All The Celeb Guests We Interviewed On Metro Chats Via Kumu's FYE Channel
Check out highlights from our conversations with Iza Calzado, Regine Velasquez-Alcasid, KC Concepcion, and more!
2020 was a big year for online content.
People got creative, original, up close and personal, and even downright hilarious with the things they shared online as we all tried our best to live life under lockdown, and for us at Metro, that meant conquering a whole new platform—Kumu!
In case you missed it, Metro launched its very own segment on Kumu's FYE Channel called Metro Chats in July last year, and it's a two-hour-long weekly (every Thursday evening) exclusive featuring some of the biggest and trending celebrities and showbiz personalities. We talk to them about current events, the things that matter to them, their latest projects, a typical day at home under quarantine, and a whole lot of other topics you won't find them discussing anywhere else. On Metro Chats, they're unscripted, they're spontaneous, and they're oh so charming.
Rounding up all the celebrity guests we had a chance to talk to on Metro Chats as featured on Kumu's FYE Channel, check out highlights from 22 of our interviews with the likes of Iza Calzado, Regine Velasquez-Alcasid, Elisse Joson, Sue Ramirez, Frankie Pangilinan, KC Concepcion, Chie Filomeno, Janine Gutierrez, Dani Barretto, Megan Young, and many more.
We've compiled some of their most inspiring insights in the gallery below:
Our Metro Chats Celebrity Guests In 2020
Our Metro Chats Celebrity Guests In 2020
Empress Schuck
Empress on quarantine mommy duties: Empress has her daughter Athalia to take care of. It's a real pain to manage online learning, Empress says, mostly because she's not at all a morning person! It's still all her, however, who wakes her daughter up, gets her dressed, sets up her digital tools, and organizes her physical learning space and her learning materials. She's learned to enjoy it over time because it keeps her busy, and Empress is the kind of person who enjoys being kept productive and on her toes. Empress is also big on keeping Athalia disciplined, especially when it comes to time with gadgets and screen time. She's definitely not okay with her daughter growing up in front of a screen and spending much less time interacting with her family. As a result, the little girl knows how to stick to a schedule (and with no tantrums, most impressively!), but that makes her weekends all the more fun! A typical rest day for this pair involves chips and dip, playtime, and a good movie playing in the background.
Photo Credit: @itsempressita
Frankie Pangilinan
Frankie on being a voice for social change: She (unintentionally) got the #HijaAko movement rolling even with the opposition, eye-rolling, and scoffing that it received. The fact that her opinions are still met with condescension is proof in itself that Philippine society has much to change when it comes to attitudes towards strong, empowered women. Frankie is thankful for being part of the generation that's better equipped to handle these things with information, digital resources, and a more supportive network. She's bothered by all the social, cultural, and political problems plaguing the Philippines, but at the same time, she's excited for what happens when she and the rest of Filipino Gen Z-ers finally take control of institutions and change the rules.
Photo Credit: @frankiepangilinan
Dani Barretto
Dani how marriage and motherhood have changed her: Dani has zero doubts that her husband Xavi Panlilio and Millie were her life's biggest blessings. Before them, she made bad decisions and generally felt that her life was directionless and without purpose. "When you meet the right person, everything just flows," she says, and for her, she realized this when Xavi's presence in her life allowed her to grow as an individual, and them as a couple, too. "That's when I knew," she smiles. As for Millie, she's Dani's inspiration for striving to become the best version of herself and working her hardest. Together, she definitely feels that Xavi and Millie have "unlocked" the Dani that she was always meant to be.
Photo Credit: @danibarretto
KC Concepcion
KC on body love: More than the physical aspect of loving one's body, KC delved deeper into the experience of accepting one's self in its entirety. Thinking back to all the times she struggled with her self-image and her size, KC now sees her body as pretty much the vessel that houses life itself; it's not just something to feed or clean or dress up and accessorize, but a living thing that deserves respect and acceptance. She's done with self-consciousness, and she's all about self-empowerment!
Photo Credit: @itskcconcepcion
Rachel Peters
Rachel on choosing safety - even if it meant canceling her wedding: The thing in Rachel's life that suffered the most this time is her wedding. She got engaged in November 2019, and just four months later, COVID-19 happened! Unfortunately, she and Migz Villafuerte had everything finalized before the entire world had to hit the breaks. Her ceremony, which was going to be held in Indonesia, her guests (who had booked their plane tickets and hotel rooms), her caterers, and everything wedding-related had been finalized and even more painfully, was paid for. She was already on her dress' final fitting, too! And as sad as it was to have had to postpone, Rachel is definitely glad to have taken the safer route and not put her life, or any other life, in danger. She hasn't figured out when she'll want to reschedule just yet.
Photo Credit: @rachelpetersx
Maxene Magalona
Maxene on the healing power of meditation: Using herself as an example and how deeply meditation has changed her, she explains that it's truly not just about sitting still and doing nothing. It's taking the time to pay attention to yourself, listening to your emotions and thoughts that you didn't realize you had (and then discovering how to respond to them, positively), training yourself to be fully present in the here and now, and of course, protecting yourself from stress and anxiety. "I really believe meditation is medicine for the mind... If you train it to stop for a while, you can use it more wisely," Maxene advises. Start, little by little, maybe with 10 minutes a day. Gradually increase the time until you can be comfortable with half an hour to an hour a day, then watch how your mind, body, and spirit thank you.
