Eric “Eruption” Tai and Rona Tai: Perfectly Real

Eric “Eruption” Tai and Rona Tai open up about the evolving shape of family, the many forms of love and redefining what “normal” truly means

Eric and Rona Tai have never fit the mold—and from what I’ve gathered during our interview, that’s just fine by them. For the couple, family isn’t about appearances or expectations; it’s about grace, grit, and showing up for one another.

“There’s no right or wrong way to be a family,” Rona says. “Family is what you make of it. It’s what makes us happy. We try to do our very best not to compare our family to others.”

For Eric, known to many as “Eruption,” family is the heartbeat that fuels his life. “Family is everything to me,” he shares. “It’s the reason why I work so hard. It gives me a goal, inspiration, motivation in life, because we have a son. We believe families are eternal. That even after this life, we’ll still be together.”

Their story is anything but conventional: he, a bodybuilder and she, a plus-size body-positivity advocate raising their only son, Legend, who is on the spectrum. Even the story of how they met is anything but ordinary. But what makes the Tais remarkable isn’t the labels that define them—it’s how they’ve embraced every challenge with tremendous faith, unshakable love and even some humor along the way.

For Rona and Eric, love is an active choice, shown through patience, prayer and the daily choice of becoming better for each other. They appreciate having each other to support and share mutual goals while going through the beauty of life together.

Love, Loss, and the Making of a Miracle

Before Legend was born, Eric and Rona faced heartbreak. Two miscarriages and an ectopic pregnancy left Rona without fallopian tubes, and the couple without hope of conceiving naturally.

“The doctor told us there was no chance,” Eric recalls. “But I just wanted her to be okay.” They decided to leave it to God.

That season tested their faith in ways they couldn’t have imagined. They remember how their wedding plans overlapped with surgery and loss. One month before their church wedding, Rona needed surgery because the embryo ruptured due to an ectopic pregnancy. The doctor told Eric, “There’s no hope for you to conceive naturally.”

But their love endured through grief. They kept moving forward, believing in God’s plan.

In 2018, Rona took one final leap of faith. “I just booked an appointment for IVF,” she laughs, sharing that Eric didn’t even know at first.

The procedure was grueling, but the miracle came. “We only had one embryo,” Eric says. “Just one shot. And that embryo became Legend.”

A Legend is Born

He was born in 2019—an answered prayer, a promise fulfilled. “He’s our miracle baby,” Rona says. “I’ve always wanted a child, and here he is.”

For Eric, fatherhood reshaped his life. “When Legend came, I promised I’d be the best dad I could be,” he says. He turned down showbiz offers to work from home, streaming on Facebook Gaming so he could be there for every milestone. He believes God provided a way for him to work and still be hands-on because their child needed both parents.

Even Legend’s name feels divinely appointed. “It was crazy how we were coming up with a name and John Legend popped up on the radio. We walked down the aisle to John Legend,” Eric laughs. “And I scored a legendary mark in front of 16,000 people while playing League of Legends. During the pandemic, I worked for a company called Mobile Legends. So he is our Legend. We went through so much for him. He’s our first and probably our last.”

Faith in the Waiting

Their faith, tempered by trials, became the foundation of everything they built.

“When we had our second miscarriage, Rona had to give up her last fallopian tube,” Eric says.

In time, their obedience opened doors they never expected. After losing his job on Showtime in 2016, Eric turned the setback into a spiritual reset.

That year, they joined The Amazing Race Philippines. While they didn’t win, coming in third place even after leading as first place for most of the competition, the journey taught them that faith isn’t about results, but endurance. When they finally conceived through IVF, that same faith carried them through uncertainty.

Legend’s birth was more than a medical success—it was divine intervention.

The Power of Self-Acceptance

Rona’s journey toward self-love began long before motherhood. “It started back in high school,” she shares. “I was teased for being bigger. I remember wanting to be the class muse—but they’d vote me as sergeant-at-arms because I was a big girl, I was just built that way. My dad told me, ‘You have so much more to offer than just being beautiful outside.’ That changed me forever.”

That wisdom became her compass. Instead of trying to fit in, she took up space. “I didn’t need a pageant to define who I am,” she says. “I ran for student council and became president instead.”

“Just live the way you want to live. Just do you. And that’s what’s made me happy. I mean, imagine when I met Eric, I was 250 pounds? And here he is. He’s an athlete, super fit, model, whatever–but it didn’t stop me from talking to him.”

Years later, social media became her unexpected platform for empowerment. “I was just posting and being me,” Rona smiles. “Then messages came in—people saying they felt empowered and I’d inspired them. I realized confidence isn’t about proving anything. It’s just about living as you.”

Now in her forties, Rona’s relationship with her body has evolved. “I love myself enough to want to improve,” she says. “I’m on a health journey, not because I hate my body, but because I love it. I want to be healthy, strong, and around for my family.” She reveals she will be doing a tummy tuck soon—not for vanity, but for health, comfort, and self-care. “Looking better and hotter is just a bonus.”

Her self-acceptance has shaped her parenting. “Legend isn’t afraid to be himself,” she says proudly. “He’s expressive, loving, and fearless—even when kids tease him. I always tell him: “Don’t be afraid to be you.” She reminds him that he is loved, prayed for, and amazing.

