Camille Prats and husband VJ Yambao are already happy with their four kids, and decided that their four-month-old Baby Nolan will be their bunso.
Camille explains, “Kasi, all in all, we have four kids na, and happy na kami roon. Gusto kasi namin to be able to give quality time to our kids.
“We want to give them the best and provide them with the best. Hindi lang yung kung ano lang ang kailangan nila, and to be able to do that, kailangan mas konti sila.
“And ako kasi, personally, I really like to be able to spend time with my kids na isa-isa sila. Kasi, iba-iba ang characters nila, iba-iba ang needs nila as children. So, gusto ko, natututukan ko yun.
“By having a lot, baka hindi ko ma-maximize ang oras ko, considering also that I am a working mom.
“I just want to give them the best quality of life that they can have. I want to make sure that they feel loved, and they have what they need.”
Camille confides that when she was still pregnant with Nolan, she and VJ already agreed that they're already good with what they have.
Adding the age factor, she also points out, “I’m also 34 na rin po, so okay na po ako sa four kids. Parang ngayon, next level naman ang gusto naming gawin.
“We want to continue building dreams for our family.”
PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) caught up with Camille during the launch for Beautederm's latest batch of Kapuso artists, held last November 9 at Luxent Hotel, Timog Ave., Quezon City.
HANDS-ON SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR
Camille hasn't gone back to her usual showbiz schedule. She chose to just resume her hosting duties for the Kapuso morning show, Mars, for the meantime.
She feels that next year would be a better time for her to continue her teleserye work.
For now, the younger sister of John Prats has decided to be more hands-on with her duties as school administrator for their family-owned Divine Angels Montessori school located in Cainta.
She proudly beams, “It’s growing.
“Maganda yung opportunity nung eskuwelahan at lahat naman tayo, yun ang gusto.
"To have a stable income and I’m very blessed that I’m still doing what I love to do until this point, na nandito pa rin ako sa industry.
“But siyempre, more than anything, I want to make sure na ma-secure ko rin yung future ng mga anak ko.”
Being amongst kids and a healthy learning environment gives Camille a natural high, so much so that the thought of teaching has crossed her mind a few times.
Unfortunately, to qualify as a licensed teacher, she must earn a certain number of units in an Education course.
For now, she enjoys her current stint as school administrator.
Camille admits, “At this point, na-realize ko na hindi ko rin siya matututukan. Kasi, I always go back to acting which is my first love.”
Now that her her hubby VJ is based in the Philippines, the couple has more time not just for their kids, but to invest in other business ventures as well.
Camille reveals, “We invested in a restaurant, kasi mahilig siyang kumain.
"Mahilig din akong kumain. Nag-isip kami ng isang bagay na ine-enjoy namin.
“Yun ang pinagsimulan naming mag-asawa. We are also an investor of a Japanese restaurant.”
Camille counts herself lucky for being part of an extended family, which now includes her kuya John's wife, actress Isabel Oli, and her other sisters-in-law.
She exclaims, “I’m very blessed with wonderful in-laws.
"I have two sisters-in-laws kasi, dalawang kapatid ko na ang may asawa.
"Then, may kapatid din ako and we’re very blessed na kaming apat na babae sa pamilya, sobrang nagkakasundo.”
Living within a huge family compound makes their day-to-day bonding moments even more convenient.
Camille adds, “We see each other almost every day, kasi nga, nag-oopisina kami.
"Halos lahat kaming mga anak ay nagtatrabaho sa isang opisina, iba-ibang kumpanya lang.”
NOT PERFECT, BUT LOVING FAMILY
Through most of Camille and John's growing-up years in showbiz, the Prats family has been known as a close-knit clan.
But even Camille admits that, like most Pinoy families, they've had their share of disagreements or petty quarrels as well, and that their family is far from perfect.
She confirms, “Nag-aaway, marami kaming tampuhan bilang pamilya. Hindi rin kami perfect.
“But at the end of the day, we are family. May mga panahon na may hindi napagkakasunduan. Merong nagdi-disagree kami and we just agree to disagree.
“Kasi, yun talaga yun, pero one thing that we talk about, kung ano man yun, we keep it to the family.”
Camille sees no reason for her family to wash their dirty linen in public.
“Whatever our family goes through, it remains in our family and siguro, yung napag-usapan naming magkakapatid, kapag may hindi nagkasundu-sundo, pag-usapan natin.
“I think, communication is always the key,” she emphasizes.
Camille was caught offguard when we asked her what advice she could share to the Barretto sisters who are currently embroiled in a long-standing family feud.
She muses, “Alam mo, may mga kanya-kanya tayong paraan on how we deal with family issues.
“So kami, that’s how we do it pero siyempre, we cannot force these things with other people. May mga pinanggalingan din naman yung kanilang hidwaan.
“And I’m sure, they’re all adults now. They know what they’re doing. Iwan na natin sa kanila yun.”
Was Camille shocked with the intensity of the Barretto family feud?
She confesses, “Well, it’s not more of a shock, it’s more of nakakalungkot.
"More than anything, ang hiling lang sana ng lahat is sana, for all of them to be okay.
“Kasi at the end of the day, hindi mo puwedeng palitan ang pamilya.”