Spotlight

Korina Sanchez-Roxas on Raising Good Vibes

by Bianca Salonga
January 21, 2022

Korina Sanchez-Roxas, newsroom luminary, TV host, and mom, shares intimate, good vibes-inducing moments with her two-year-old twins, Pepe and Pilar.

Esteemed broadcast journalist, TV news anchor, correspondent and host, Korina Sanchez Roxas has been living her best life since the arrival of her twins, “pambansang pampa good vibes,” Pepe and Pilar. A stellar career in the newsroom has given Korina a stark view on the realities of life sans rose colored lenses. “I am a war veteran of life with its struggles and demands. It helped somehow that I had children ‘late in my life.’” she says.

Parenting During the Pandemic

When the pandemic struck only a few months after the birth of her children, the news pioneer discovered that parenthood could ring new perspectives. “The good thing about having been practically born into the pandemic, is that my kids don’t really know normal times,” says the mom of two-year-old twin siblings, Pepe and Pilar. For the kids, days in the Roxas compound are typically spent bonding with grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and a house staff. “Our family bubble is in one big compound so we are blessed this way. They get to run, swim and mingle with quite a number of people.”

Although limited to interactions and activities within their bubble, Korina is keen on creating a life for her children that is as close as possible to normal. “We stay outdoors a lot—driving to a mountain or lake, river or forest with no one around.” She also observes that both Pepe and Pilar, young as they are, have quickly adapted to the new normal. “I’m amazed at how quickly they consider the face mask as part of their anatomy. Pilar would always remind Pepe: ‘Wear your mask! May pulis!’ Such a riot! They both refuse to take off their face masks in public.”

Her bright-eyed children also refer the virus as “sipon.” Korina recalls, “One time when their grandmother had to stay at a distance, Pilar said in Ilonggo: ‘Don’t come nearer, you have sipon.’” Witnessing the unique personalities and quirks of her kids develop, brighten each day for Korina. “As they say, ‘nakakatanggal sila ng pagod.’ They inspire me to want to live forever and live my best life.”

Going for the best

In living her best life, Korina stays the course when it comes to work and sense of purpose. This means having to be away from home for days on end. And while this may cause for her heart to break a little each time, she relates, “The bond between mother and child is unbreakable. I sense that they know and feel I’m their mama no matter what, and this jolts me into responsibility. And this is inclusive of my entire person—what I do, why I do it and what it stands for.”

Korina shares heartwarming anecdotes of conversations that usually transpire while she’s away from home. “They ask pappi (Mar) in Ilonggo, ‘Where is mama?’ And pappi always tells them, ‘In your heart.’ It’s so sweet.” It’s also testament to bonds between members of the family that are truly unbreakable despite time, circumstance or distance.

When duty calls, Korina is away for at least a week at a time. She quarantines before returning home make ensure that there is no breach in their family bubble. To stay connected, the family does video calls for hours on end. She shares, “The kwento is unending. We sing and I ask them about what they learned in school.” Warms hugs, kisses, and ecstatic shrieks from her children make going back home even sweeter. Korina gushes, “It melts my heart!”