Rona laughs recalling how she builds his confidence. “When he feels bad, I tell him, ‘If they make you cry, tell them my mommy will make your mommy cry!’” she grins. This makes him laugh—and reminds him that he’s not alone.

The Everyday Kind of Courage

When Rona noticed early signs that Legend was different, she refused to deny it. “I was the first to say something was off—not wrong, just different,” she says. “I wanted to know the best way to help him.”

Her openness shaped Legend’s confidence. “He’s not afraid to stand out,” Rona says. “He once asked a college boy, our family friend, ‘Do you have autism?’ When the older boy said yes, Legend said, ‘Yeah, me too.’ He owns it.” Rona shared how her own experience of being body shamed has inspired her to teach Legend to accept who he is and be proud of himself.

Eric admits that acceptance was more of a journey for him. “I was raised with tough love,” he says. “We got disciplined physically growing up. My dad was strict because he didn’t want us to go through what he did. So I thought I had to raise Legend the same way. But with him, I’ve learned to explain things with love and empathy.”

Their son’s brilliance continues to awe them. By two, he was reading. By three, he had memorized all the flags of the world. “He can identify countries just by their shape,” Eric says. “He memorized all the stars, planets, galaxies–every entity, or abyss, or black hole in space–by heart.”

While Eric teaches him discipline and physical confidence, Rona nurtures his curiosity. They share that Legend was brought up without an iPad or gadgets. Eric says, “Rona was the one who really enforced books. Even until now, at age six, when he wakes up he goes straight to the books.” They share that they get him a new book every week or every other week. Rona adds, “He reads almanacs and encyclopedias.” 

Empowerment through Exposure

When asked if they ever feel the need to protect Legend, Rona shares, “In some sense I do, but I’m also the one to push him so that he gets desensitized. For example, he goes to a progressive traditional school, a Christian international school. It’s not far from where we live. But I signed him up for a school bus, so that he can mingle with other students, without a nanny and without a parent.” Rona adds that she prefers not to coddle him, “So as much as possible, I try to expose him, because that’s the only way he’s going to learn.”  

Rona narrates how she even enrolled Legend in a public school, to see how he would cope. They spoke to the principal who was gracious enough to allow him to sit in for one month. “I wanted to see if he can cope–and he did fine!”

Patience, Partnership, and Purpose

Fatherhood, for Eric, transformed how he defines success. That perspective deepened after a knee surgery sidelined him last year. He shared about how not being able to move or provide for a while made him vulnerable. But he is grateful that Rona was there. She said, ‘Don’t worry, we got this.’”

He threw himself into rehab, treating healing like discipline. His years as an athlete taught him to turn pain into patience.

Together, the couple turned setbacks into stepping stones. They’ve had tough losses, but it opened doors. Then came more shows, endorsements, and later, the chance to start their first business together.

That business—Ayumi Art and Beauty Studios franchise, known for its authentic Japanese eyelash extensions—was Rona’s idea. “She told me, ‘Even during the pandemic, women will still want to look good—eyes on fleek!’” Eric laughs. “I believed in her, and she was right. We now have five branches nationwide.”

Their faith anchors them through every test—career losses, health scares, and financial risks. But thirteen years in, their marriage has matured into mutual respect and teamwork. 

Love, Faith, and the Lessons of Legend

The Tais’ journey—through loss, love, miracles, and learning—is rooted in faith. For him, the verse from Proverbs 3:5-6 says it all: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and He will direct your path.”

They’ve held onto that promise in every chapter—from the heartbreaks that almost broke them to the blessings they never saw coming. They believe that when things get hard, going back to prayer grounds them.

Their message to other parents? Both Rona and Eric agree to never give up. Eric says, “Never give up on your child, especially if he’s showing something different or a result you don’t want. Make time for your kids and never give up on them. Despite being a busy father and provider, you’ve got to make some time. Even if it’s just 10 minutes of your day, set him aside and talk to him and really listen to what he has to say, and maybe even say a prayer with him.”

Looking back at their parenting journey so far, and the words that come to mind when they think of Legend? Without hesitation, Rona declares, “For me, it’s simple. Legend is amazing. He is a reminder of how amazing God is. Despite the doctor telling us that we won’t be able to conceive a child, here he is. He is a testament of God’s love. I’m amazed by it. And it brings so much happiness.”

Eric shares, “For me, he is a gift and a blessing. He is a blessing to our lives. He has blessed us and others in a way he doesn’t even understand, because he is too young to understand.” Eric adds, “Legend is a constant reminder of God’s love for us, that He will never, ever leave us or neglect us as his sons and daughters.”

Words MAWI FOJAS DE OCAMPO
Photography EXCEL PANLAQUE of KLIQ, INC.
Makeup TWINKLE BERNARDO
Hairstyling ANGELI ALFONSO
Styling SIYA DARYANI and ROSHNI MIRPURI of The Closet Culture
Shoot Coordination ANTHONY MENDOZA
Sittings Editor MARGA MEDRANO-TUPAZ

Shot on Location EDSA Shangri-La Hotel

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