Maritess De Ocampo

Kelly, Carlos, and Tristan Fernandez for ABS-CBN Lifestyle

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<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:957.995px;display:block" width="957.995"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1785928562351KMF5.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:957.995px;height:auto" width="957.995"/><span class="fr-inner"><em>Kelly Misa-Fernandez with husband Carlos, son Tristan, and Chewy their Chihuahua</em></span></span></span></div><p>There&#x27;s something refreshingly light about Kelly Misa-Fernandez&#x27;s aura. As she, her husband Carlos, and son Tristan arrived for this ABS-CBN Lifestyle interview and shoot in Ascott BGC, she instantly lit up the room with her bright and easy energy. To our surprise and amusement, a tiny head with big curious eyes slowly popped out of her tote. That&#x27;s how we met the newest addition to their family—Chewy, their adorable Chihuahua, who is just under a year old.</p><p>It was an endearing start to a day that would reveal a side of Kelly that felt just as warm and easy. The moment set the tone for the rest of the afternoon: relaxed, playful, and wonderfully ordinary in the best possible way.</p><div><strong>The rhythm and beauty of an ordinary day</strong></div><p>There is the life we share online, and then there is everything that happens in between. For<a href="https://www.instagram.com/kellymisa/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> Kelly</a>, social media offers only a glimpse. “So of course, social media is like a trailer to our lives. It shows the highlights, the best moments, and most memorable times. But everyday life isn’t necessarily like that. It’s much slower and relaxed. I certainly prefer it that way.”</p><p>When she isn’t doing shoots, attending events, or going to meetings, Kelly enjoys being at home with her family (and Chewy of course). She finds comfort in routine, which she says keeps her grounded and less anxious.</p><p>A typical day may begin with five to 10 minutes of meditation, followed by 10 minutes of yoga stretching, a 20-minute HIIT workout, and around 20 minutes in the sauna. The rest of the day can include paying bills, editing videos, answering emails, organizing her things, preparing for an upcoming project or trip, and spending time with Tristan and Chewy. “My general boring day is actually a fun day for me,” she shares.</p><p>During Tristan’s summer break, playing with him becomes part of the rhythm of the day. At around 4 PM, Kelly has an early meal, which she says is her meal for the day. Between 5 and 6 PM, she walks Chewy for an hour. “This is so fun for us and bonding for me and Chewy.”</p><p>These ordinary moments are also among the most meaningful to her: exercising and feeling great afterward, walking with Chewy and seeing how happy this makes him, reading and talking about the day with Tristan, or playing Nintendo with him.</p><div><strong>An introvert at heart: Kelly&#x27;s quiet side</strong></div><p>Kelly describes herself as an introvert who is happy at home following her daily routine. While content creation is her work, there remains a part of her life that she deliberately keeps private. “I don’t really like sharing my personal life online which is funny since it seems that way because I already share so much. But there’s definitely a part of me that’s super private. She’s meditating, doing yoga, journaling, constantly working on herself, and unlearning all the bad habits from childhood, etc.”</p><p>Her family sees the quieter side of her every day—the Kelly who reads, works out, organizes the house, and needs time to decompress after work that involves socializing and connecting with many people. Meditation, yoga, journaling, and prayer have become part of how she grounds herself. She tries to meditate for 10 minutes daily and practice yoga for stretching. At the end of the day, she turns to gratitude and prayer.</p><p>“What I love about these is that it helps my mind stay positive and happy. Seeing the good in the world is a practice I’ve been doing and these are all part and parcel of that system.” Routine matters to Kelly, even if her work does not always allow her to follow one consistently. Shoots, events, meetings, travel, friends, and family can make every day different. “Each day is different which I love but I also love my daily routine. It keeps my brain organized.”</p><div><strong>Knowing what to share, and what to keep</strong></div><p>Kelly’s relationship with social media has evolved through different chapters of her career—from modeling and shoots, covers, and interviews, to writing and contributing to magazines, having a newspaper column, hosting a television show, blogging, vlogging on YouTube, and eventually creating online content.</p><p>She considers social media her work and maintains boundaries around what she shares. “There is definitely more freedom and ability to reach more people, but I think going through modeling, hosting, writing, etc. through the decades, has helped me prepare for social media; it has given me structure and discipline, as well as being able to draw the line between what’s personal and what is considered work.”</p><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1785928641989KMF3.