Ara Mina (right) with husband Dave Almarinez
With show biz projects pouring in for Ara Mina, it’s only practical, the actress said, to strike while the iron is hot. But next year, she shifts her focus on fulfilling her promise to her husband—trying for a baby.
“It’s my choice not to get pregnant this year. After that, we will concentrate on having a baby. I would love to give him a child,” she told reporters at a recent press conference for the upcoming drama film, “Litrato.”
“I can still get pregnant. Age is just a number. I have already consulted my doctors and they say I will be fine,” added Ara, who’s 44 now. “And if I don’t [get pregnant through natural conception], there are alternatives available.”
But she’d rather have only one, Ara quickly added. After all, she and her husband, businessman Dave Almarinez, already have one daughter each from their respective past relationships.
Blessings
“Who knows, I may end up having twins! But just one—mahirap ang buhay ngayon! I already have a daughter; he has one, too. I just want to have a baby boy. Please pray for me!” said Ara, who tied the knot with Dave two years ago.
Aside from “Litrato,” Ara hosts the magazine show “Magandang ARAw” on Net 25. She’s also set to do a horror film and has been getting offers to do soaps. While many female celebrities opt to lie low after getting married, Ara is thankful that she has the opportunity to continue working, something that her husband wholeheartedly supports.
Dave understands the nature of Ara’s profession. He sees how passionate she is about her craft, and has never meddled in her decisions or tried to stop her.
“He sees the blessings coming my way, so we’re worried na baka magtampo if we turn all of them down. He allows me to grow. Sometimes, he even offers his own suggestions about what I can do next,” Ara said. “And because his job as a businessman entails traveling and meeting different people, I get exposed to other cultures and languages.”
Happy for sister
The relationship isn’t smooth-sailing all the time, but that’s simply the nature of marriage, Ara said. “But it’s a dream to have a partner in life, someone you can lean on … That’s what’s important,” she said.
Meanwhile, Ara couldn’t be happier for her sister, Cristine Reyes, who recently found love in actor Marco Gumabao, after her breakup with her estranged husband, Ali Khatibi.
“I can see that she’s very happy now … the smile she has these days is something we haven’t seen in a while,” Ara said, adding that she hopes the family can spend more time with Marco in the near future and get to know him better.
“I know him because we were supposed to do a soap. I hope our family can spend some time with him. After what happened to her in her past relationship, we want only the best for Cristine.”
In fact, Ara and Dave once tried playing matchmakers. “May mga nirereto nga kami before … a foreigner who has abs, too. Cristine is into good-looking men with abs!” Ara said, laughing.
Soft spot for elderly
Ara’s only request of Marco is that he take good care of Cristine. “What my sister went through in the past was no joke … I want her to be happy. She deserves to be happy. And I think Marco is responsible. He seems to have been raised well. I have yet to meet his mother, but she seems very nice,” she said.
Produced by 3:16 Media Network and directed by Louie Ignacio, “Litrato,” which also stars Ai-Ai delas Alas, will premiere in cinemas on July 26. Ara plays Divina, a woman who abandons her Alzheimer’s disease-stricken mother, Lola Edna (Ai-Ai) in a nursing home. Divina’s daughter, Angel (Quinn Carillo) ends up taking care of Lola Edna, who asks visiting strangers for photos in hopes of refreshing her memories or her estranged relatives.
“I was excited to work with Ai-Ai for the first time in a movie. We did a concert and a tour in the United States years back,” Ara related. “She makes me laugh even off-cam. I feel like comedians make some of the best dramatic actors.”
“This was a challenging role for me because I have a soft spot for the elderly,” Ara added. “My mother isn’t as old as the character in this film, but I know that she will get there one day. So I couldn’t help but think of her while doing the film. She served as an inspiration.”