8 Things That Make Andi Eigenmann And Philmar Alipayo Perfect For Each Other
Love has many sides to it; it's romantic and lighthearted, strong and practical, and teaches and learns all at once, too—exactly all the things that define what Andi and Philmar are and have
When Andi Eigenmann decided to move to Siargao for good, it wasn't a simple change in address.
The choice was motivated by a leap of faith, one she was able to confidently take, thanks to a special someone in her life named Philmar Alipayo. He was someone she had learned to love dearly and deeply, and eventually, would start a family with.
Andi and Philmar might have started off on different edges of the world—she, an actress in the big city and he, a surfer enjoying provincial life—but as destiny would have it, their paths would cross at some midpoint and would stay intertwined.
They've been #couplegoals ever since they became public with their relationship. And as they're expecting their second child together, we'd love to give you more reasons to admire these two for everything they've built together so far.
Metro In Love: Andi Eigenmann & Philmar Alipayo
Metro In Love: Andi Eigenmann & Philmar Alipayo
A good lifelong partner is someone who sticks around for the good, the bad, the scary, the exciting, and all the little moments that are combinations of all those things. To Andi, Philmar is exactly that, more than ever as they expect their second baby in the midst of a pandemic. She says, "Philmar has always been the rock in our family, being the most supportive and assuring me that, 'It’s gonna be scary, of course. It’s gonna be harder because things are different, but don’t worry, I’m here. I’m going to be here to support you and we’ll help each other through this.'"
They're a divide and conquer kind of couple and know how to be of practical help to each other when there are tons of responsibilities to fulfill. At the moment, Andi is in the city with Ellie, her eight-year-old child, and Lilo, her one-year-old daughter. Philmar is back home in Siargao not because he didn't want to travel with Andi, but because he needed to oversee the construction of their family home. "...Even if I’m here with the kids, he’s there taking care of the house and making sure that we’re not wasting any time with building. It’s just been me for a month and a half. It’s been difficult but we don’t have any helpers or a yaya. It’s really just been me and Philmar," she shares.
Philmar has been her daily dose of positivity. She describes him as an "all-around funny guy." When life ahead feels daunting and full of uncertainty, Andi needn't even ask Philmar to make things okay again. He knows what to do and when it's needed from him, and it's the best kind of assurance that Andi has gotten these days. Andi says about the moment they confirmed her pregnancy, "When the result came out and it was positive, we were just so excited. Although we were scared, we just wanted to look at the bright side of everything and consider it a blessing for us."
Philmar taught Andi a hundred and one things about how to be a parent. Despite his and their combined non-traditional, or modern parenting styles, they've not only managed to make it work, but thrive as parents, too! Andi has this to say about how much Philmar has influenced her take on motherhood: "Philmar has been there by my side and I adopted most of my parenting style and skills from him. When we first had Lilo, if you would watch us you would definitely know that Philmar was the one who knew how to handle things better. We’re both very non-traditional, we’re both very modern parents."
They both agree that the foundation of raising great kids is teaching them values that never fade and will stay with them for all their lives: being kindhearted, respectful, open, and honest. It's what they've committed to teaching their kids as early as now instead of dictating what constitutes a good, successful life (the kids will come up with their own definitions of a great life when they're old enough). "I want to raise them to be kind to everything, to everyone, and have good hearts. I believe that communication… everything is all about proper communication. Me and Ellie are very close and very open to each other and I feel like Philmar’s also like that," Andi reveals.
She can say that she and Philmar have so far made good decisions as parents for Ellie (or in Philmar's case, a good step dad to Ellie, during the times when she's under his care). Why's that? Well, Ellie, who is now eight years old, maintains open, healthy, and authentic communication with both Andi and Philmar. Even with going back and forth between Andi and her father's home in Manila, Ellie is well-adjusted and is very much involved in the lives of Lilo and now, her second little sibling on the way. It's not an easy situation to maneuver, but part of why it's been pleasant is because Andi believes that she and Philmar have been doing their parts in making Ellie feel loved, involved, and significant. "And I’m happy that she’s growing to be more open and really close to me. She’s really comfortable with me and she commends me for my parenting sometimes—mine and Philmar’s," Andi comments.
They're together as a couple, but also allow each other to spread their wings as individuals. Andi supports Philmar in his personal pursuits as a professional surfer, whereas he's also a hundred percent behind her in her own dreams, especially when she decided to step away from the showbiz limelight. Most of what they want to achieve individually are tied to their new home. Andi shares, "We’re so excited and we get to occupy one of the rooms already and stay there in our B&B first, and then move on to building our dining and kitchen area, which will also most likely serve as our little café. I’m so excited for it because Philmar has his own passion project, which is him working on his surf school and a brand in the future. My passion project is the restaurant and the café."
They're committed to being a family that's not only kind to other people, but to the very world they live in. If there's anything that life in Siargao has taught Andi, it's to live as sustainably as possible, and that includes how food is consumed, the quantity you make for yourself, and how much waste you produce in your household. It's part and parcel of the kind of life that Andi wants to live and envelope her kids with: green, kind, conscious, and not harmful or wasteful in any way. "Having a plant-based lifestyle is more sustainable than not but because we live on an island it’s also sustainable to eat the fish that my husband catches. He likes sustainable fishing also. When he’s done fishing, we cook that food. I have fun really just preparing the food, the fish that he catches for us, and we have that for lunch," she says.
This beach-based couple also talked about their relationship in an episode on their official YouTube channel, Happy Islanders, which now has almost 1.5 million subscribers. Andi and Philmar answered questions from fans, talking about how they started out, how they handle arguments, how they adjusted to each other's lifestyles and found a beautiful meeting point, and making light out of domestic life.
The half-hour video is a lovely window into this even lovelier relationship.
As we get to know Andi and Philmar more and more as a couple, and soon, as parents to their children, we know that we can only expect more good things to come!
Don't forget to check out our exclusive digital cover feature with Andi Eigenmann and her daughters Ellie and Lilo, as the radiant mom talks about her third pregnancy! Click here to read our cover story.
Photos from @andieigengirl @chepoxz
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