We Had The Best Time With Ruffa Gutierrez On Her Metro Chats x Kumu Live-Streamed Interview

First things first: despite being a total noob on Kumu, she couldn't have been more game to learn more about the app that's exploded in the scene among her younger fans. She's not on Kumu yet, but you'll find her on @iloveruffag on Instagram. There, she shows her followers her day-to-day activities like cooking, working out, hanging out poolside, singing, giving love advice and bonding with the Gutierrez clan.

She's incredibly pleased about her role as Amanda in "Love Thy Woman" because she reflects a lot of who Ruffa is in real life into that character. She's an "anything for my children" kind of woman who packs a punch just like Amanda, two things that pushed Ruffa to turn down other offers and go for this teleserye instead! According to Ruffa, she's at a point in her career where she doesn't want to take on projects that simply require her to cry listlessly in a corner waiting for life to get better. She prefers to portray women who take life by the horns, just as she would herself!

It's interesting to discover that, in "Love Thy Woman," Ruffa dresses herself, and everything she wears comes straight from her own wardrobe! As for preparing for the rest of the show, Ruffa and her co-stars were already hard at work since the summer memorizing lines, learning about their characters, and overall getting in the right headspace for a new show despite a pandemic raging in the background.

The show brought out new friendships between Ruffa and Yam Concepcion (aka Dana Wong in "Love Thy Woman"), but the other cast members are close to Ruffa's heart as well, no doubt. That's because artists like Ruffa had to adhere to a new shooting protocol (the so-called lock-in taping) to keep safe during this time, which means that they were together practically 24/7! They taped together, stayed in the same hotel together, had most of their meals together, and spent their onset break times together. It was a surefire way for the teleserye's women to develop closer, much more personal connections with each other, something that likely wouldn't have happened if this was a regular shooting session. There's always a silver lining in this time if you're open to it.

She had two wellness retreats so far to help her recharge: one in The Farm at San Benito and one in Balesin. She acknowledges the need to take care of oneself and be unafraid of embracing positivity where you can find it. By helping yourself, you're more able to help others, after all. Also, how many of you know that Ruffa is a huge dog person? Her fans know her as a red carpet star, a queen of the big and small screens, so seeing her getting in touch with the great outdoors, bonding with her four-legged friends is incredibly refreshing, to say the least.

One of her favorite Metro memories is her overseas photo shoot in Florence, Italy. It definitely hasn't been her single best shoot with Metro, however, and she says that all Metro shoots have been pitch perfect for her, beginning with the wardrobe, set design, and treatment! Her Florence escapade with the magazine was enough to make her consider returning to Italy not only for a vacation, but for her wedding, no less. (But she clarifies that she doesn't have wedding plans per se just yet!)

She's had zero regrets about her life, so far, and she has no qualms about her fans (and her daughters) being in the know about her personal journey's more intimate, closed door details. She's learned a ton about motherhood, growing up in the limelight, and accepting life for all its ups and downs over the years. Luckily for her most loyal fans, all of these moments have been immortalized in her best-selling book "Truth and Lies My Mother Told Me." It's sadly sold-out, but we're hoping for a sequel to come out soon! And if it ever does come out, it'll talk about much more than Ruffa's romantic experiences and touch on all her relationships, including that with her mom.

She's got deep thoughts on modern 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.

She has a new project coming your way this year, and she hopes to unveil it before Christmas! It's not related to anything she's done in the past or to her showbiz career, and she promises it's going to be worth the wait!

Ruffa also shared that she's been hooked on K-Dramas. She has so far seen "Crash Landing on You," "Itaewon Class," and "The World of the Married Couple." She's a new Hyun Bin fan, and she wants to meet this Korean superstar! Next on her binge list is "It's Okay to Not be Okay."