In a recent appearance on Fast Talk with Boy Abunda, Zoren Legaspi opened up about a chapter of his life that quietly challenged traditional ideas of masculinity, marriage, and fatherhood. Joined by wife Carmina Villarroel and their children, twins Mavy and Cassy Legaspi, the actor spoke candidly about the period when he took on the role of a full-time parent while his family’s careers were in full swing.
Zoren recalled how, at the height of Carmina’s work commitments and the twins’ early modeling and commercial projects, he became the one holding the fort at home.
“Natatandaan mo, Tito Boy, they call me house husband before? ’Cause she [Carmina Villarroel] was working, they [Mavy and Cassy Legaspi] were into modeling and commercials, I was in the house,” he shared.
(“Do you remember, Tito Boy, they used to call me a house husband? Because she was working, the twins were into modeling and commercials, and I was the one at home.”)
The label, often used dismissively by others, never bothered him. “I was called house husband but I was not offended.”
For Zoren, the situation was never about ego—it was about timing, trust, and family. He explained that Carmina’s demanding schedule opened a door for him to be present in ways many fathers rarely get to experience.
“I was not offended dahil busy siya and it was an opportunity for me,” he said. Without hesitation, he embraced the responsibility. “Sabi ko, ako ’yung mag-aalaga, hands-on sa kambal while she’s working.”
(“I was not offended because she was busy and it was an opportunity for me. I said I would be the one to take care of them, hands-on with the twins while she’s working.”)
Beyond daily caregiving, Zoren also took on another crucial role: safeguarding and growing his children’s future.
“And at the same time sabi ko, ang magiging obligasyon ko sa kanila, palalaguin ko ’yung pera nila,” he revealed, referring to managing the twins’ earnings from their early projects. Looking back, he spoke with quiet pride about how that decision paid off. “So, sa awa ng Diyos, napalago ko naman.”
(“And at the same time, I said that my responsibility to them would be to grow their money. So, by God’s grace, I was able to grow it.”)
Zoren’s story resonated not because it was dramatic, but because it was grounded in choice and partnership. At a time when being labeled a “house husband” carried stigma, he reframed it as purpose-driven and empowering—an expression of love, responsibility, and confidence in his role as both a father and a husband.
In sharing this chapter of his life, Zoren Legaspi offers a reminder that strength in a family is not defined by who earns more or who stays home, but by who steps up when it matters most.