Patrick Sugui and Aeriel Garcia: Liv, Laugh, Love

New parents Patrick Sugui and Aeriel Garcia-Sugui are livin’ up every moment they have with their daughter Olivia.

The love that actor Patrick Sugui and gamer Aeriel Garcia-Sugui have for their new daughter seems to dwarf the harrowing struggles of being a new parent. The sleepless nights, endless diaper changes, and the trial-and-error in finding the ultimate schedule or routine that works for their young family — all these fade as the two find themselves laughing and making the best out of the situation.

“It was all a challenge at first,” Aeriel admitted. “But now that Olivia’s almost three months old, we both got the hang of it. Olivia has a regular sleeping schedule so it’s much easier now. Now we can all sleep together and wake up together. It’s a wonderful stage in our lives and we cherish every moment of it with our daughter.”

Their struggles as first-time parents, they both admit, revealed a strength in each other they never knew. “I guess it’s how we’re actually more patient, reliable, and compatible than we actually thought we were. It’s amazing that no matter how stressful and hard raising a baby is, we still always find ourselves laughing and making the best out of our situation. Our home has never been happier and our marriage has never been stronger.”

Teamwork makes the dream work

Being new to the parenting game can sometimes become overwhelming, especially with the constantly changing mechanics. But it’s not impossible to master or win. Both Patrick Sugui and Aeriel Garcia-Sugui agree that purposeful decisions and behaviors aimed to support each other play a vital role in helping them flourish as Team Parent to their dear baby Livliv.

“Whatever I can do to support him [Patrick], I will be happy to do it. Right now, the best thing I can do is to keep myself healthy physically and emotionally, so I can take good care of Olivia,” Aeriel shares. “Having a kid is one thing, but raising a child is another.”

And while Aeriel balances both her needs and Livliv’s, Patrick takes it upon himself to carry as much of the weight as he can. This was evident during their shoot at Seda Vertis North when they arrived before their call time without any nanny or help. As the elevator doors opened to reveal the family, Aeriel pushed the stroller carrying Olivia while Patrick carried all of their bags. While Aeriel had her hair and makeup done, Patrick took over and cared for Olivia — even dressing her up in the clothes she would wear for the first layout.

“My wife has been doing such an amazing job with Olivia. All I can do is to lessen the load on her shoulders,” Patrick admits.

Everything that Aeriel can’t address at the moment while taking care of Olivia falls under Patrick’s domain of responsibility. “She feeds the baby, I do the burping and we take turns changing the diapers. I also put myself in charge of most of the chores. I do our laundry, clean the house, and cook our meals,” Patrick enumerates.

But why not get someone to handle the more menial tasks? It’s a conscious choice the two have made because of their shared desire to fully experience parenthood. “We both decided not to get a helper or a yaya for Olivia because we wanted to be present and we wanted to fully experience parenthood so we just have to do both our jobs well and trust each other in the process. So far I would say that we’re doing an excellent job. Teamwork!”

Sharing the world with their daughter

Besides showing what smooth and streamlined teamwork looks like, Patrick and Aeriel also want to share what their childhood was like with Olivia. For Patrick, it was growing up in a fun and loving environment like he used to when he would spend time with his grandparents.

“I guess the weekends at grandma and grandpa’s is what I would like for her to experience growing up. As a kid, my sister and I together with our cousins would always spend the weekends at our grandparents’ house. I remember I was always looking forward to the weekends so I could meet up with my cousins and do all kinds of fun things,” Patrick recalls.

But even more so, Patrick wants Olivia to have the same loving relationship with her grandparents as he had with his own. “If there are two people that I would fully trust with our daughter, it would be Olivia’s grandparents, my Mom and my Dad.”

Although Aeriel isn’t sure when she’ll return as a streamer, she reveals her plans to explore the digital world alongside Olivia. Including sharing her favorite video games! “We’re already at that age where most people have their gadgets on their hands and I wouldn’t take that away from Olivia. As long as she’s under our provision and with our guidance, limited screen time won’t hurt. Being a gamer myself, I also want her to learn some of my favorite games and one day play them with her. It’s the dream!”

The joy that Liv brings Patrick Sugui and Aeriel Garcia-Sugui

It seems Olivia already has something she wants to share with her parents. One look is all it takes before their hearts melt. “We feel like she understands what we’re trying to say to her, we feel like she’s responding with her eyes. She looks at us with her big eyes and it just melts us every time. She’s an easy baby and a very happy one. We bet she’s always going to make the people around her happy when she gets older,” says Aeriel.

Her joyful babbling and beaming provide both Patrick and Aeriel with a sense of euphoria and an element of excitement. Especially for Patrick who is over the moon about being a girl dad. “I love everything that comes with being a girl dad. A lot of people say that baby girls are usually really close with their dads. So that gets me even more excited about raising a baby girl. Right now, I’m just focusing on being a good father and a good husband. I want my daughter to see how a guy is supposed to treat a woman. I want to make sure she grows up in a home full of love and happiness.”

Even when their parenting game is still young, they’re still going strong

Raising a child challenges both a parent’s individual and shared capabilities. With the many ups and downs, some may wonder how Patrick Sugui and Aeriel Garcia-Sugui can live and laugh about it. Perhaps, it’s their mindfulness to remind themselves that things will get better. Knowing that they’re with each other for the long haul strengthens them in figuring out the mechanics of the parenting game.

“Teamwork! Make it easier for each other and help your partner when you can,” Patrick advises.

“Whatever hardships you’re experiencing right now will always get better. And it will all be worth it! Just remember to stay by your partner’s side, you’ll make it!” adds Aeriel. “A teamwork effort is what makes modern parenting fun and fulfilling.”

Words KEVYN GOHU-CATINGUB
Photography KIERAN PUNAY
Videography EXCEL PANLAQUE
Makeup TWINKLE BERNARDO
Hair ANGELI ALFONSO
Styling ROSHNI MIRPURI and SIYA DARYANI for THE CLOSET CULTURE
Shoot Coordination ANTHONY MENDOZA
Art Director MARC YELLOW
Sittings Editor GRETCHEN GATAN FRAGADA

Shot on location at SEDA VERTIS NORTH

More new parent debuts like Patrick Sugui and Aeriel Garcia-Sugui:

Luis Manzano and Jessy Mendiola: Parenting in Full Bloom
Jennylyn Mercado and Dennis Trillo: Blended Together
Iza Calzado: Embracing New Beginnings and Unique Timelines