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Maxene Magalona

Reyma Deveza

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px;display:block" width="950"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1764117966832Maxene2.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="950"/><span class="fr-inner">Screen grab: YouTube/LifeToTheMaxxPH</span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Actress and mental health advocate Maxene Magalona opened the first episode of her new vlog “LifeToTheMaxxPH” with a candid and vulnerable look at her long journey toward healing, sharing how years of pressure, perfectionism, and emotional distress eventually led her to therapy — and, ultimately, to her purpose.</p><p>Over the weekend, Magalona released the first episode of her vlog, “Welcome to Life to the Maxx: Setting Our Intention.” </p><p>In the premiere, she walked viewers through her story — from growing up as the eldest daughter of rap icon Francis Magalona, to carving her path as an actress, and ultimately to embracing her own healing journey.</p><p>&quot;Studying every day and then working in between was very exhausting and draining, but I powered through because I wanted to make my mom and dad proud,&quot; she said. </p><p>&quot;However, when I reached my 30s, I was experiencing a lot of emotional distress. Looking back, I was constantly performing, pleasing the people around me and trying to meet everyone&#x27;s expectations while neglecting my own needs in the process. I remember not being able to look at myself in the mirror for many years because I felt like a failure. I felt like I was never good enough,&quot; Magalona continued. </p><p>&quot;Imagine being the first daughter of a rap legend. Everyone expected me to be legendary as well. So I unconsciously took on all of that pressure. And because everyone around me expected me to be perfect, I wanted to be perfect. I wanted to make them happy. I was not being my authentic self. I did not know who I was anymore.&quot;</p><p>In her 30s, Magalona admitted she began struggling with anger issues. Wanting to understand where those feelings were coming from, she decided to seek professional help.</p><p>&quot;I started going to a psychiatrist, and at the beginning, I&#x27;ll be honest, I was not proud of it. I would go to the Medical City wearing a hoodie and a baseball cap and a big pair of shades, so that no one would recognize me going inside a therapist&#x27;s office, because let&#x27;s face it, when we are talking about mental health and therapy here in the Philippines, people assume that you are crazy or cuckoo, mentally unstable or unwell. And then I realized that going to therapy was actually one of the best things that I ever did, because my therapist was the one who really made me understand why I was the way I was, and why I turned out to be that kind of person,&quot; Magalona said. </p><p>Magalona said therapy really helped her and actually became the start of her personal healing journey.</p><p>&quot;Therapy helped me understand myself and my life, and it helped me forgive the people who unconsciously hurt me. Because I realized that no one is perfect in this world. We are all going through our own journey, finding ourselves. And because this world can be quite competitive, judgmental, negative, and cruel, sometimes we end up not enjoying life. We end up making life a performance. And I didn&#x27;t want to live my life that way. Talking to my therapist regularly for almost four years was really enlightening for me. That was the beginning of my healing journey. Ever since then, I started connecting to myself on a deeper level. I started taking care of all aspects of my being, and really strengthening my connection with myself and God. I sincerely believe that going through challenges and difficult times in life is God&#x27;s way of calling our attention. That&#x27;s His way of making us surrender and trust in His divine plan. And through the act of surrendering, we find peace,&quot;  she said.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px;display:block"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1764118014634Maxene.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">Screen grab: YouTube/LifeToTheMaxxPH</span></span></span></div><p>Magalona then shared the intention of her vlog which is to encourage people to bravely and kindly face their healing journey.</p><p>&quot;That is why we created this show, LifeToThe Maxx, which is our space for healing, mindfulness, and what it means to truly live life fully. This is where I will be sharing how I turned my pain into focus. Join us as we talk about all kinds of wellness. People think that wellness is just about self care, spa treatments, skin care, and the like, but for me, wellness is about all of life. It&#x27;s about both the good and the bad. It&#x27;s about understanding that you cannot enjoy life fully if you do not accept and embrace your pain. It doesn&#x27;t have to be a sad or depressing thing to heal your pain. You can do it with grace, with compassion, with patience, with love,&quot;  Magalona said.</p><p>&quot;So here I am today, sharing my story of how I turned my pain into purpose through healing. Join us for season one of LifeToTheMaxx, where we will take you on a journey of self discovery, wellness, and growth. But not just that. We will also be sharing inspiring ways of living well, from fresh ideas and meaningful practices to modern lifestyle choices, all deeply rooted in our Filipino culture. This is a safe space where healing meets everyday life and wellness becomes a way of a living life to the fullness,&quot; added Magalona, who is also a yoga and meditation teacher.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px;display:block" width="950"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1764118047579Maxene3.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="950"/><span class="fr-inner">Screen grab: YouTube/LifeToTheMaxxPH</span></span></span></div><p> Magalona joined showbiz at the young age via the kiddie gag show &quot;Ang TV.&quot;  For many years, she enjoyed acting and playing different roles in a lot of suspenseful and dramatic shows such as &quot;Doble Kara.&quot;</p><p>In 2022, she starred in ABS-CBN&#x27;s series &quot;Viral Scandal.&quot;</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS:</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bo9Zz3JWIYQ?autoplay=1&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ITCmrCnl0IY?autoplay=1&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Actress and mental health advocate Maxene Magalona opened the first episode of her new vlog “LifeToTheMaxxPH” with a candid and vulnerable look at her long journey toward healing.</p>

Actress and mental health advocate Maxene Magalona opened the first episode of her new vlog “LifeToTheMaxxPH” with a candid and vulnerable look at her long journey toward healing.

Maxene Magalona gets real about therapy, healing in vlog premiere

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Maxene Magalona gets real about therapy, healing in vlog premiere

Reyma Deveza,

ABS-CBN News

Published Nov 26, 2025 11:45 AM PHT

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