Melai Cantiveros earns praise for ‘no arte’ attitude on family trip

The candid moment quickly drew admiration from netizens, who praised Melai for staying humble and keeping things simple despite her status in showbiz.

“Ate Melai I really admire you for being so down to earth,” one netizen commented. “Our humble, energy-saving queen, Miss Earth 2027,” another jokingly wrote.

“Napaka humble talaga ni momshie melai grabe economy pero walang kaarte arte,” another fan said. Another netizen added, “Wow! Artists pero nasa economy. So down to earth! Kakamis magbarko, Enjoy!”

Melai’s choice to keep things practical also reflects the way she has previously talked about handling her family’s finances.

In a past interview, the actress and host shared that she tries to be practical with their household expenses. She also expressed gratitude for the numerous brand endorsements she receives, which help provide some of their family’s needs while allowing her to set aside savings.

“To be honest, sa tipid-tipid talaga, siyempre nasa lifestyle. At the end of the day, kahit tipirin mo ang mga anak mo sa pagkain, ‘di pa rin maganda ‘yon. Kung anong deserve nila na pagkain, ibigay mo… Kasi ito lang kakainin natin, tapos mag-crave, crave ka. Pagbibili mo ng [cravings] mo, nasayang lang ‘yong niluto ninyo. So, kung ano talaga yung gusto niyong kainin, kainin ni’yo talaga para hindi masayang, ‘yong wala kang gana dun sa niluto niyo, eh,” she shared.

When it comes to managing their food budget, Melai also encourages families to be more mindful of their spending habits without depriving themselves of occasional treats.

“Wag naman kayo puro restaurant. Pero ‘pag naka-sweldo bigyan niyo din ng kuan (treat) sarili niyo. At home, namamalengke kami. Whatever is available, we make use of it. Hindi kasi ako yung grocery ng grocery. Kasi ‘pag mag-grocery ng marami, tapos hindi makain ‘yong iba, sayang. I prefer buying only what we need, and that’s how I save money.”

For Melai, being practical does not mean sacrificing comfort or enjoyment. Her latest family trip simply gave netizens another reason to admire her for keeping her feet firmly on the ground.

Melai is married to Jason Francisco. The couple tied the knot in December of 2013, and have two daughters, Amelia Lucille, fondly called Mela, and Stela Rosalind, or Stela.

READ: