way he’s there for you. As in, he goes above and beyond.  He treats me more carefully than the baby.

Maybe if I give birth, he’ll be  baby-ing me more than the baby. So it’s really not hard for me. Dear you’re so lucky. You’re so fortunate. So much. Is he romantic? Super, but in different ways. We’re the same, but the good thing about us,  we’re both go the extremes. But his approach is different from mine.

What is your approach? I like to plan surprises.  I like to make things or do things  to surprise a person. I like doing that. As for him, he’ll give his all his dedication to you. Okay, what is your message of love for Dong? I will give myself for you.  A message for Dong. I don’t see myself without him.

Maybe I wouldn’t be complete— what I have now, my dreams—he gave all of it to me. The dreams I had as a kid were fulfilled because of him. What is the biggest lesson life has taught you? Many. Like I said I can’t pinpoint just one. Maybe it all started when I was a child,  when I was 2 years old and my parents separated. 

My grandmother took care of me, and I grew up  independent with my grandmother always behind me.  ntil I graduated, got a job,  met my husband, and had children. Everything formed who I am. There were good and bad things that  happened, but I am thankful for all of them. Because of that I became a strong woman.

What is your dream after the success of Rewind?  What do you want? What is next? Ay, that’s a good question, what is next. Right now, at this point in my life,  I can’t say everything is totally okay,  but I’m contented with how I  feel and what I’ve reached now. So, if Lord will give me another changce, why not. 

But right now, I’m thankful to the  Lord for what he has already given me. I’m already a winner with just that. For those who are watching you now,  what should they do to feel empowered? My number 1 rule is to just be true to  yourself and never lose your values. You should surround yourself with positive  people who will always be there for you,  who will be happy for your successes.

And just in case of the opposite, you fall,  they should be there to hold  you and help you on your feet. Above all whatever blessing you haave, you should never forget that it all came from Him. Do you have a life verse? I’ve read something, sometime ago,  up until now I still remember it… “Man without God is nothing but God is still God.

” So, no matter what happens,  even if your world turns upside down,  if you’re not there with Him, if you don’t have  communication with Him, you’re nothing. All of it will disappear, but if you’re there,  He is with you wholly, no one will ever break you. Amazing!