"It’s been a wonderful journey."
This is how Dra. Vicki Belo summed up her experience as a mother when PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) caught up with her at the grand launch of the Belo Genesis Lift on April 29, 2026, held at Belo Nexa in Makati City.
In line with the celebration of Mother’s Day this May, the celebrity doctor opened up about her life as a parent and as a grandmother, sharing the lessons she has gained through the years.
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Reflecting on her journey, Dra. Vicki said she takes pride in seeing how her children have grown into the individuals they are today.
She has three children: Quark and Cristalle with her ex-husband Atom Henares, and Scarlet Snow with her husband Dr. Hayden Kho.
Dra. Vicki said: "I have two marriages, right? So the first marriage I have Quark and Cristalle, and I see how they've grown up, how well they have become parents.
"I love my grandchildren. I think that's the best part of being a grandma.
"But also watching them create their own lives as a family, watching them succeed, watching them become very good citizens of the Philippines and wanting to help our country."
Dra. Vicki continued: "Parang those are the things, and then, of course, they're God-centered. It makes me so happy that they're there.
"And then I get the best thing because I have a little girl [Scarlet Snow] with Hayden. So she's not so little anymore.
"She is 11 years old, but very, very smart, and very caring and sweet."
DRA. VICKI BELO: MOTHERHOOD EXPERIENCE
Aside from being a proud mother and grandmother, Dra. Vicki also shared how her experience with her youngest child, Scarlet Snow, has been vastly different from when she raised her older children.
She gave birth to Scarlet via a Mexican-American surrogate mother through IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) in the United States in March 2015, when she was already 59 years old.
Because of this, Dra. Vicki admitted that she was able to approach motherhood in a more relaxed and present way the second time around.
She explained: "I think, you know, she's much sweeter actually to me than my other two kids were when they were younger.
"I guess because I was in medical school and they didn't have the chance to really pamper me. But with Scarlet, kasi she cooks for me, macaroni and cheese.
"She's always calling me, ‘Mommy, do you want something to eat? I'll buy you before I go home.’
"And because also I'm spending much more time with her. So… it's nice also to have a child when you're older, you have a little more money, so you're not always worrying about their future."
Through her experience, Dra. Vicki said she has come to appreciate the value of being more present in her child’s life, something she now considers one of her biggest learnings as a parent.
"I have more time to spend with her and, you know, immerse myself in her world. So that's what I've learned. I used to try to immerse her in my world. It doesn't work.
"Parents out there, you have to immerse into their world, talk their language, get their jokes, and then it's a much closer relationship."
For Dra. Vicki, motherhood continues to evolve with every stage—whether as a young mom, a grandmother, or a parent again later in life. But through it all, one thing remains constant: a deep sense of gratitude for the journey she calls “wonderful."
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