Jodi Sta. Maria: Sounds Off On Career, Motherhood and Married Life

Jodi Sta. Maria is poised to return to the big screen via the upcoming thriller “Cul-De-Sac,” starring alongside Sam Milby. Her lips are sealed as to the nature of her character, but with her recent television roles leaning towards the villainous, your guess is as good as mine.

The 26-year-old Jodi first burst into the public consciousness during the long-defunct Sunday teen melodrama titled Tabing Ilog. Now, she’s a young wife to Pampy (the son of Sen. Panfilo Lacson whom, she proudly notes, is into recycling and eco-business), mom to two-year-old toddler Thirdy (she says the secret to her svelte self is keeping in step with her hyperactive son), and career woman trying to strike a balance in everything she does. 

Well, from what I’ve gathered during a recent interview when she was in town to promote Gluta-C’s line of beauty products, looks like she’s getting by just fine, thank you. I’d like to share some of Jodi Sta. Maria’s “guiding principles” when it comes to motherhood, married life and career.

On motherhood: “Number one—just enjoy your kid because he won’t be that way forever. Time will come that he’ll grow independent of you. Pray and be patient. Patience is, indeed, a virtue.”

On marriage: “It’s important that you’ll always go back to the day when and why you fell in love with this person in the first place. Communication is very important: you have to keep the lines open. Of course, once you get married, mangangapa ka at first, but everything’s going to work out fine. Tapos may iba na namang kakapain (laughs) kasi tuloy-tuloy talaga siya.”

On career: “You just have to strike while the iron is hot. You have to put your heart into it. Sa line of work namin, kung hindi mo talaga mahal yung work mo, di ka talaga tatagal. Competition is really intense. Kung wala ka talaga maibubuga, malalamon ka ng buo. Di pwede pumasok ka ng wala lang, kasi ang dami-daming gusto mag-aartista. Kung mawala ka, there’s always someone willing and ready to replace you. So once you’re there, give it your best shot because not everybody is given a chance and break here in showbiz.”

According to Angeline Fietcher, managing director of Hype Ardent (makers of Gluta-C skincare products), they chose Jodi as endorser “not only because she is a beautiful woman, but she embodies the aspirations of Filipinas. We want her to represent our products because she is a good mother, a very talented actress, a very nice and very hardworking person.”

Add “very wholesome” as well. (Interestingly, just when she became a mother, she got inundated with offers to pose before three men’s magazines. She, of course, declined. “I have nothing against those who agreed to pose, but it’s just not me,” explains Jodi.)

As a footnote to the interview, I had to ask how does she manage to steer clear from “intrigues”? She has this to say: “I’m thankful of the upbringing that my mommy gave me. Madali rin kasi akong matakot. Hindi rin ganun kalakas yung loob ko to do out of this world, crazy things. And siyempre lagi kong iniisip, kung may bad publicity about me, ang unang masasaktan ay ang family ko. And I don’t want them getting hurt only because of my wrongdoing.”