Now we know how sensible and responsible parents are the acting couple Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera.

They have turned down offers to appear in films determinedly intended to make it to the 2024 Metro Manila Film Festival, which runs during the Christmas season.

In a media interview recently, Dantes revealed that he and Marian regret not having spent enough time with his kids during Christmas 2023 because of their MMFF movie.

“Konsensya. Konsensya, dahil nung nakaraang Christmas sobrang naging busy kami (Conscience. My conscience was bothered because last Christmas we got so busy).

“Kahit mismong Christmas day nasa labas kami, nagpro-promote ng movie. ‘Yung mga anak namin naiwan sa bahay, di kami kasama (Even during Christmas day we were out, we were promoting the movie. Our kids were at home, without us).

“Mga bata pa sila (They are still young). They’re supposed to be celebrating and enjoying Christmas kasama kami (with us),” said the father of two. Daughter Zia is turning nine on 13 November this year. Son Sixto (nicknamed Six) turned five in April.

Dantes calmly but firmly concluded: “So, we both decided na di kami ulit gagawa ng (that we won’t do another) movie for MMFF.”

Rewind, the couple’s entry in last year’s MMFF, became the country’s highest grossing movie after its main producer, ABS-CBN Star Cinema, screened it in the US and other countries. 

The film reportedly grossed a little over P1 billion. Agosto Dos Productions, a company owned by Dantes, was also credited as producer.

Meanwhile, only five approved entries to MMFF 2024 have been announced. They were accepted by the festival’s selection committee based on the submitted script with confirmed lead stars. 

Some lead actors in the already approved entries are known to have young children, such as Vic Sotto, Dennis Trilllo and Jhong Hilario.