Dingdong Dantes Says Every Birth Should Honor a Mother's Strength

Giving birth is a risk not just for the baby, but also the mother. No one really knows the intense pain involved except for the mom, which is why actor and new dad-of-two Dingdong Dantes says birthdays should also be about honoring mothers, GMA News reported.

"As much as I celebrate the birth of my son, I also celebrate of course yung life ni Marian, celebrate for strength," Dingdong told reporters at the press conference following his contract renewal signing with GMA 7. "Kapag nagbi-birthday nga 'yong isang tao, dapat sine-celebrate din 'yon eh," he said of a mother's strength.

"Kakaibang respeto talaga lalo ang binibigay ko sa aking asawa dahil second child namin 'yon. I also wanna honor her because of all her sacrifices," Dingdong said, adding that he's going to provide his wife everything and whatever it takes to help her recover from giving birth.

The Kapuso actor shared that he was with his wife and witnessed first-hand her struggles as she went through almost ten hours of labor. When their second baby, son Jose Sixto IV (Ziggy for short) arrived on April 16, he weighed a little over seven pounds, so he was slightly heavier and taller than his big sister Zia at birth.

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"It's different in a way, kasi nung una, bago lahat," Dingdong said about the experience welcoming a second baby. This time, though, apart from dealing with labor pains which only Marian can adequately describe, they were also both thinking of Zia in the midst of everything that was happening in the delivery room.

Now officially a big sister, 3-year-old Ate Zia was more than thrilled to meet her baby brother. She had been praying for one since she turned 2. "Niyakap niya kaagad," Dingdong described his two little kids' first meeting. "Sobrang higpit nga eh, sabi ko, 'Oh, 'wag masyadong tight,'" he said. They have been inseparable since, Dingdong told the Inquirer.

The dad of two is confident he and wife Marian are up to the challenge, even though he expects to be busy with his upcoming new project. It was announced during his contract signing that Dingdong will play the lead in the Filipino adaptation of the Korean drama, Descendants of the Sun.

"I will be asking for breaks, especially because we have no helper—it’s all Marian. I try to be with them as much as possible," Dingdong said  in the interview. "Now more than ever, I know what’s important to me—and that’s my family, and I will do anything to raise them well,” he added.

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