Gloria Diaz is a doting lola to her five-month-old grandson Balthazar Gabriel, the son of her eldest daughter Isabelle Daza with husband Adrien Semblat.
“They call him Baltibong,” Gloria told PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) at the presscon for GMA-7 prime-time series Pamilya Roces.
“Because short for Baltazar and his middle name is Bong, like my ex-husband.”
Gloria was once married to Isabelle's dad Gabriel "Bong" Daza, who passed away in 2016.
How is she as a lola?
“Very good!” said the Miss Universe 1969.
Is she a spoiler?
Gloria noted, “I want to, but Belle is very strict, very strict.
“She allows the baby to cry. Ako ayoko, ayoko iyan.”
She said she feels sorry whenever Baltie cries.
“Siyempre. She [Belle] says, ‘Never mind, that’s good for him to cry.’
“I said, ‘Oh my God, Belle! I didn’t make you cry!’
“I always compare, I always tell her, ‘Hindi naman ako ganyan.’”
Belle's method was inspired by French parenting, which trains the kids to self-soothe.
Gloria added, “No, I’m a good lola, pero pang mga thirty minutes, okay na ako afterwards.”
LUCKY MOM-IN-LAW
Gloria also has a good relationship with her manugang Adrien.
She enthused, “I love him. I told him, ‘If you and Belle ever fight, I’m on your side.’
“Ang bait, super bait.”
And what does Belle, Isabelle's nickname, say whenever she takes Adrien's side during their fight?
Gloria clarified, “No, anong sabi ni Adrien. He says, ‘No, Belle is very kind, very good.’
“Hindi naman sila nag-aaway ever, e. Never, hindi sila ganun. He’s very… he’s a good person talaga.”
Gloria also revealed that there is one thing that makes her worried these days—being too blessed.
She said, “I’m so lucky! Takot nga ako, I have a show, I have a good baby, I have a good son-in-law, my children, my son, okay?
"Parang, 'Oh my God, hindi naman puwede ako lahat, di ba?'
"It’s too much. So I’m so scared, I always pray, ‘Lord, please tell me now what’s my kuwan, what’s gonna be my punishment?’
"It’s too good [to be true]."