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:511px"/></div><p>Among the highs are opportunities to travel and work with brands she loves and resonates with. Kelly also tries to shoot and edit all her content herself, something she acknowledges can be challenging. “I try to edit and shoot all my content which is difficult and that’s what causes me to spiral sometimes, haha. Those moments are considered my lows, I guess.”</p><p>One boundary she has set is particularly clear: what goes into her journal stays there. “So anything that I write in my journal, I do not share on social media. I feel these are momentary feelings and emotions that I can work on as opposed to sharing on my pages.” Instead, she keeps her public content largely focused on fashion, beauty, food, travel, and mom life.</p><div><strong>Motherhood, consent, and growing up online</strong></div><p>Being a wife and mother has also shaped Kelly’s decisions about what she shares. “I constantly have to show up for my son and family. That’s a role I can never retire from. So my decisions are always based on the good of my family.” Now 11, Tristan has a say in whether he appears on his mother’s social media. “I need to ask my son for consent when I post him on social media because he is now 11 and he minds how he comes out on my channels. He is also starting to become his own person so I need to respect that.”</p><p>Motherhood has also made presence an everyday practice. “Motherhood demands you to be present.” Kelly and her husband have been hands-on with Tristan since he was born. While scrolling, working, and editing can pull her attention elsewhere, she tries to remain conscious of the time she has with her son. Sometimes Tristan himself reminds her.</p><p>Kelly shares: &quot;Tristan tells me, &#x27;Mom get off your phone,&#x27; and it jolts me back to reality.&quot;</p><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1785928681628KMF2.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="481.992" style="width:481.992px;display:block"/></div><p>Eleven years, she says, have passed quickly. “These 11 years flew by so fast and he is quickly growing up, but I’m proud to say I’ve been there through it all. I still get shocked though when I see his photos from a few years ago. Time moves so fast. If you’re not present, it passes by so quickly.”</p><p>One recent memory never made it to Instagram. “Recently, we went on a date. We didn&#x27;t have anything planned but we ate in our favorite restaurant, no phones, we just talked about life, got our favorite dessert and walked around, just talking about nothing and everything. I love time like this with my son. I know when he grows up he won’t have time for me anymore so I cherish these moments.”</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/lifestyle/people-culture-events/2026/6/27/mia-arcenas-branellec-on-motherhood-creativity-finding-her-rhythm-again-1154" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Mia Arcenas Branellec on motherhood, creativity, and finding her rhythm again</a></div><div><strong>Loving real life</strong></div><p>Putting away her phone is something Kelly intentionally tries to practice. “And most of the time I have the best time. This is why I consider social media as work, because what happens in real life is always 1000% better.”</p><p>For her, there is something different about experiencing a moment with all the senses, connecting with people she loves, or traveling while remaining present. “Being able to have a full sensorial moment is simply amazing. Being able to connect with loved ones is amazing. Being able to travel and be present—you can’t compare it to online life.”</p><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1785928918410KMF1.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:545px;height:auto"/></div><p>It is also something she hopes Tristan understands as he grows up surrounded by technology. “I want him to learn that social media and online life are not necessarily real life. Real life involves so many aspects and really all a matter of perspective. Life continues and goes on, and sure people may have their opinions about you, but what matters is how you see yourself.”</p><p>She continues: “We’re on this school of life called earth and we are here to learn and create. That’s the purpose of life. And be able to love and connect along the way.”</p><p>Even if Instagram disappeared tomorrow, Kelly believes she would continue creating through writing, art, or movement. Social media happens to be the current medium through which she creates and expresses herself; without it, she says it would simply be a matter of finding another platform.</p><div><strong>From saying yes to setting boundaries</strong></div><p>Kelly remembers a younger version of herself whose philosophy was to always say yes. It brought the self-described introvert out of her shell and opened her life to experiences she still looks back on with wonder.</p><p>However, she has also learned another side of saying yes. “Saying yes to everything though fun at times can be taxing to your mental health. Because that means abandoning myself during times when I want to say no. Balance is key but also being able to set boundaries and doing things for myself first before others.”</p><p>Kelly reveals that she once felt pressure to appear as though she had everything together, and she now tries to focus on what makes her happy. “I am a recovering people pleaser so I am trying to minimize that side of me because why was I so concerned about everyone’s feelings more than my own? It’s self abandonment and sacrifice and in the end I just feel bad about myself.”