MANILA, Philippines — Polo Ravales enjoys being a father to his one-year-old son with his fiancée, fitness coach Paulyn Quiza.
He admitted being a “very hands-on” dad to Baby Yatrick Paul.“Sabay kami ng baby ko nagigising. Mga 9 to 10 a.m. Naglalakad na kasi siya eh so talagang hahabul-habulin mo siya,” he told The STAR on the sidelines of the recent meet-and-greet event of his friend, Japanese rapper Tomoro.
Fatherhood has changed him and taught him some greatest lessons in life. “When you have a baby, your decisions in life will have to include him. Talagang iisipin mo siya sa lahat ng gagawin mo kasi may baby ka na. You already have a responsibility. You also have to change your lifestyle for your baby. You have to be really mature.”
“Physically, you also have to be strong so you can take care of your baby. Lalo na ‘pag naglalakad, hahabul-habulin mo siya. We don’t have a helper, so we’re very hands-on. ‘Pag nagkaroon ka na pala ng baby, you will really mature. Kaya hindi ko alam kung bakit yung iba nakukuha nilang pabayaan yung mga anak nila,” he added.
No baby No. 2 yet but Polo said they are planning to push through with their wedding next year. Polo and Paulyn got engaged in 2018 but the COVID-19 pandemic happened, so the wedding date had to be moved.
“If ever, we want to have it in Bohol. So dapat magkakaroon na kami ng wedding but the pandemic came and then we had a baby so we became a bit busy,” the actor further told this paper.
The couple has been together for five years and they met through a common friend who set them up on a blind date.
“Before I met her, I didn’t really want to start my own family. I just wanna be single. So nagulat ako, minsan ganun yata talaga. As in gusto ko single lang ako (before),” he shared.
The 40-year-old actor was romantically linked to Sunshine Dizon, Jean Garcia and Ara Mina in the past.
Paulyn was annulled from a previous marriage and has a 12- year-old child with her ex-husband.
On what he likes about Paulyn, Polo said, “You can’t really pinpoint it. Hindi mo naman talaga makita yung pinaka reason. You just feel it. ‘Yung instinct mo. Actually, we’re somewhat opposites. We started out as opposites. I was a party-goer, she is not. I’m messy, she’s OC (obsessive compulsive).”
Nowadays, Polo finds their personalities complementary.
“Alam mo yun talagang medyo magkaiba kami pero diba sinasabi nila opposite attracts. Pero ngayon dahil medyo matagal na kami, parang yung weakness ko, strength niya. Yung strength niya, weakness ko. So parang nag-ja-jibe kami,” he continued.
The secret to their strong bond is “commitment,” according to Polo. “(It’s also) understanding and accepting lahat ng pangit and maganda sa isang tao if you really want to work it out. I think she makes me a better person. I stopped smoking, although she never forced me because she’s a fitness trainer.”
Food, travel and workout are the things that they like to do together.
In terms of his acting career, Polo said he is not quitting showbiz. “Baka hinahayaan lang ni Lord na maging busy ako sa baby ko. Baka mamaya biglang magka-show ako, hindi ko na maalagaaan yung baby ko. Baka ganun.”
“He is a pandemic baby. Paulyn had PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) so mahirap siyang magka-baby. So it’s a miracle that we were able to have a baby,” he added.
Polo divulged he is currently working on a sexy-erotic thriller movie project, which he co-produced and they will start filming next year.
Paulyn, for her part, described her fiancé as “very loving and very sweet.” Their secret in keeping their relationship strong is “God, respect and communication,” in that order.
Some of the celebrity clients of Paulyn are Jackie Lou Blanco, Iza Calzado and Andrea Brillantes. She trained in New York, where she earned a certification as a Functional Training Specialist.
“Yung sa exercise ko is hormone-based. I can help women with hormone-based problem with their weight or yung iba naman’ pag post-menstrual na,” she explained.
So far, she had not experienced any “attitude problem” with the stars she had worked with. “Because when they go to me, it’s really because they want to lose weight… They want to look good, they are preparing for a shoot. But I think the schedule, ‘pag artista kasi napupuyat so No. 1 rule ko when I’m training a client, it’s the sleep. You cannot work out if you only have two hours of sleep… Pero wala naman akong nakaka-work out na ‘diva,’ thankfully,” she said.