Angelika knows her priorities

By the time you read this, Angelika dela Cruz must have already started taping for her Rhodora role in Mundo Mo’y Akin, the GMA 7’s latest primetime drama series to air soon. But unlike in her earlier years in showbiz where she kept on popping up from one network to another for acting projects, Angelika has now mellowed and, made the point that, her priorities have changed.

“The priority now is to make sure that I have enough time for my husband and son; my family,” Angelika says. “That’s why, I made sure that I only do tapings three times a week.” 

Being a wife to businessman Orion Casarea and a mom to their four-year-old son Gabriel has led her to become conscious about time management as she  balances her duties as a mom, wife and actress. Her manager, Perry Lansigan, who handles her career under PPL talent management recognizes the fact that Angelika can’t go beyond her limitation of doing one soap at a time. Angelika knows guilt feeling would attack if she put her family at the least of her concerns.

 â€œEven if I came home late from taping, I still get up early to prepare and send Gabriel to school because for me my work is not an excuse not to have enough  time for my son parang anong klase ’yun nakakapag-taping ako ng hanggang madaling araw tapos wala akong time sa anak ko? Kaya ’di na din ako ganun ka-active. I can only do soap as it won’t eat up a lot of time.”

Right after giving birth, Angelika relates, she studied Culinary Arts so as to prepare delicious and healthy meals at home. “Orion always cooks for us and it’s easy for him to whip up good food and I felt I should be the one doing that for them so I told myself I should learn how to cook. I’d also like my son to be proud of me and tell his friends na masarap ako mag-luto, nakakatuwa yun.”

Asked if she’s satisfied with how her life revolves these days, Angelika replies in the affirmative saying, “What’s important is you are happy. Being famous is not a guarantee for one to be happy because you can’t have it all. For me, I‘ll definitely choose my family if ever the time comes for me to decide between family and career.”

Does she still plan to run for a position in Malabon?

“I don’t think I can still do that now because what if I win knowing that I can’t perform its responsibilities, ending pipintasan ka lang kung di mo naman matututukan. Besides we could extend help to our kababayan kahit wala sa puwesto. Organizing medical missions like free dental check-ups counts a lot.”  

For now, she is able to juggle work and family without a hitch. Orion supports her passion in acting, helping her to be fit and look fabulous on cam by encouraging her to engage in triathlon. And Angelika liked the result. “I need exercise because my sugar (level) is high that’s my motivation when I first tried triathlon. Then, I find the sport addicting because once you’ve started it, parang hahanap-hanapin mo. So it is now included in my to-do list. Every morning, I run with Orion around UP.”

And even if her Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays are mostly devoted to tapings, Angelika allots some time for the sport. “It has a good effect on me, dati hinihingal ako umakyat ng hagdan ngayon hindi na kahit gaano pa s’ya kataas.”

Angelika shares the activities she had recently that visibly reflected how she effectively keeps a balance between work, family and triathlon:

“Last Sunday, my husband and I woke up at 5:30 a.m. then grabbed a quick bite because we were having a 15-km. run around UP. We ran for two hours then headed straight home. We arrived a little past 8 a.m. and had breakfast with Gab. After, we just stayed home to bond with our son until 1 p.m.

“At 2 p.m., I met the staff of Mundo Mo’y Akin, sina Ate Tracy, Regine Alba and Michelle, our EP and we talked about the show while eating. By 4 p.m., Orion fetched me and went straight to Greenhills to attend the baptismal of our friend’s offspring.

“Our triathlon team was also present in the affair. Then, we went home by 8 p.m. The following day, Monday, I spent time with Gab in the morning but had to go to salon by 10 a.m. for our 11 a.m. story con and pictorial that lasted until 8 p.m. then at 10 p.m. I was already in bed. Today (Tuesday, during the interview), I got up at 6:30 in the morning then had breakfast with my husband and a little playtime with Gab. At 11 a.m., I started preparing for this interview then after this, I’ll go out with Tracy, LJ and Jolina bonding lang then by 6:30 p.m. I’ll bike and run at UP with Orion. My bed time usually is around 10 or 10:30 p.m. but if there’s work, let’s say taping, I stay until 3 a.m. then wake up at 7:30 a.m. to prepare my son for school.”