Marian Rivera has changed a lot in her more than 20 years in show business. She started as a teleserye lead, then became a dance show host, an award-winning actress and a businesswoman, all while raising two kids. Through all of it, she says one rule has stayed the same: a mother has to love herself first.
The 42-year-old actress shared this at the Sept. 22 launch of Glow For 200: Season 2, a year-long training program for Filipino content creators, held at the Enderun Tent in Taguig City.
For Marian, taking care of herself is not selfish. It is what makes it possible for her to take care of her family.
"Hindi kasi puwedeng hindi mo mahalin ang sarili mo, eh. Kasi palagi nating naririnig 'to, eh. Paano mo mabibigay sa anak mo, sa asawa mo 'yung pagmamahal na gusto nila kung nakikita nilang hindi mo love ang sarili mo? So doon nagsisimula ang lahat. Love yourself muna. And then lahat 'yan, mag-fu-flow para sa pamilya mo. So mahalagang-mahalaga 'yun," she told PUSH ABS-CBN.
Her career shows how often she has started over in new roles. Marian first appeared on television in 2005. Two years later, she became a household name when she played the title role in GMA's remake of the Mexican telenovela Marimar. She went on to headline many primetime series for the network and later hosted her own weekly dance show, Marian.
In 2023, the longtime Kapuso star crossed over to the big screen with ABS-CBN's Star Cinema for Rewind, her first movie with husband Dingdong Dantes in 13 years. The film was co-produced by APT Entertainment and Dingdong's AgostoDos Pictures and directed by Mae Cruz-Alviar. It was the top earner at the 2023 Metro Manila Film Festival and is now one of the highest-grossing Filipino films of all time.
A year later, she proved herself as a dramatic actress when she won Best Actress at the Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival for Balota, where she played a public school teacher. The film reached even more viewers when it began streaming on Netflix in January 2025.
Marian and Dingdong are now set to reunite for another Star Cinema movie, the family drama Remember. The couple flew to Quebec, Canada, in June to shoot the film, which brings back Direk Mae and much of the team behind Rewind. Star Cinema produced it with APT Entertainment, AgostoDos Pictures and Regal Entertainment, and it is set to open in cinemas worldwide this year.
Off-camera, Marian has been married to Dingdong since 2014. She is a hands-on mom to their children, Zia and Sixto.
At the launch, Marian appeared as the longtime endorser of glutathione brand NuWhite, which is running the creator program together with Martha Sta. Barbara-Villarama's MSB Marketing Consultancy.
The program picked 200 participants from more than 1,200 people who signed up from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. For one year, they will learn the business side of content creation, including personal branding, livestreaming, affiliate selling and handling their money. They will also be mentored by industry figures such as financial coach Chinkee Tan and actress Maxene Magalona, along with representatives from TikTok Philippines and established creators.
For Marian, that kind of growth is something she knows well. In an industry where trends come and go fast, she believes the key is to keep changing without losing who you are, and that starts with loving yourself.
—By Paolo Lim