The Wandermamas take on the USA

LJ MORENO-ALAPAG and RUFA MAE QUINTO-MAGALLANES

CALIFORNIA, USA: When the pandemic forced families into their homes for safety in 2020, celebrity moms LJ Moreno-Alapag and Rufa Mae Quinto-Magallanes had to build and nurture new ones with their husbands and brood in the United States.

According to Moreno — who last appeared in the indie movie “Wooden Chair” in 2018 — it was precisely the pandemic that pushed her and PBA star husband Jimmy Alapag to take the risk and move to Los Angeles and start over.

“Both the ABL and PBA were shut down because of the pandemic so Jimmy didn’t have any pending commitments,” she recalled in this exclusive interview with The Sunday Times Magazine. “We didn’t expect the pandemic to last as long as it has so after five months of being locked inside our house [in Manila], we decided it was the best time for him to explore other opportunities in the US. It was the first time since his rookie year that he wasn’t tied with a team since the leagues were on hold.”

On the other hand, Quinto — the top comedienne best known for her work on TV’s iconic “Bubble Gang” and hit movies like “Booba” and “Ang Huling Henya”— ended up permanently in San Francisco’s Bay Area on pure coincidence.

Married to Filipino-American financial analyst turned law enforcer Terrence Magallanes, she likewise shared, “I arrived in the US on February 7, 2020 to celebrate Valentine’s Day with my husband and my daughter Athena’s 3rd birthday. Dapat uuwi na ako ng February 25 kasi may teleserye na sana akong gagawin sa GMA pero nag-extend ako up to March 21 kasi baka hindi ako makabalik agad sa kanila. Sakto naman March 19 nag-lockdown na so wala nang flight.”

Quinto knew that staying with her husband was the best decision for her and her family at that time, adding, “Mahirap pag pandemic tapos hiwahiwalay kaya sabi ko mas mabuting magkaksasama kami at ang importante healthy kami. Kaya ayun, tinuloy tuloy ko na dito.”

The struggles

When asked what it was like to move to the US in the middle of the pandemic, Moreno replied, “It was definitely challenging, especially for us because our shipments were delayed. We didn’t get our things until almost two months since we arrived.”

She continued, “The transition was definitely hard especially without having helpers here with us. I was also definitely homesick in the beginning but once I fully accepted na that for this season, this is where God wants us to be, mas naging OK. It also helps that both our families are here.”

Quinto echoed the same sentiments, admitting, “Mabilis talaga ang oras dito, unlike sa atin sa Manila, may help ka, mas chillax ang life. Dito, go, go, go all the way every day! Napakahirap especially since nag-adjust kami during the pandemic.”

Indeed, while other families were struggling to deal with the pandemic, both their families had the added difficulty of transitioning to new lives.

“I think during this whole pandemic, there have been a lot of fears about not knowing what’s next, especially for Jim and I who are both used to being in control,” Moreno further opened up.

“A big fear of course is financial instability kasi I closed my business just to move here and Jimmy also didn’t have basketball. So, there was a lot of praying that happened and just fully trusting God and believing that this is where he wants to put us in this season.”

The devoted mothers and wives were also quick to note that while it may seem to others they took an easier route in moving to the United States, nothing can be farther from the truth. The reality is that LJ Moreno and Rufa Mae Quinto were forced to leave stable showbiz careers behind along with more comfortable lives and put their family’s best interest ahead of theirs.

‘The Wandermamas’

Months into their major life change, Moreno and Quinto are still adjusting to life in the United States but instead of wallowing in their fears, they decided to connect and do something for themselves as they should. As they say, for mothers to be their best, they likewise need a sense of fulfillment or even just an outlet to balance out what some believe to be the most difficult job in the world.

Naturall y, these supermoms tapped into their creativity. After all, besides being successful actresses, Moreno and Quinto are proficient content creators, each boasting millions of subscribers across their social media channels, which only grew when they started vlogging about their stateside adventures.

With loyal fans weekly checking on their posts, the pair of celebrities were both touched by their support and inspired that they can continue to do what they love and be on screens for audiences to see despite being in a foreign country.

All this led to the creation of “The WanderMamas,” a weekly show on YouTube featuring Moreno and Quinto beginning today Mother’s Day (US time).

According to the West Coast duo, their digital program is only the first of many offerings they have in store for Mabuhay Studios, a production outfit they now co-own with director Ivan Dedicatoria and this author as writer.

Asked what inspired WanderMamas, Moreno replied, “Reconnecting with trusted friends who have the same passion made us realize that we can do this type of project even if we’re in the US. Direk Ivan was my director in two of my previous shows in Manila with Danica (Sotto-Pingris) so I know he works very well.

“I’ve known also known Carla forever. She’s very talented in writing and I know we share the same values,” she added.

Rounding up the team, she enthused, “And of course, who better to host this show with than Pchi (Quinto’s nickname) since we’re both going through the same transition and we know each other so well.”

Dedicatoria — the creative genius behind such Philippine TV hits as “Happy Wife, Happy Life,” “Pinoy Explorer,” “Pinoy Adventures” and “It Takes Gutz to be a Gutierrez among others — feels honored to bring the mamas’ content to digital. “It’s nice to reconnect with LJ who I have worked with in the Philippines, and of course I am very excited to be working with Pchi. She is very refreshing to work with and we can’t stop laughing during filming.”

The Wandermamas as earlier noted will focus on the actress’ adventures in the US as they take care of their families while finding time to see to their own wellness despite the challenges of a new home.

Asked how important it is for them to get this message across to fellow-mothers, Moreno underscored, “A lot of moms including myself are very busy taking care of our families that sometimes we forget to do it for ourselves. With The WanderMamas we make it a point to remind busy moms out there that having our own me-time must also be a priority because it gives us a chance to recharge and care for our families better.”

Moreover, the pair believe that even in planning and working for the family’s future, moms should neither let go of their own goals.

In typical Rufa Mae Quinto fashion, the much loved celebrity concluded, “We’re here to remind moms everywhere that nothing is impossible and even if we are already mothers, we can still pursue our dreams noh! Wala na dapat fears! Napagod na ako matakot so go, go, go!”

Check out The Wandermamas very first episode on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram today.