Photo Credit: @maxenemagalona
Iza Calzado
Iza on surviving COVID and her message to those worried about an uncertain future: Iza was one of the few high-profile COVID-positive cases in the country. As an actress, it was unsettling to see her struck down by the life-threatening disease. She describes the ordeal as one of the most difficult experiences she's ever had to power through. It was both a physical and mental battle, but she'll forever be grateful for a quicker-than-expected recovery. It wasn't only her body that needed to heal, however; her mental and emotional well-being needed some TLC, too, and up till today, she continues to feel deeply affected by COVID-related news. But in the end, she wants everyone to know that "when it's dark, that's when the light shines brightest."
Photo Credit: @missizacalzado
Divine Lee-Go
Divine on finding silver linings: Time is quarantine's biggest blessing for Divine, especially when it comes to her family. There was a time when she would fly from Manila to Cebu, back and forth, four times in a week just so she could sleep next to her kids. These days, she has realized that time can be spent on the things that matter most (no more traffic, no more driving around, no more flights) and there were things about life, pre-pandemic, that were totally unnecessary. It's the most positive life change the pandemic has blessed her with.
Photo Credit: @divinemlee
Shamcey Supsup-Lee
The national director of Miss Universe Philippines on the relevance of pageants during a pandemic: In a time of a pandemic, what are pageants for? (She said that she and her team needed to be able to agree on an answer to that before they could confidently push through with their plans). "In life, we don't just try to get our basic necessities. We don't just try to survive," Shamcey begins. "Life is more than that. We want to inspire people that despite the challenges and difficulties that they have, they can still dream, and that their dreams are valid whether they're considered 'essential or non-essential,'" she continues.
Photo Credit: @supsupshamcey
Regine Velasquez-Alcasid
Regine on embracing her age: "It's a visual business," she begins. "You're a singer, at pagka nasa TV ka, ano'ng makikita sa'yo?" she continues. And while she has no qualms in admitting that she turned 50 years old last April, she explains that she looks (and feels) as good as she does because she eats as healthily as possible among all other habits she takes up to care for her physical self, and also considers her mental health. "When you're stressed, it will show!" she laughs. Best of all, she says that looking young is not the goal (because gravity will eventually catch up no matter what, she teases), but being holistically healthy is.
Photo Credit: Rxandy Capinpin
Megan Young
Megan on why she and her husband Mikael Saez work so well: Megan reveals that there's really not a lot that's changed between her and Mikael since they got married about a year ago. "The relationship is still very much strong. What's cool about it is that even before we got married, super open na namin sa isa't-isa," she says. That includes being transparent about all things under the sun that non-married couples might find difficult to talk about, They've been so great at managing their relationship that they even have a podcast, #BehindRelationshipGoals, on Spotify where they talk about a lot of timely and universal topics that a lot of couples would love to learn more about.
Photo Credit: @meganbeta
Chie Filomeno
Chie on shutting down body shamers on her 24th birthday: The occasion was made extra special with a sexy (there was a topless layout!) birthday shoot where she was clad in leather, lace-y lingerie, and sky-high boots. She collaborated with photographer Gee Plamenco, stylist Adrianne Concepcion, makeup artist Robbie Piñera, and hairstylist Raymond Santiago to pull off this shoot. It was a message on body shaming and how she's not having any of that. "Pinakita ni Gee [her photographer] kung paano ko in-embrace 'yung body ko, also ’cause I’ve been body-shamed a lot of times. For me, I will show the world that I love my body. I love who I am. I am comfortable in my own skin," Chie states.
Photo Credit: @chiefilomeno
Chi and Gabs Gibbs
The Gibbs sisters on parents who encouraged creativity: Gabs and Chi thank their parents for giving them the freedom to explore their creativity all throughout their lives. It's why they're so unafraid to embrace individuality and step away from the mainstream. "Our dad would come home in drag, and our mom would come home in a 'manananggal' costume, so we were encouraged at a very young age to experiment. Our eyes were opened to that," explains Chi. Not once were they not allowed to dye their hair, put on makeup, or dress themselves in edgy outfits, which, to one's surprise, makes Halloween their favorite time of the year.
Photo Credit: @gabsgibbs
Sue Ramirez
Sue on her film, "Finding Agnes," which was made available on Netflix: She was in Morocco to film "Finding Agnes," where she plays the lead role alongside Jelson Bay. According to Sue, she helps Jelson's character find his long lost mother, albeit figuratively, by accompanying him to the places she's been to and speaking to the people she knew. "It's a family film. It's a very heartwarming film," Sue shares. It was the script that got Sue to agree to the project that would give her yet another opportunity to stay true to her mission as an actress: portray characters with different stories each and every time. This time, she's a Moroccan-Filipino woman who manages a B&B. To prepare for the role, Sue had to learn about Moroccan culture and even learn to deliver a few lines in Arabic.
