It's been a tough year for everyone, but celebrities Paul Soriano and Toni Gonzaga-Soriano made sure that their son Severiano Elliott or Seve has activities that will make him happy, and healthy while stuck at home during the pandemic.
"Seve likes to make tents out of our furniture, bedsheets, even clothes, we do this in his room. We try to set up a cinema for him and stream a lot of his favorite cartoons. We try to watch classic films also. Furthermore, we've been doing a lot of that," said Paul, during a Zoom conference with the entertainment press over the weekend.
Paul added: "Because of the lowdown, every day is like a weekend for him. So we have to find all these activities for him to get him busy. We even made our stairs a slide one time. Toni has done a lot of cooking versions to entertain us."
Prior to the pandemic, Toni said that she and her husband would take Seve to the malls if they are not busy.
"We love going out. If I have no work, we will just take him to the mall, even if we're not buying anything. Those trips to the mall make Seve so happy," said Toni.
The Kapamilya star recalled that two months after the lockdown last year, Seve realized that they were not going out. "So we have to find ways and create fun activities that will not make him bored."
The couple, who just celebrated their sixth wedding anniversary, said there were challenges during the pandemic.
"Every Sunday is family day to us. We had lunch with our parents and grandparents. It was difficult and everything had to be adjusted," added Toni. "And then I just realized, 'yung work ng 10 tao, puwede na pala gawin ng one person. So you really have to find solutions."
Toni said the pandemic brought out the best in her as a wife, as a mother and as a person.
"At home, I'm a better mother, a better wife, a better homemaker because I am always present. I am not missing any milestones in the family. Our communization got stronger. You are able to take care of them. That's why after the pandemic, I am a better person, she said.
Toni also said that the pandemic helped her get to know her son on a deeper level. "One of the best gifts during the pandemic is that I was able to get to know my son on a deeper level because I am always present. I saw his progress in online school."
But she said that their biggest discovery is the blessing of spending time together.
“The pandemic taught me a lot of things such as appreciating what we have—being with Seve all the time, being a hands-on parent, and see him grow every day—these are things that I will never exchange for anything in the world, and we count these as blessings,” she said. “While we’re still in quarantine, we’re able to make the most and live the best way we know how and, certainly, enjoy doing things better with PLDT Home.”
As a multi-hyphenate actress, television host, singer, entrepreneur and mother, Toni has a lot to keep up with: from hosting online shows to being on top of her other pursuits, hobbies, and most importantly, taking care of her son Seve and husband Paul. It’s a lot, yet she manages well with the help of their strong connection as a family at home.
The Soriano family joins PLDT Home in its latest “Do it Better” campaign that inspires Filipino families to do things better at home, powered by the country’s fastest home broadband. The campaign highlights how PLDT Home enables Filipinos to work more productively, learn faster, enjoy wider entertainment choices, enjoy better health, and discover limitless opportunities with the power of fast and reliable connectivity at home.
“It took a lot of adjustment for me and my family during the first few months of the pandemic, but we realized that not only can we do most of what we need to do at home, we can also do it better with PLDT Home. With shoots and other events moving to digital, having seamless connections allowed the shift to be easier.”
Working from home meant that she had to convert her workspace into something suited for online hostings, meetings, and work commitments. This meant turning her makeup and dressing room into a workstation.
“We made a dedicated workspace at home where we can fulfill our work duties such as filming remotely, edit videos, and attend virtual meetings. Paul helped me set up our workspace at home,” she added.
Working out to keep themselves healthy is a priority for both Toni and Paul, and being on lockdown meant that they had to stay physically active at home.
“In a pandemic, it’s important to keep ourselves healthy, and one of the ways to do that is by making time to work out or exercise. We do workout together at home. It’s fun and has become a bonding experience for me and Toni,” Paul said.
Paul also had to adapt to a new working environment and shifted much of his work online—something he has done successfully, as he was able to complete five films at the height of the lockdowns.