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Moving In and On With The Intal Family
Finally in their new home, Bianca and JC Intal ruminate about how life has changed during the pandemic
Moving into their new home felt like a pipe dream for Bianca Gonzalez-Intal, her husband JC Intal and their two daughters Lucia and Carmen, especially after the craziness that was 2020. But three years and some months later, it finally became a reality. “Finally home! Beyond grateful,” Bianca shares in an Instagram post. But more than moving to their much awaited new home, the Intal family finds themselves awash in gratitude for all they’ve experienced during the pandemic: extended quality time and newfound life lessons.
More than a new home
It’s no secret that moving homes is consistently up there as one of the top most stressful life events. Throw in a pandemic and a dash of a strict lockdown and it’s a recipe for disaster — but not for the Intals. “We were originally supposed to move in August 2020, but everything got delayed,” Bianca muses. According to JC, the whole process took two years and 8 months, complete with a six month waiting time. While it proved to be stressful, he admits that it was exciting as well. Finally, the family had a space they could truly grow into, compared to their old home, “It was more like a bachelor pad,” Bianca shares. “There were lots of corners and edges; we really needed more room.”
They used their old home — JC’s old home— as a guide on what to do better in their new one. “We corrected everything: the bathrooms, the kitchen..” says JC. The couple was intentional with the way they planned their home, they knew it would be a home they would live in for the rest of their lives, a place would require minimal to no renovations in the future. Their older daughter, Lucia, was very much involved in the move. Like the big girl that she is, she was given the freedom to choose her own wallpaper and bed. While JC oversaw the construction, he made sure to video call Lucia, to show her the progress of the new house and her own spaces.
“Seeing the smiles on their faces, their reactions when we first moved, was priceless,” JC enthuses, “Sulit yung pagod and stress.” In fact, Bianca credits JC for all the hard work that went into planning for the new home. “From finishing to sourcing, to installing lights and hanging art, pagbabarena at pagiging kargador, and all the sakit ng ulo that comes with construction, thank you, mahal,” Bianca gushes in an Instagram post.
And it wasn’t only the girls who enjoyed their new Asian contemporary home. Both Bianca and JC took two weeks off to reap all the hard work they put into moving and fully enjoy their swish new digs. “We love how it feels like a resort. When we first moved in, we really felt at ease. It was so relaxing, we didn’t feel like doing anything!” JC laughs. The clean lines, wood accents, tropical plants and wooden accents were all reminiscent of a tropical getaway, bringing calm to their busy lives.
Bianca, on the other hand, appreciates that the house was able to visually merge both her and JC’s sense of style. “We also love that it’s a house that we can grow into. We built it with us living here ‘til the kids are in college in mind. Right now, there are spaces that might not make any sense for our kids, but we know they’ll grow into them,” she explains.
Parenting during a pandemic
Pre-pandemic, JC and Bianca rarely found themselves at home. Bianca would be shooting on set, while JC would be on the court or at training at the gym. “We never got to just hang out and do our own things together,” Bianca remembers. “Now that we’re just at home, the quality time we spend with the kids is just great. The girls ask JC to draw and color, or we’ll play music and dance or cook.”
The couple also consider themselves lucky, especially since their five year-old daughter is at an extra-curious stage. They appreciate seeing life through their daughter’s eyes — a fresh perspective without biases — and seeing how different she is from her younger sister. “My daughters remind me how different all people are. They both have wildly opposing personalities — Carmen, my youngest, has my temper, while Lucia is more matiisin like JC,” says Bianca. However, when it comes to athleticism, JC admits that Carmen takes more after him. While Lucia prefers reading or playing, Carmen loves running and jumping. “Lucia’s steady like her mom, ” he reveals fondly. “She’s your typical panganay.”
While they miss the everyday things, they’re grateful for the extra time they have with each other. “The kids are just so happy we’re at home all the time with them,” Bianca intimates, “It’s just JC and I who’ve had to adjust with being at home all the time. We’ve been married for six years and it’s only now we realized how difficult it is to be with someone 24/7. You learn to adjust as a family.”
It’s been quite the journey of discovery for the family during the pandemic. But one thing remains constant: how Bianca and JC want their daughters, Carmen and Lucia to grow up. “JC and I just want Carmen and Lucia to be good people. We’ve learned that our role as parents is to support our kids in what they want to do in life and guide them in finding what they want to do and make them happy.” We couldn’t agree more.
Words JANA BLANCO
Photography KIERAN PUNAY
Art Direction MARC PAGDILAO
Styling RAIN DAGALA
Makeup CARELL GARCIA
Hairstyling JOSEPH FANTONE of COLORBAR PH
Sittings Editor MARGA MEDRANO-TUPAZ
Shot on location at UNWND Flats
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