Maja Salvador on motherhood, privacy, and Baby Maria
Actress Maja Salvador is slowly easing her way back into work after giving birth in May 2024—but there’s one thing she’s not quite ready for just yet: a baby face reveal.
“I’m not sure when that’s going to happen,” Salvador said. “I hope my followers understand. I still want to keep my daughter Maria for myself and just enjoy her.
Her hesitation stems from horror stories she has heard from fellow celebrity moms—those who proudly shared their baby’s photos online, only to be met with unsolicited, often hurtful comments.
“To be honest, I’m scared that her identity might get stolen,” she admitted. “What if someone uses her photos or videos for something shady online? Especially now with AI—anything’s possible.
“These are innocent kids, and their parents are just proud,” she added during a recent media gathering. “But then some conceited person comes along, bashes them, or mocks their baby. As a mom, I don’t want to be in that situation. I’d rather just avoid it altogether.”
Still, even without a full reveal, Salvador and baby Maria have already started receiving endorsement offers—and yes, those chubby baby legs are getting some screen time.
“I really appreciate the trust,” she said. “Maria’s only showing her legs or getting back shots in the ads, but they still ask for her. Also, I’m thankful because everyone around us has been so respectful. When we travel as a family and people take photos, our staff will politely ask them not to post—and they listen. I don’t mind showing Maria in person. Just no phones for now.”
Life-threatening
While her pregnancy went relatively smoothly, Salvador recalled a terrifying childbirth experience that nearly cost her her life. She suffered an inverted uterus, a rare and life-threatening complication where the uterus turns inside out after delivery.
“I remember talking to Rambo [Nunez, her husband] and saying, ‘If you need to choose, choose the child.’ It wasn’t easy to process, especially for him,” she shared. “Rambo is the problem-solver type, but that time, he felt helpless. All he could do was hold our newborn and watch as doctors and nurses worked on me.”
But even that didn’t dampen her spirit. “After all the pain, I saw my daughter in the bassinet and said, ‘Ay, gusto ko pa! Ang cute ng anak ko!’” she said with a laugh. “I prayed so hard for this. All the hardship was worth it.”
So, how has motherhood changed her? “I stayed in Canada for six months while I was pregnant. Since I’m a workaholic, that period drove me crazy. I’d tell Rambo I wanted to go straight back to work after giving birth. But when Maria arrived, I completely changed my mind. I said, ‘You can still provide for us on your own, right?’” she quipped.
“Now, all my decisions are based on what’s good for my family. There are offers for TV and movie projects, but I told them I want to wait until Maria is a year old. I really miss work, but I’ve always dreamed of being a mom. So I’m not in a rush. At least I still get to dance on TV, host, and do product shoots.”
Maria, she said, is now an essential part of who she is. “She completed me as a woman. My handlers know this—I always request a bigger workspace from producers because I bring Maria with me. In fact, she’s here now in the holding room,” Salvador revealed.
She was speaking at her contract renewal event with local beauty and wellness brand Beautéderm, where she continues to be an ambassador for their Blanc Set—a skincare line that targets acne, brightens skin, and reduces fine lines. The event took place in March—in time for International Women’s Month—and Salvador, along with Beautéderm president and CEO Rei Anicoche-Tan, were asked to name the women they admire most.
Nanay
“For me, it’s my Nanay,” said Anicoche-Tan. “Who I am today, I owe to her. She taught me the values I live by. I thank her every single day.”
Salvador agreed. “I’ve always admired my Nanay, too, for raising me and my brother on her own. But after giving birth to Maria, I admire her even more. I kept asking, ‘How did my mom do it—with two kids and no partner?’”
The two women also touched on the topic of mom guilt, that all-too-familiar feeling of never doing enough as a parent. Anicoche-Tan, who is based in Pampanga, admitted she struggles with not spending enough time with her eldest child. Her son Kenneth recently moved to Manila to study.
“That’s why I tell Maja, enjoy Maria now. As she grows older, you start competing with gadgets, friends, and other interests,” she said. “I even worry about my son’s nutrition. He’s so thin—I feel like I’m not feeding him right.”
To cope with the guilt, she made a point of opening up to her son. “I asked him, ‘Am I falling short as a mom?’ And he told me, ‘You’re fine. I’m doing OK.’ For me, communication is the most important thing.”
Meanwhile, Salvador—still just a few months into motherhood—is learning to strike her own balance. “When Maria was around six months old, I had to rehearse for a birthday dance production on ‘ASAP.’ I had hesitations. As a nursing mom, I wanted to do everything for my child. I only call for help when I really need it. But I missed dancing so much. I had to prep for days, leaving Maria for six hours at a time. I felt so guilty,” she recalled.
She even had to cancel some rehearsals after late meetings and shoots. “Good thing some moms told me, ‘It’s okay. We all feel that way. Just don’t forget what makes you happy as a woman, as a person. That happiness will reflect in how you bond with your baby.’”
And for Salvador, that’s a lesson she’s slowly learning—one baby step at a time.
