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MANILA, June 28 (Mabuhay) — Actress Ria Atayde-Marudo is celebrating a decade in the entertainment industry, reflecting on her journey from her debut in 2015’s “Ningning” to embracing her new roles as a wife and first-time mom.

Ria reminisced about the culture shock she experienced during her early acting days, despite being raised in a showbiz family. Her first day on set was made even more emotional by the presence of her mother, veteran actress Sylvia Sanchez, and other family members who were there to cheer her on.

“My mom was on set and then she brought other people on set—my grandmother, and then like her friends were there too. They cried agad on my first day,” she recalled. 

Growing up in a family deeply rooted in showbiz, Ria emphasized that she never felt pressured to follow in their footsteps. 

“Our moms never forced us to do anything we didn’t want. And it’s the other way around. They just supported whatever we wanted to do,” she explained, adding that her aim has always been to prove her worth through her own efforts, not just her family name. 

Looking back on her ten-year career, Ria discussed her commitment to body positivity and self-love, which has been influenced by her own struggles with body image in such a demanding industry. 

With her younger sister Jela now embarking on her own journey in showbiz, Ria expressed her desire to protect her from the pressures she once faced. 

“I wish I could protect her from the harsh realities of her industry as well. Because you know along with it comes the tendency for you to become insecure,” she said. 

Now a wife to fellow actor Zanjoe Marudo and a new mom, Ria opened up about the joys and challenges that come with both roles. For her, there’s a lot of fun being married and she really enjoys and loves the idea of waking up every single day next to her “best friend” as she called it. 

When it comes to motherhood, she reflected, “Now I always used to be a little bit FOMO… I’m perfectly fine at home with my baby… I feel like you don’t realize how much more you have to give until you have a child. And it just keeps you growing and growing and growing.” 

She spoke honestly about the hurdles of new motherhood—from sleepless nights to the body image pressures that social media can amplify. However, feeding her child is way more important than what other people who don’t matter think. 

Her biggest fear as a mom aside from losing a child, she admitted, is the thought of causing emotional harm to her child. “I’d like for him to grow up without heaviness, if that’s possible,” she said. 

She also believes that the first seven years of a child is the most crucial part of it, making her think that coming back to work is not yet really her priority as of the moment. 

“I feel like that’s why it’s okay for me not to go back muna to work for as long as I can or as possible. Because the first 7 years are gonna be [crucial]. And I don’t want him to grow up with hang ups or like any emotional weight or baggage,” she said. 

When asked for advice for young actors and moms, Ria kept it straightforward saying, “Keep an open mind. Like that’s such a vague piece of advice. But I think that this is the time that you have to learn that everything is beyond your control.”(MNS)