</p><p>Learning self-love, she says, has helped her feel more grounded and complete. She now chooses to spend her time and energy on the people who matter most to her and on things she loves. </p><p>The advice she would give her younger self is similarly clear. “Set boundaries and don’t put others before yourself. Also don’t worry so much for everyone’s emotions and outcomes. Most of the time the thing you worry about didn’t really matter to the person and no, no one is mad at you.”</p><div><strong>What is a meaningful life?</strong></div><p>Kelly’s idea of what makes life meaningful has changed over the years. “Now it’s about looking into myself and working on my past traumas. Facing myself without fear or shame is so scary but it’s the one thing I need to do to love myself fully.”</p><p>For Kelly, this means working on herself and choosing self-love every day. She has found that doing so gives her more love to offer the people she cares about. “I’m not pouring from an empty cup. This has given my life so much meaning because I only do things that align with what I truly believe in.”</p><p>Her definition of luxury has evolved, too. “Luxury for me used to be designer bags and shoes, beautiful clothes and a jet set lifestyle. Now it’s being able to have a slow day, doing things I want to do and saying no to things that don’t align with me. Also being able to travel and have time. That&#x27;s the ultimate luxury.”</p><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1785928976631KMF6.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:777px"/></div><p>What brings her joy outside work and content creation is just as simple: her routine and her family. “These are things I know I will be grateful for when I’m at my deathbed. And I won’t even remember those times I’m not editing and working and scrolling. So being present and connected is up there on my &#x27;things that bring me joy list.&#x27;”</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/lifestyle/people-culture-events/2026/7/29/stephanie-zubiri-honoring-every-season-with-grace-0104" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Stephanie Zubiri: Honoring every season with grace</a></div><div><strong>Remembering and honoring the woman before motherhood</strong></div><p>For other mothers, Kelly has one more message: family life does not have to mean forgetting the person who existed before marriage and children.</p><p>“To other moms, don’t forget about the person before getting married and having kids. Do the things you love. Pursue your hobbies and allot time for things that make you feel like your old self.”</p><p>She understands how easily mothers can sacrifice parts of themselves for their families, but she encourages women to hold on to their own interests and aspirations. “We tend to self-sacrifice and lose ourselves when we have our families. Don’t lose the person who you were. Don’t forget her hopes, dreams, and aspirations because she matters too.”</p><p>And perhaps this is also what Kelly hopes people see when they look beyond the images she shares.</p><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1785928855469KMF4.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:550px"/></div><p>“Though I paint a picture of a seemingly perfect life, there is so much more to a person. There’s all the trials we all go through, but this shouldn’t define us and a journey to life that’s so unique.”</p><p>Perhaps showing up for the people we love also means remembering to show up for ourselves. Because even as life changes and our roles multiply, the person we were before them—with her own hopes, dreams, and aspirations—is still there, and still worthy of our time, attention, and love. And in remembering her, we may become even more present for the people we love. After all, how can we offer our full attention to our loved ones if we are no longer present for ourselves?</p><p>It&#x27;s easy to associate Kelly with the polished world of shoots, events, travel, and social media. In person however, what shines through most is how much she seems to cherish a life that is ordinarily beautiful, where she can just relish being fully present in the moment.</p><div><br/></div><div><em>Special thanks to Katrina Nocom and Pauline Guevarra.</em></div><div><em>Shot on location at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ascottbgcmanila/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ascott Bonifacio Global City Manila</a>.</em></div><div><em>Photos by Jonathan Cellona.</em></div>

<p>Behind the seemingly perfect images on social media is a private side to Kelly Misa-Fernandez: an introvert who values family time at home, practices meditation, and intentionally keeps some of her most meaningful moments offline.</p>

Behind the seemingly perfect images on social media is a private side to Kelly Misa-Fernandez: an introvert who values family time at home, practices meditation, and intentionally keeps some of her most meaningful moments offline.

Who is Kelly Misa-Fernandez in real life?

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Who is Kelly Misa-Fernandez in real life?

Mawi Fojas De Ocampo

Published August 05, 2026 11:41 PM PHT

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