It’s been years since Rica Peralejo gave up a long showbiz career to settle down and prioritize her family life.
Rica Peralejo (Photo by Lester Ramos)
Looking back, she said, making that decision was easy and she won’t trade her life now for another shot at stardom.
“Everything is good. I’m enjoying my life as wife and mother. I think that’s my foremost calling,” Rica said when Bulletin Entertainment asked how satisfied she is with life outside showbiz.
Rica is vocal in acknowledging she made a lot of mistakes along the way. But while she is not perfect, what counts is that she was able to rise from the fall and emerge a better person.
“Showbiz is just work and there are so many people who can do what I do in front of the cameras. The thing is, I’m a mother and no one can be a mother to my son except me, the same thing that I’m the only wife of my husband. I prioritize them because nobody can do that. And that’s enough for me.”
Despite being inactive in showbiz, Rica maintains a blog and occasionally uploads web episodes with her sister Paula. Rica has over 400,000 followers on Instagram.
Rica attended the Cheez Whiz Mild launch recently as one of the social media influencers.
Rock-solid faith
Rica married Christian Pastor Joseph Bonifacio in 2010. Four years later, they were blessed with a son named Philip Nathaniel.
The former actress shared she has always wanted to be a mom.
“And now, I’m living the dream,” she smiled.
Of course, like any mother, she gets tired too sometimes. But seeing her son growing up is priceless.
“Every day of my life with Philip is a cherished moment. Seeing him develop as a good man is more than enough to really like what I’m doing. Actually, I fear that soon enough, he will not need me anymore. I have limited time, so as much possible, I try to create good memories of us all the time.”
Being wife to a pastor helped further strengthen her faith in God. In fact, Rica was inspired to write a weekly devotional titled “Better Than Jewels.”
She shared she feels God’s hand over her family all the time, blessing them from the moment they wake up.
“I always think that every day, He is with us. Also, I’m getting older and the moment you encounter some health issues, you realize it is God’s hand that wakes you up, who protects you every minute of your life,” she said.
Rica said she introduces God to her son by being a living testimony of faith and goodness.
“I think the best way to be able to give faith to a child is to show him that ‘This is a God,’ and me as a mother, I have to model it,” she said. “Like, when he sees the power of God in our lives, it will be a testimony that yes, He is with us.”