We are diving deep this Valentine’s month as Elisse Joson gets intimate about how she learned to champion self-love, self-worth, and the beauty of owning up to her imperfections
This is an excerpt from MEGA Entertainment’s February 2023 cover story.
If Bea Alonzo and Iza Calzado had a baby, it would definitely be Elisse Joson. For her first MEGA Entertainment cover, we visited Elisse in Manila, and it was her bright personality and barely made-up face, with the most minimal makeup, that greeted us there. But before we began the shoot itself, we caught up with the 27-year old actress and mom to two-year old daughter, Felize. It was noticeable how she prepared as she reviewed some of the guide questions her team requested in advance before we hit the record button.
Elisse can be very careful. Her aura can come off as calculated as her social media feed—or so it seems. Because through the course of our intimate chat that lasted for almost an hour, Elisse opened up that though she may look perfect on the outside, she is just like any of us going through some challenges in life, too at the moment. “I would like to keep it like that, but it doesn’t mean that I am always put together. It doesn’t mean I am not going through something.” Elisse adds, “I’m the type that hindi ko pinapakita in public or outside what I’m going through.”
The beauty of imperfection
You can call Elisse a superwoman, but that term is a double-edged sword for this beauty who wakes up at 7:00 a.m. on the daily. “Overwhelming lahat. We play a lot of roles. Hindi lang naman mother, hindi lang din nakikitang actress or businesswoman. Other than that, I’m still a daughter and still a friend kaya ang daming roles to fulfill. Sometimes, it gets overwhelming, so lagi ko lang ina-assess, ‘Nasaan na ba ako?’ Sometimes, I feel parang hindi naman kailangan lahat perfect nangyayari.”
It was in 2021 when Elisse and Mccoy De Leon shared to the world their beautiful daughter Felize, which caused a major shock to both their fans. First, it was the surprise brought about by the former PBB love team creating a beautiful child. Second, where did Elisse’s pregnancy belly go? She introduced Felize just months after giving birth, and she already looked fresh and relaxed just like that of a royal snapback comparable to Kate Middleton’s. Physically, Elisse said that she had that covered with effort, but mentally, it was a different case describing where she was at.
She had a hard time digesting all the scrutiny that comes from being a young mom in the showbiz industry, and how the public had things to say. “Hindi siya in a snap [that] I got back to the picture-perfect life where it was all happy. In reality, when I had a baby, hindi ako iyong biglang I fit in [the] mother role. Ano pa nga siya, opposite—parang ang dami kong naririnig na ‘She’s a mom now. Bakit gan’yan pa rin? [Bakit] parang dalaga pa rin?’ Siguro, in terms of itsura, good thing iyon. Pero in terms of life, parang dalaga pa rin. May ganoon akong naririnig.”
Elisse wants the public to understand what being in her shoes is like. She shared, “In reality just like a normal person na nag-transition from dalaga to a mom, it’s not an easy process. Iyong post partum in the beginning, hindi ko nakita [na] there were moments [where] I just didn’t know where I was at hindi ko alam ano gagawin ko. Hindi ko alam paano i-deal before. Wala naman akong ganitong feeling.”
Thankfully, her mother, Dr. Christine Joson-Diuco, took a break from her Frontliner duties to move back to the Philippines to help sort things out with Elisse. In fact, Dr. Tin was also present at the shoot with Felize in tow as moral support for her daughter. “My mom is always there for me—the good times and the bad. I just want to say, each mother communicates differently and loves differently. Especially my mom—she has her own way of showing me she loves me. At the end of the day, naramdaman ko no matter what I am going through, she is always there. Masarap sa pakiramdam na may uuwian ka kahit anong mangyari.”
Read more about how Elisse Joson handles it all, as well as her special message for her daughter Felize, in MEGA Entertainment’s February 2023 issue, now available on Readly and Magzter.
Creative Direction NICOLE ALMERO
Photography JOSH TOLENTINO
Fashion Direction RYUJI SHIOMITSU
Beauty Direction MIA CASTRO
Styling BEA GUERRERO
Fashion Assistant BITHIA REYES
Makeup MARK QUA
Hair ARCHIE GILBERT
Video Production REGINA ACERON
Videography EXCEL PANLAQUE
Shoot Coordination KZ FRANCISCO and MJ ALMERO
Shot on location SPROOS STUDIOS
