Special Features
Paolo and Sam Valenciano: No Room for Fluff
Paolo and Sam Valenciano embrace the changes and share how they’ve taken the necessary steps to improve their quality of living.
Under regular circumstances, Paolo and Sam Valenciano would spend their days out and about. But times have certainly changed, and no different from the rest of us. They’ve hunkered down and braced themselves for the unexpected. “It’s been quite the bittersweet experience,” Paolo states, seeing both the pros and cons of their experience. “On one hand, we’ve lost most of our projects and avenues of income. But on the other, we’ve never spent as much time together, as we have now.” Activities like cooking, swimming, and going for walks have now become part of the family’s daily on-goings.
Paolo and Sam Valenciano on Reevaluating Priorities
Aside from the noticeable changes in their routine, Sam took the time to reevaluate their priorities.
She decided to invest in equipment, revamped their garage, and turned the space into a gym. “We got rid
of everything we no longer needed to make space for the things that actually improved our quality of life,” says the doting mom. She has also been designated as “learning coach” for their four-year-old daughter, Leia, who began taking online classes.
Paolo adds, “You can’t just leave the kids alone in front of the laptop and hope that everything will work out. We’ve tried that and it didn’t work. There has to be some kind of physical engagement, and that’s basically what Sam does for Leia.” Before long, the family of three began to ease into a simpler and more purposeful lifestyle.
Life is Short
“Life is short. Plain and simple. I realized how important family and health are—more than all the fluff we’d usually spend our time on,” shares Sam, ruminating on the experiences brought about by this crisis. “Coming from the live events industry, I questioned my purpose in life almost on a daily basis,” confesses Paolo Valenciano. “It was tough, but seeing my family together gave me strength. And when you feel as though their well-being is at risk, hustle-mentality really kicks in. And you do what you must in order to survive.”
As seen on Modern Parenting: The 100 List Anniversary Print Issue available on OMG Newsstands on Lazada and Shopee. Digital copies are also available through Magzter, PressReader, Readly, and Zinio.
Looking for similar stories? Find more here:
KC Montero and Stephanie Dods: On Intuitive Parenting While Raising Wyatt
Judy Ann Santos and Ryan Agoncillo: A Constant State of Equanimity and Equilibrium
Modern Parenting Launches First Print Issue
