Judy Ann’s new commitment

INQUIRER.net
First Posted 13:05:00 04/09/2011


MANILA, Philippines – Philippine viewership has a long-standing relationship with Judy Ann Santos-Agoncillo: from her youthful days of portraying the kind but poverty-stricken, iconic Mara in the genre-edifying soap opera “Mara Clara,” to becoming the lovely bride to Ryan Agoncillo’s groom in a rare meeting of hearts and minds between two talented celebrities.

Judy Ann is undeniably Philippine showbiz royalty, and her eminence as a star can be attested to not only by the number of awards she has garnered over the years, but also by the number of her dedicated fans.

Coming back from a brief break from acting to give herself time to enjoy motherhood, Judy Ann yet again proves her star power to the public by way of a new commitment. And this is no ordinary commitment, for this has implications not only on her family life, but on the family lives of countless other moms as well: 100% nourishment.

Wanting to give her children no less than her 100%, Judy Ann champions the cause of complete nutrition in every Filipino household, as guided by the food pyramid, an internationally recognized standard of proper nourishment, hoping that other moms will also pick up the challenge of promoting 100% nourishment wherever in the country they may be.

Both 100% nourishment and the food pyramid are the main thrusts of Lactum, her daughter’s milk of choice and leading children’s staged milk. These thrusts bring Judy Ann’s involvement close to home – for she is spreading its message of nourishment not so much as a celebrity actress, but as a mother who constantly worries about her child’s nutritional well-being just like any other mom. Add to that the fact that she is also a chef, having taken up culinary studies, which means that anything related to food and feeding is immediately within her scope of concern and expertise. This is why she is passionate when it comes to Lactum – Lactum 6+ being her partner or “katuwang” in feeding.

The Drama of Feeding

The Lactum 6+ TV commercial in which Judy Ann appears tells the story of what every Filipino mom – Judy Ann included – goes through on a daily basis: that feeding children can be tedious, that it is a struggle, but one nonetheless must deal with it every single day and overcome this daily hardship, no matter how repetitive, because a mother who loves her child will never put her child’s health at risk.

Scenes from the project reveal Judy Ann in full form, involving a bit of drama, a tinge of romance, plus a side of the actress that audiences rarely get a taste of – action: a mom can reach a point of desperation where she has to kneel just in order to plead with her daughter to eat properly; a chase sequence can also occur around the dining table between a mom holding a plate and the child trying to get away from it; and sometimes tears can stream from a child’s eyes when her mom tries to keep her away from the favorite food that she so desires and loves to eat, ignoring everything else on the table.

While all moms are familiar with such hard domestic imagery, thankfully they do not have to face these trying times alone. For they have a partner that complements three balanced meals a day in making their children 100% nourished kids – and that partner is Lactum 6+ with essential nutrients.

It’s inevitable for moms to face such worries. The most common issue they have to deal with is having favorites in food where children tend to choose their favorite food over other nutritious choices, eating nothing else. Judy Ann attests to this, mentioning that her six-year-old daughter, Yohan, keeps asking for cheesedog and French fries. “Kung puro cheesedog at French fries na lang,” she complains, “walang mangyayari sa nutrisyon niya.”

To tell if her child is getting complete nourishment, Judy Ann always refers to the food pyramid. “E sabi sa food pyramid, mahalaga ang vegetables, so I try to sneak vegetables into her meals,” Judy Ann narrates. “For example, gagawa ako ng spinach soup, but I tell her it’s ‘Shrek soup’ para kainin niya.”

The actress certainly taps the practical chef in her for solutions. And because the practical chef in her has faith in the food pyramid, she also has faith in Lactum 6+, because its formulation of essential nutrients is inspired by the food pyramid.

A recipe for 100% nourishment and 100% peace of mind

On set, Judy Ann expresses her initial hesitation to let Yohan become part of the project. It is of course Judy Ann’s instinct to protect her child, and she is in no way going to force her daughter to do anything Yohan does not want to do.

Previous acting opportunities have been flung Yohan’s way before, but this is the first time her mom has let her actually take one, not only because Judy Ann herself believes so much in Lactum and what it has to offer to her child’s welfare, but also because Yohan herself enjoys drinking Lactum 6+. This TVC hence is actually Yohan’s debut participation in Philippine TV, and it has happened out of her own voluntary enjoyment of the milk.

“Masarap daw kasi,” the actress explains, giving her child's description of Lactum. “I don’t want her to say when she’s old that her mom forced her to drink milk she didn’t like when she was young,” she continues, punctuating her statement with mild laughter. The idea that Yohan is only forced to drink Lactum cannot possibly enter anyone’s mind, given the way she would finish entire glasses of it during the shoot in a heartbeat, even licking her upper lip in satisfaction as she smiles. “Na-try ni Yohan ‘yung ibang gatas. Ayaw, hindi siya nasasarapan.

Matabang daw,” Judy Ann says of another milk brand her daughter has tried, narrating how even she has had to add sugar to this other brand just to make it more palatable to her child.

Judy Ann excitedly shares that Yohan loves the taste of Lactum 6+, which the child has told her mom to possess just the right amount of sweetness to make it palatable. She adds, “Sugar is part of the food pyramid; and like everything in the food pyramid, it’s good for the body when taken in proper amounts.” She also stresses the reality that the right amount of sugar contributes to the taste of milk, saying that moms don’t necessarily have to compromise on taste just because they want complete nutrition for their children.

“Gustong-gusto ni Yohan ang lasa ng Lactum dahil malinamnam ang sweetness and creaminess nito. Di naman dahil matamis, puno na ng sugar. Una sa lahat, karamihan ng mga gatas, may sugar. In fact, pati ibang pagkain, maski gamot, nilalagyan ng sugar para maging appealing sa panlasa ng bata. Maraming palaisipan pagdating sa sugar. Kesyo more sugar, kesyo less sugar ang iba. Ang dapat itanong: Naangkop ba ang sugar levels sa mga standards?”

On the proper sugar levels, Judy Ann says, “Ni-research ko ‘yan, and na-verify ko na may tatlong batayan: World Health Organization (WHO), Institute of Medicine, and FNRI that recommend limiting sugar content to 39 grams, 100 grams, and 25 grams of added sugar per day para sa batang six to nine years old. Lactum 6+ has 9 grams of sugar per serving, which is less than two teaspoons of sugar. Kutsarita ha, hindi kutsara kaya tama lang. Pasok na pasok ang Lactum 6+ sa batayan ng local and international guidelines for its sugar levels.”

“Kids prefer milk that tastes good; mothers prefer milk that is nutritious – thankfully, Lactum 6+ compromises on nothing. On top of that, there is a Lactum for every stage. Kahit may feeding challenges as they grow up, there is Lactum who can be a nutritional support system because it contains essential nutrients from the food groups found in the food pyramid. Kaya naman, sa Lactum 6+ lang ako 100% panatag,” she concludes, with a special emphasis on “lang” to indicate that she strongly believes that only Lactum can give her peace of mind.

Who knew the recipe for peace of mind could be both nutritious and delicious? And easy on the budget too: the celebrity mom reveals how happy she has become since Lactum’s price went down, with savings reaching up to 92 pesos. “Mas madali nang maging 100% panatag,” Judy Ann concludes. One certainly cannot help but appreciate Lactum for possessing the right combination of nutrition, taste, and affordability.