Celebrity mom and TV host Iya Villania has long been admired for her boundless energy, disciplined lifestyle, and warm, hands-on approach to parenting. In our sit-down interview, Iya opened up about the intentional choices she and her husband, actor–host Drew Arellano, make every day to prioritize their family’s health, wellbeing, and connection. What emerged is a portrait of a couple raising their children with balance, teamwork, and a shared belief that good habits begin at home.

For Iya, the life she and Drew live today is rooted in how they both grew up—active, curious, and always on the move. “Drew and I are grateful that we were both very active growing up and both got quite serious about fitness in our late 20s to 30s,” she shared. “Since we started early, being active is already engrained in our system. Now we just continue to strengthen and take care of ourselves while enjoying the good energy we get to bring home and share with our children.”

Their commitment to health became even more purposeful when they became parents. They see their daily habits not just as self-care, but as an example for their kids. “Because of what we model, hopefully our children will do the same. We valued our health and wellness early on in life and value it even more now that we have children.”

Teamwork is central to how they run their household. “We both do what we can with the kids, and if there are areas I need him to help me with, I just let him know. Same with Drew,” Iya said. They coordinate through a shared family calendar—an essential tool for keeping track of school schedules, activities, and family time. Nutrition is another area where they complement each other. “Drew is definitely the strict one as I’m guilty of loving to snack,” she laughed. “But we make adjustments as we go along to do what’s best for the kids.”

They also rely on supplements to support immunity and appetite—“making sure we have the right ones at home, like Propan TLC,” Iya added. And while the busy life of working parents often makes routines difficult, she has a simple philosophy: “We struggle too, but as they say, you can choose your ‘hard.’ It’s hard to get that workout in, but it would also be hard to get too busy to take care of yourself and later regret it.”

Food is one of the most important anchors in their home, and Iya approaches mealtimes with a balance of structure and flexibility. She starts with the basics: “We like to start them with protein—eggs, beef, chicken. After protein, I top up with Propan TLC to help with appetite throughout the day.”

Lunch and dinner are usually whatever the whole family is eating. Instead of following rigid schedules, they pay attention to their children’s natural hunger cues. Their go-to meals are practical, homey, and kid-friendly—scrambled eggs with ketchup, tortang giniling, adobo, caldereta, and pechay giniling.

One major habit they’ve adjusted is reducing snacking during weekdays. “We stop the snacking throughout the day and don’t bug them to eat. We let them pay attention to their hunger cues,” she explained. Supplements help fill in the gaps, but more importantly, Iya hopes to raise kids who are confident and independent in the kitchen. “I just hope they learn to prepare food for themselves. It’s a major life skill.”

Movement is a non-negotiable in the Arellano household. But rather than forcing kids into workouts, Iya and Drew simply involve them in the activities they love. “We show them and expose them to different activities. We also don’t make gadgets a thing in our home, which keeps them excited about doing other things like swimming or joining us in the gym.”

Their family bonding often happens in motion: biking, swimming, playing, and even the roughhousing that fills their home with laughter. “All the things we do together make our bond stronger—whether it’s chasing each other around, throwing them around, or even just staying put to watch a movie.”

They also give their children the freedom to choose the sports they want to try. Scheduling various activities helps keep them motivated. “When it’s something they enjoy, they look forward to doing it,” Iya said. Starting early makes consistency easier, though she admits there are days when the kids need a nudge. “Even lazy days become learning opportunities to push through the mental struggle.”

Iya and Drew anchor their parenting on values they hope will guide their children throughout life. “We really value respect, kindness, and being grateful. I also try my best to model being faithful to God because I believe in the way He can move in one’s heart.”

One of the biggest changes in their household was limiting gadget use. From having daily access pre-pandemic, they now allow only one hour on Fridays and two hours on Saturdays. The result? Their kids naturally shifted toward playing with friends and each other instead.

Motherhood has taught Iya the beauty of flexibility and surrender. “I’ve learned to be quick to adjust, to think ahead, but also to have faith in God’s plan. There’s only so much we can do. Sometimes we get so caught up in life, but the rest we surrender.”

And at the center of their success as parents is their partnership. “We respect each other and practice open communication. When we feel a disconnect, we do something about it. We take the time to reconnect and sync.”

Through candid reflections, Iya Villania shows that parenthood is a constant balancing act—one filled with discipline, compassion, faith, and a lot of joyful chaos. She and Drew Arellano are raising their family with intention, modeling the healthy, active, and values-driven life they hope their children will carry into adulthood.

For Iya, being a mom is not about perfection—it’s about presence, partnership, and purpose. And in their home, these everyday choices continue to build a family life that is strong, grounded, and full of love.