SHE PULLS off the look well but in reality, Valerie Concepcion is no Bree Van De Kamp. She doesn’t rule in the kitchen. “Aaminin ko, frustration ko yan. I wanna learn how to cook, sobra. I never had the chance. In my 23 years, never ako nagsaing. I do know how to fry eggs and hotdogs. More than that, di ko na kaya.” But like the Desperate Housewives character, she is a whiz at time management. “Feeling ko yun yung gift ko—mag-balance ng time.” It is an impressive balancing act—she is mom to six-year-old Fiona, she is part of two television shows (100 Days To Heaven, Mga Nagbabagang Bulaklak), she has hosting gigs and she manages her business—a franchise of Posh Nails at The Piazza at Venice in McKinley.
“I’m just happy that God gave me the wisdom na marunong ako ng time management. I need that—being a mom, being a career woman. I always make time sa lahat—Fiona, friends, boyfriend, family.” She says she even helped taught her boyfriend (basketball player Dondon Hontiveros) how to manage time. “He has a son also so I taught him that. Kailangan ganito, kailangan mag-adjust ka.”
When she’s not working, Valerie makes sure she spends a lot of time with Fiona. “I make sure magkasama kami, nood kami ng movie, we’ll go to Time Zone or Tom’s World, we watch cartoons on TV. She loves Phineas and Ferb and Rugrats. She likes Nickelodeon and Disney. Kaya ako nagiging bata ulit eh.”
Valerie considers herself a strict mom. “Sa akin lang siya takot. Hindi siya takot sa lolo and lola. But I’m happy that she appreciates it. Kahit pinapagalitan ko siya, malambing siya sa akin. When I’m home, ako pa rin ang lagi niyang katabi. Mama’s girl pa rin siya.”
Fiona is her mother’s biggest fan—even when she plays villains on TV. “Sobrang affected siya. Like sa Nagbabagang Bulaklak. Ako yung bad dun, si Violet, yung character ko yung nang-aaway kay Ivy. Pero she’ll tell me, “Mama, I don’t like that Ivy. I like Violet.” Biased talaga. (laughs) Tapos yung mga comment niya nakakaloka. May nang-away kay Violet tapos sasabihin niya, “Mama, mas maganda ka sa kanila!” Kampi talaga siya sa akin, talagang love na love ako.”
Although she has big dreams for Fiona, Valerie wants her little girl to choose her own path. “Gusto ko magkaroon siya ng magandang future, maging successful siya sa kung anong gusto niyang gawin. Pinalaki ako ng parents ko na kung anong gusto ko maging, susuportahan ka namin. Gusto ko ganun din.”
Fiona can be very shy but Valerie says she’s starting to develop a love for performing. “We danced on ASAP last April. Siguro she enjoyed it kasi after that nagpa-enrol siya sa dance class. I support her. Now, pag pupunta siyang taping, gusto nyang magtalent, okay, go. Pero ayaw niya daw ng may lines, okay, go.”
Valerie wants her daughter to learn from her own experiences. “People will learn from their mistakes in life. Ayoko siyang i-spoil. Nobody can teach you kung paano mo malalagpasan ang mga pagdadaaanan mo sa buhay. Hindi mo maiintindihan hangga’t hindi ikaw yung nakakaexperience. Ayoko siyang i-strict na di ka pwede sa ganito.. kasi paglaki kawawa. Baka walang muwang. I don’t want her to be that way.”
But the biggest thing Valerie wants Fiona to know is that she’ll always be there for her. “At the end of the day, it will always be the family who will be there for you. Gusto ko yung maging relationship namin, we’re like friends. Ayoko na may nililihim siya sa akin. Yun ang gusto kong i-impart sa kanya. We’re friends. You can open up to me. Let’s not keep secrets.”