Photo Credit: @sueannadoodles
Leila Alcasid
Leila on going at her own pace as an artist: “It doesn’t matter how fast or slow you’re achieving things as long as you’re doing it at the pace that works for you. Up until quarantine, I was still really insecure about it,” she admits. “During this time, when we were kind of forced to slow down and stop and really take a moment, it made me realize that it doesn’t matter if I’m 23 and only at this point in my life. It doesn’t really matter what age I am as long as I am working at my own pace.”
Photo Credit: @leilalcasid
Mica Javier
Mica on her latest music and what it means to her: On Metro Chats, Mica sang her new songs, "Skin on Skin" and "Honest," the latter of which was a song written last year when she realized she needed to step up for herself and learn how to deflect negativity. "It was basically me letting out all my frustrations about being honest with all your feelings and what you're going through... It's healthy. That should be okay to do," she says.
Photo Credit: @mica
Ariella Arida
Ara on 2020's biggest lesson: "I hope that kahit na magka-vaccine and life will go back to normal... I hope that those basic things in life will still be with us and serve as a lesson to everybody," Ara says. It's the no. 1 lesson she learned as she spent months in the province; urbanization and modernization have removed people from the things that matter most (or should matter most) in life, and she wishes that in the future, we could have the best of both worlds. That we can enjoy 21st century living but also never forget what this time in history has taught us about our priorities.
Photo Credit: @araarida
Elisse Joson
Elisse on the importance of connection: The pandemic has taught Elisse a whole lot of lessons, one of them being that "coping" is easier said than done and that change, especially when unforeseen, can be incredibly difficult to contend with. "I learned that when there are other people going through the same thing as you, and actually talking about it and sharing how you're feeling and talking about what you're going through... will help," she begins. "Mahirap to go through it alone. This pandemic, it showed our unity," Elisse adds.
Photo Credit: @elissejoson
Jasmine Curtis-Smith
Jasmine on embracing flexibility and openness to change: With all her many, exciting plans for 2020 placed in the backburner (or cancelled altogether), she came to the realization that she was rushing to experience so many things while in motion but failing to appreciate everything else when all is still and quiet. "Take a breather," she begins. "This is happening to us, giving us a different motion in our direction... It's so much bigger than what we thought life is. Plans change. And I think that's the biggest thing it's taught me, and I love to plan!" she jokes. For the first time, she's seriously re-evaluating the kinds of things she wants to do, what's important to her, and even the kind of people she wants to surround herself with, enjoying the stillness and coping with the great pause, overall.
Photo Credit: @jascurtissmith
Janine Gutierrez
Janine on going with the flow: Communication and flexibility have been her biggest personal lessons from the last eight months. "I used to be the kind of person who always says 'I hate change,'" she starts. "But if there's anything 2020 taught us, you have to be ready for anything, adjust, or find another way. I learned the value of being grateful and really just going with the flow and making the most out of any situation," she continues.
Photo Credit: @janinegutierrez
Ruffa Gutierrez
Ruffa on the value of marriage: If there's anything she wants couples to learn and remember for all their lives, it's to keep working hard to make it work and take to heart what "staying together through thick and thin" really means to them. She points out how these days, it's "easy" to say goodbye to a spouse and call it quits via an annulment, separation, and for some, even an affair. It's a sad thought for her, because she definitely believes in the permanency of marriage and what true love is all about.
Photo Credit: @iloveruffag
Kris Bernal
Kris on empowering women as a new entrepreneur: This celeb launched a makeup line called SHE Cosmetics in 2018. It's not just about beauty, but women empowerment, too. Talking about this advocacy, she says, "I really want to empower women - that we can open up a business at any age, that we can run a business kahit mag-isa ka lang." The same goes for her fitness vlogs. "Lagi kasi akong na-ba-bash for my body type. [Sinasabi nila na], 'Bakit pa 'yan magwo-work out, eh ang payat payat na niya.' Pero, gusto kong makita ng mga tao na ang working out is a good stress reliever. You get happy hormones and at the same time, you'll get healthier! I'm really more on inspiring women - they they can do it, that they got it. You can embrace your flaws, and who you are."
Photo Credit: @krisbernal
Edu Manzano
Edu launched his new digital show with Metro Channel, "Good Vibes with Edu," last year. The commandment of the show is to keep it nice, light, and fun! Current events are stressful enough and Edu wants his digital show to be a bubble protecting his audience from that, even just for 30 minutes. He's so far had the Gonzaga sisters, the Cruz cousins, the "Palibhasa Lalake" cast, and Rex Naverrete (a.k.a. the self-proclaimed Filipino comic) on the show. Each episode has its own vibe so make sure to check them all out on Metro.Style's YouTube channel.
Photo Credit: Seven Barretto
Lead photos from @mica @chiefilomeno @iloveruffag @itskcconcepcion @missizacalzado / Regine Velasquez-Alcasid's photo by Rxandy Capinpin
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