EXCLUSIVE: We Caught Up With Bride-To-Be Empress Schuck And Talked About Life And Love
Reflecting on 2020, Empress says it was a year of her surrendering herself to God and allowing her faith to make sense of uncertainty and sort out her anxieties
What is Metro Chats guest Empress Schuck's biggest takeaway from 2020?
"To always be grateful," she says.
"Everything that's been happening, may hindi maganda, some things you don't expect, but with the virus and typhoons and all, safe kami ng family ko. 'Yun lang talaga 'yung na-realize ko. Maraming plans na hindi natuloy, maraming work na hindi natuloy, but we are safe. May bahay pa rin kami na tinitirihan. We still have food to eat. Complete 'yung family ko and happy kami... We don't have a lot, but we have enough," she adds.
"That's the most important thing for me, siguro. I always tell myself to be grateful, kahit ano pa 'yan. Kasi if mayroong hindi maganda na mangyayari sa iyo, may kapalit naman 'yan na maganda," she tells us.
In an exclusive interview on Kumu's FYE channel, the actress, mom, and now bride-to-be talks more about how the last months have changed her life for the better, and spills all the details of her proposal story and wedding plans!
Check out highlights from our conversation with Metro Chats guest Empress Schuck in the gallery below:
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Empress Schuck on Metro Chats
Empress Schuck on Metro Chats
Travel plans
Empress has been riding out the pandemic in Metro Manila for the most part, only taking a break to head out to The Farm in San Benito for a wellness retreat. She had to give up plans of visiting Zamboanga, her province, and although she was disappointed about canceling her travel plans, something much bigger and grander came to ease the disappointment: she got engaged!
Her engagement
Her boyfriend, Vino Guingona, proposed to her on daughter Athalia's 5th birthday. Funnily enough, Empress was only "half" surprised, given that she'd known that he'd had a ring ready for her for a while now. The only thing she had to do was wait. As the story goes, Empress and Vino planned on booking a stay at The Farm for Athalia's birthday party but had to cancel because of quarantine rules restricting children's travel. And so, they moved the "Frozen"-themed surprise party to Empress' parents' home, and when all was said and done to surprise the little celebrator, Vino found the right timing and made his move. "I thought I was going to be prepared pero hindi rin pala. Iba rin pala talaga 'yung feeling kapag nandoon ka na," she smiles. It was exactly the way Empress wanted it; a proposal where she was surrounded by her complete family, parents, siblings, and daughter included.
Surprise of her life
More so, Vino decided to propose to Empress on the day itself! He shocked the photographer when he gave him a heads up to be around during the big moment, sending the poor guy into panic mode, but in the end, it turned out perfectly. "I was ready, but I wasn't super dolled up! I just wanted to relax that day," Empress laughs. She really wasn't expecting anything huge to happen that day and planned on making the day a private family affair, not even wishing to share most of the day's photos on social media. Vino had other plans, however, and while she jokes about wishing she had dressed up better, nothing could have dampened the happiness she felt.
Finding The One
"Super bait niya," Empress shares to describe her now-fiancé. He's level-headed, not quick to get angry, patient, and not demanding. "I'm actually shocked na may gano'ng klaseng lalaki pa pala... Until now, siya pa rin 'yung mas mahinahon sa aming dalawa," she adds. They missed out on couple time this year when their February Japan trip for her birthday didn't happen, but they found a ton of other things to bond over in the last nine months during their time at home, like baking a chocolate cake for the first time, ever, in their years-long relationship!
Mom and daughter bonding
Aside from spending time with Vino, Empress also 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.
On work and social media
Work-wise, Empress has also just completed filming a movie that required her to soldier through a "lock-in" period. "It was an interesting kind of work, kasi kakaiba na. Ilang hours lang, and then naka lock-in kayo for two weeks and everyday kayo nag-shu-shoot. It's interesting for me to work that way," Empress shares. The film is the first big screen project for Empress who starred in her last film in 2018. But although she's been away from artista life for sometime, she made up for it by becoming a tad but active on social media, but only because she has to. She jokes about being an ultra-private person who gets "tamad" to share about the details of her day-to-day living, but then, here came lockdown, and even she turned to social media to stay connected with people and get updated on important issues. "Sabi ko sige, I'll try it and I'm enjoying so far!" she beams.
Beauty, health, and wellness
Believe it or not, with Empress' glowing complexion, she isn't big on skincare. All she depends on is a good facial wash, daily sunscreen, and serums. What she is more concerned about is her physical health; she works out regularly, eats well, and makes sure to get enough sleep. She's simple when it comes to exercises, too! All she does is go on YouTube (no fancy paid programs or apps, no online trainers) and chooses what kind of workout to do for the day plus the video that corresponds to that. As for her diet, she's conscious about that, too, and is a fan of delivered diet food and fasting.
Life on lockdown
As for her social life, Empress has had the toughest time staying connected with those nearest and dearest. She has sacrificed meeting up with friends and family for the safety of her own, and she has seen zero people in person since quarantine began. Interaction has been limited to digital get-togethers, but it's Vino who has really carried the brunt of the pandemic commandment to stay home. He hasn't gone to see his family in Zamboanga for a year now, and it's been incredibly tough on him to keep that up. Athalia, too, hasn't seen her playmates and classmates and like millions of kids from around the world, is missing out on many opportunities to make childhood memories.
The future ahead
"Basically, I just want the pandemic to be over," Empress tells us after we ask her what she wants for her 2021. "I want good health for me and my family, safety for me and my family. I've been blessed with so much so 'yun na lang talaga 'yung gusto kung hingin," she continues. That, and maybe for everything that was canceled this year to pick up in 2021, and for the whole world to return to normal. Maybe, when things are calmer and more stable, she and Vino could push through with their wedding, too. They have a venue for it already: Tagaytay!. Reflecting on this year, Empress says it was a year of her surrendering herself to God and allowing her faith to make sense of uncertainty and sort out her anxieties. "I just hope we continue to be a follower of God," she ends.
Check out new Metro Chats episodes every Thursday evening.
Photos from @itsempressita
