Karen Davila: Sexiest dog lover alive

On the day we visit broadcast journalist Karen Davila at her home in Makati we are greeted by her sons David, 14 years old; Lucas, eight; and their furry sibling Lexi the Havanese, three years old.

“Hi, what is your name?” asks David.

I introduce myself and STAR photographer Bening Batuigas.

Karen soon joins us and we set up for the shoot. It’s a breeze as the host of ABS-CBN’s Headstart, My Puhunan, Bandila, and Pasada Sais Trenta on DZMM is all smiles, as are her sons and Lexi. As we sit down for the interview, Karen is candid about her life and work.

As she holds Lexi close she shares what her life as a dog lover has been like.

Karen, who grew up with dogs, knew that she wanted to have a dog in her family life. She had her own Yellow Labrador named Solo when she was in college.  Solo would sleep with her.  But she had to give Solo away when she started working because she lived in a condo. She kept in her heart that one day she would have a dog again.

In 2013, married with kids, she moved to her Makati home. It was then that she told DJ they should get a dog.

On a family trip to New York that year, they walked by an American Kennel on Lexington Ave. and saw Lexi, the Havanese.

“Right away we knew that she was our dog,” Karen shares. “She seemed to speak to us and we felt attached to her.”

Karen says that for anyone who is looking to get a dog — they must be committed to owning one. “A dog is not a thing — it is going to be part of the family. You have to want a dog and care for it.”

But it is what Lexi has done for her family that Karen is most grateful for. “She sleeps with the kids,” she adds. “I think it helps David — she makes him calmer, warmer.”

Does Lexi help her after a tough day?

“I think Lexi is the best because she’s very warm and shows affection,” she says. “Loyalty is her main quality, which is a trait we all value. Lexi is really part of our family and she brings so much joy to our home.”

Do awards matter?

Our conversation shifts to Karen’s professional life. After all, she is among the top broadcast journalists in the country today. 

“I have been very blessed to receive many awards, including the TOYM, the TOWNS, and being part of the World Economic Forum,” she says, “but what has been life-defining for me would be my kids, my family.”

Karen has been with ABS-CBN for the past 15 years, but she says that her career as a broadcast journalist started on GMA-7, where she anchored Saksi with Mike Enriquez in 1995.

“That was the first major newscast I anchored,” says Karen. “I knew it opened the door.”

Her move to ABS-CBN in 2000 was a difficult one because she had been with GMA 7 for six and a half years. “But the move to ABS made me grow to the person I am today,” she quips.

Since ABS is a network with many different platforms, it allowed Karen to engage in different kinds of skills and programs, from radio to documentary to newscasts and interview shows.

She started doing solo news anchoring on ABS-CBN for Headlines in 2002, then TV Patrol in 2004. Headstart came in 2007, and she considers it a defining moment in her television career.  “Today, it’s a pillar in the morning block of ANC, and has made me such a stronger, more insightful broadcaster.”

One of the most eloquent and best-dressed broadcasters on TV today, Esquire named Karen the Sexiest Woman Alive in 2015.  How did she feel about that?

“Weird,” she laughs.  “When Erwin Romulo, then editor of Esquire, told me that his team voted for me, I thought they were either drunk or drugged at the time. I’m kidding! I honestly felt extremely uncomfortable about it and I didn’t want people to think that that was how I thought of myself.”

Karen defines sexy as someone who is smart and empowered.

“I don’t particularly find stupid women sexy in real life, although movies and television have glorified women like that,” she shares. “I don’t like women that don’t read, that don’t make an effort to make themselves more intelligent. I don’t like women who are not independent — I find it unappealing if women play victims or if they dilute their own choices. I really think what is sexy is a woman who defines her own destiny, women that don’t have to depend on a man for their livelihood.”

We are family: Karen Davila with sons David, Lucas and dog Lexi

Hands-on mom

“When my eldest son David was diagnosed with autism, he was two-and-a-half years old,” she says. “It completely changed me — how I would be as a mother. How I would commit to actually finding healing and treatment for my son. And, how I would carry out my relationship with my children.”

Karen shares that she is not a typical mother, but she is very hands-on.

“I am very sweet towards them, we hang out,” she says. “But I am also very strict. I want them to have good grades in school, to be kind people. I have to treat my special child differently because he is very different. We have given so much attention and commitment to David. We are teaching him to be independent.”

Her weekday life is very busy, but she makes sure that she has time for her kids.

“I wake up at 6 a.m. every day, see my kids off to school, then leave for Headstart on ANC. I am in the studio at 7:30 a.m., the show runs 8 to 9 a.m. live. After the show, I either do interviews, go out on field for My Puhunan, a once-a-week magazine show I do, which showcases Filipino entrepreneurs,” she shares. “By 4:30 to 530 p.m., I do my radio show Pasada Sais Trenta.” 

After a full day at work, Karen shifts gears to being a mother and wife. She is at home by 6:30 p.m. to have dinner with David and Lucas, and help them with their homework. She heads back to the ABS-CBN studios at 9:45 p.m. for Bandila.

“It’s tough, yes, but what keeps me going is pure love and passion for what I do. I am extremely grateful and feel fulfilled,” she adds.  “Balance is key. So I go on short family trips to break feeling burnt out.”

My rock

Marrying DJ Sta. Ana was life-defining for her because she ended up with a husband who was “very supportive and very caring. Although he is very quiet, he is a strong pillar for our family,” Karen says.

She first met DJ when they were working at GMA7 — he was a Malacañang reporter and she was starting off with Brigada Siete as a young investigative reporter and hourly newsbreak anchor.

“People are often surprised, but DJ and I rarely talk about office matters at home; we have become a running joke — on surprising each other with what happened at work,” she adds.

Before we end the interview, we ask whether she has received any death threats because of the strong stand she takes on current issues.

“Death threats on social media are par for the course,” she says. “I like President Duterte because I think he is essentially very pro-poor and pro-Filipino. I think he has the interests of the Filipino at heart. I believe it.”

But she is quick to add that this does not mean she agrees with him all the time. “I think people need to see that. At the end of the day, my conscience is clear. I can’t be liked all the time but I know that the people who really follow me and know me know my work and my integrity.”

Karen shares tips for pet owners

• Only get a dog that you can afford to take care of.  Not just financially but also in terms of time. 

• If you are going to adopt a homeless dog, that’s good, but if you are getting one from a kennel, get to know the breed.

• If the kids have a lot of allergies, then a hypoallergenic dog is best for you.

• Pick a dog with a good temperament. It helps if you train the dog. Lexi is trained but not super-trained. But she does know the basics.

• A trained dog makes life livable for both of you.