Mareng Korina, Pareng James? Why not!

Just as Lolit Solis and I were coming out of Manila House at BGC last Tuesday after lunch with friends, guess who we would bump into at the driveway while we were waiting for our Grab ride — yes, Korina Sanchez who looked even more refreshingly young-looking than she does on her Belo billboards. While we were shooting the breeze with Korina, I got a text message from James Yap replying to my earlier inquiry if he had already chosen a name (none yet) for his second child (a girl) with his current partner.

“Nanganak na ba?” asked Korina.

I told her that the due date is in June, two months before James’ son Michael James (MJ) turns two years old.

“Paano kung kunin kang ninang sa binyag ng bagong baby?” we kidded Korina.

Korina said, “Why not?” and laughed.

Texted if he would invite Korina as a godmother, James laughed, “Sino maysabi? Hahaha!”

Come to think of it, why not nga naman? Mareng Korina, Pareng James. Sounds good, doesn’t it?

Before we disappeared into our Grab, Lolit complimented Korina on her cool allure (like a welcome whiff of fresh air in the scorching summer weather), exuding positive vibes and unfazed by negative forces around her. She calls it Korina’s #BestLife.

If there were any master of reinvention in media, that would probably be Korina Sanchez-Roxas. Who would have known that after three decades of hard-core journalism and staying practically the same way for 30 straight years as a news correspondent and anchor, she would be the Korina we know today? She has dropped 15 pounds and developed muscles, proudly showing the public her “new look” (a lot of skin) on the Belo billboards. With husband Mar, Korina climbs mountains (straight to the peak!) and, being an animal lover, saves cats and dogs from the streets, caring for them or getting them adopted.

And the netizens are just loving it. Her Facebook followers have shot up from 330,000 to 730,000 — and counting! — in a matter of three months.

“I’m hoping to hit a million followers this month,” Korina said in an e-mail interview. “Yes, I’m taking my social media more seriously and giving it more thought, time and effort.”

Korina’s posts are more organized, deliberate, nicely designed, carefully planned and better curated. Her photos are like straight out of a fashion magazine and her videos like something from her show Rated K. She launched a new profile picture two months ago and labeled it #KorinaReinvented. The photos show a more playful, sexier, more candid and trendy Korina never seen before. (Photo on this page is one of them.)

 Said Korina, “I’m not sure if this is a reinvention, really. I’ve always been me. But people all these past three decades have seen me, literally, in one angle only and under one light. As a newscaster, I am viewed just as a talking head, bawal mag-smile, bawal tumawa, no skin, balot na balot ang damit every night. So I guess when I took this indefinite leave from news and I could digress a bit from the image, people seemed to welcome it.”

The former tough talking anchor and commentator now takes on a lighter and “girlier” tone.

“It isn’t deliberate,” she clarified. “I just relax. I figured that, at past 50 years old, I should begin to seriously live my best life.”

And the hashtag #BestLife seems to have stuck. Netizens associate her automatically with the line. In her Instagram and Facebook, you will see a lot of her posts talking about how short life is and how we can all try to live our best lives. For Korina, her version of a best life lived is clearly evident in her daily posts and activities. A lot of her quotes are about believing in yourself, striving for what others say you can’t achieve, kindness in retaliation to meanness, positivity winning over negativity and hate.

She is also a lot into wellness, dieting and exercise which followed her losing weight after a strict Keto diet that a lot now subscribe to ever since she started talking about it.

“There’s no one diet that fits all. Depende ‘yan sa katawan mo. Before starting any diet you really should consult your doctor and have a blood test before doing it. Keto worked for me best. But I always look at my cholesterol and Uric acid numbers. Only we can be responsible for our well being.”

According to Korina, living your best life isn’t all that comfortable or easy.

“It doesn’t mean comfort. It means maximizing your potential in other ways. I’m maybe 10 times busier now than when I was full time in news. I’ve been applying myself much more into my family life, business, advocacy and charity. It’s CRAZY. But now I’m crazy-busy for me and matters I passionately care for. So far, so good. It is paying off and my BestLife is yielding results.”

Her marriage, though, is the main thing in her life.

“It’s very important to me. I’m fortunate Mar understands why I’ve been so busy. And I feel my #BestLife took a back seat for so long. But it’s never too late. Knowing now what I didn’t know then, I suggest you can strive to live your #BestLife even NOW. You can have your main thing and manage the rest of your time to matters you are passionate about. So stay healthy and fit. You need your best self to live your #BestLife. There’s just so much we can do.”

No honeymoon yet for Rachelle & Martin

Rachelle Ann Go and Martin Spies: Living a Christ-centered life.

Like Ai-Ai delas Alas and Gerald Sibayan (married in December last year), Rachelle Ann Go and Martin Spies have yet to spend their honeymoon.

“I think that after their wedding (in Boracay on April 18, a week before it was closed), Rachelle went straight to London to resume performing in Hamilton,” said Pinky Tobiano who was among the principal sponsors, while Martin proceeded to New York where he heads a fitness center.

Pinky said that it was a most beautiful wedding, “solemn and simple,” with only close friends invited, among them Sarah Geronimo.

“Sarah was so happy for her friend Rachelle,” noted Pinky who was escorted by her husband Juancho Robles. “Someday, she will be as happy as her friend.” Asked when that “someday” would be, Pinky smiled, “In God’s time.”

Rachelle and Martin are said to be God-fearing, thus the wedding was Christ-centered.

Pinky Tobiano (with husband Juancho Robles) was a Principal Sponsor at Rachelle-Martin wedding in Boracay.

“Rachelle herself sang the worship songs, one of them Ocean, during the ceremony. It was so touching!,” added Pinky who recalled that last year, she and Juancho bumped into the then sweethearts in Boracay.

“That was the first time I met Martin,” said Pinky. “I told him, ‘I think you are going to propose to Rachelle today.’ Sure enough, that night he did. I was having dinner with Erickson (Raymundo, head of Cornerstone) and friends. Rachelle (who’s being managed by Erickson) and Martin joined us for a celebration.”

Living apart won’t last long. Eventually, Martin will move to London where he and Rachelle plan to start a family.

Pinky’s wish for the couple?

“To enjoy their Christ-entered life, have a beautiful family and continue touching people with her music.”

(E-mail reactions at [email protected]. For more updates, photos and videos, visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on Instagram @therealrickylo.)