Donita Rose said she was looking forward to working with Umagang Kay Ganda’s newest batch of hosts, which also includes Miss Universe 2010 fourth runner-up Venus Raj and Iya Villania. “I’m excited rin kasi of course panibago na yung mga ka-banter ko. I spent three and half years with the other hosts before and medyo nagkaroon na kami ng comfort zone dahil they know you so well, ganun. So with these guys we’re kind of like in the getting-to-know-you stage,” she said.Donita said that with this new batch of hosts also come a lot of fresh changes in the popular morning show. “So it’s starting all over again and we don’t really know what’s in store for us yet. Because I’m pretty sure we’re going to be doing a lot of experimenting on this show, but I’m also looking forward to a more mature me. It’s still going to be fun naman pero parang mag-fo-focus on me being a young mom. And I guess that would mean more substance in some of the segments I do so I’m really looking forward to that,” she shared during the Umagang Kay Ganda presscon held at the 9501 restaurant inside the ABS-CBN compound last February 11.
The former VJ admitted that after her stint with MTV in Singapore and after she got married, she wasn’t really that keen on going back to showbiz. “The thing is, I really didn’t want to do the normal showbiz route anymore. Not that there’s anything wrong with doing soap operas and doing lagare, but after MTV and after finding so much fulfillment in my last job, parang I was hesitant to continue on in my career knowing that I might not be able to top that. Expectations would be so high, being an international VJ and blah, blah, blah all of a sudden. Baka people might think na na-downgrade ko yung sarili ko in a sense by coming home and doing the typical thing so I was pressured,” she admitted.
Donita shared that getting the offer to join Umagang Kay Ganda back in 2007 came at the perfect time. “Before UKG, I actually planned on quitting showbiz already. Me and my husband were planning to move back to the States and we’ve been praying about it for a long time. We had this deal na he and I would pray about it separately and when it reaches it’s deadline, mag-uusap kami on what we believe is God’s destiny and purpose for us. And then before that happened, I did a documentary in Boracay, which was supposed to be really fun and more for tourism and Eric saw me at work. He said na I was glowing, I was so alive and since I had taken a break from the industry after my son was born, parang I thought yes I’ve always been happy, nagha-honeymoon pa kami, bahay-bahayan. But he says that there was a different side of me that he recognized that was part of his responsibility to uphold, and that was to see me still in this industry, maximizing the platform that’s been given to me. When he saw that, he said ‘You know what, it’s not about confirmation from God. It’s really about what specific purpose did God create you for and I know for a fact that he created you for this.’ And then he said, ‘Let’s move to the Philippines.’ Three days later, that’s when my manager told me that I had an offer from Umagang Kay Ganda,” she recalled.
Now that she’s happily settled down, Donita said she doesn’t mind the gradual change of image. “When UKG came along, I was just the happiest person on the planet because this is something that suits the person I have become since I got married. Like I’m a young mom who still loves entertaining but wants to deliver more information and educate the audience more in a way that I know I best can. So when it came along, I went ahead and moved here then my husband followed a couple of months after and it was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made kasi sobrang happy ako dito,” she said.
Even now that she’s a regular fixture on ABS-CBN, Donita still makes sure to set her limits when it comes to working. “Except for UKG, I didn’t accept any other jobs. I do odd jobs here and there like hosting jobs or modelling ng konti for a day or two, but nothing that requires a full-time commitment like UKG because that in itself is like a full-time job. I wake up at 2:30 am and then we finish by 9:30 am kasi may meeting kami after. Sometimes maximum 10 am. So if you count the hours, its not like a typical 9 to 5 job but it’s very taxing pa rin, lalong lalo na parang feeling ko call center ang dating kasi pagdating ng 9 am sobrang antok ka na. and then now I’m trying to get in shape by going to the gym like 4 to 6 times a week. I’m tired. All I want to do for the rest of the day is spend time with my husband and son,” she said.
Donita said she also got lucky that her hubby Eric Valderrama works from home because it allows them more bonding time with their six-year-old son JP. “My husband has many different hats that he wears. What I love about his job is because he is his own boss. When I come home from work, he dedicates his entire day to me and then my son who comes home at about 2 pm so we get to spend a whole day together and kalokohan yung mga ginagawa namin. We play Nerf wars at home or PS3 or we go to the mall to eat out and watch a movie. Luxurious lifestyle talaga pero ‘pag when he tucks us into bed at night, between 7:30 to 8:30 pm, he works until 2 or 3 in the morning and then that’s when I wake up so switch naman kami. And then he sleeps until about 10 am. Sabi nga namin ng asawa ko, we’re so blessed kasi we can afford the luxury of time and building such a strong foundation for our marriage and our parenting, raising our son well,” she said.
Catch Donita Rose on Umagang kay Ganda, 5:30 am, Mondays to Fridays on ABS-CBN.
Source: www.push.com.ph
