Nakunan ng PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) ang masuyong paghalik ng real-estate magnate na si Victor Consunji sa entrepreneur Rachel Carrasco matapos ang acceptance speech ng huli sa Rising Tigers Charity Ball.

Isa si Rachel sa mga tumanggap ng parangal na Women of Purpose and Power sa event na ginanap sa Shangri-La Hotel, Makati City, noong Miyerkules, Oktubre 30, 2024.

Ang pagdalo ng dalawa sa pagtitipon ang bihirang pagkakataong nakita silang magkasama.

Victor Consunji and Rachel Carrasco
Photo/s: Jojo Gabinete

Sa panayam ng PEP.ph at ilang mga miyembro ng media, sinagot ni Rachel ang mga katanungan tungkol sa kanyang personal at propesyunal na buhay.

Ibinahagi ni Rachel ang kanyang reaksiyon sa mga kontrobersiyang pinagdaanan noong nagsisimula pa lamang ang relasyon nila ni Victor, ang estranged husband ng former actress at beauty queen na si Maggie Wilson.

Ayon kay Rachel, may mga nagtatanong pa rin sa kanya tungkol sa isyu.

“I am at a stage na expected na, it comes with the territory, and choices we made,” saad niya.

“I made a choice to step into this life and stepping to this world and, ika nga nila, you can never have the good without the bad.

“Privacy is power talaga. Parang I feel it is best if information for the moment is kept. And when it is ready to be shared, it will come out.”

Gaya ni Victor na hiwalay sa asawa, si Rachel ay divorced din sa kanyang dating mister.

Inamin ni Rachel na malaki ang naging tulong sa kanya ng professional help kaya maayos ang relasyon nila ng dating asawa.

Aniya, “I did loads of therapy. Even before, when I got a divorce in the middle of pandemic.

“It was a choice I had with ex-husband. We are on very good terms and even sent pictures of our kids with each other.

“But from there, I had to start working on myself. I did psychotherapy and therapy healing. It is a cleanse. If you read anything, you suck in.”

Hindi raw madali para kay Rachel na muling maging aktibo at magpainterbyu.

Paliwanag niya: “Hesitant ako. I thought I was not ready to do the feature after everything that happened.

“But then, when will you be ready? The moment just came. The only way is through.

“It is there, it is out. People can have a lot of their opinions, but for me, as long as it is, as long as we know what grounds us.

“Sometimes you have to give the stage to other people but your time will always come.

“I don’t know what or when, but it came. I did what I needed to do.

“There are things I am unable to talk about or if will we ever talk about it, but I don’t know. I am accepting of what things are. Ganon na lang.”

RACHEL IN SINGAPORE, VICTOR IN THE PHILIPPINES

Singapore-based si Rachel at ang nearly two-year-old daughter nila ni Victor.

Namamalagi naman dito sa Pilipinas si Victor, kasama ang 12-year-old son nila ni Maggie na si Connor.

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Ayon kay Rachel, napagkasunduan nila ang kanilang piniling sitwasyon.

“We have to be understanding sa setup. Since it has been my choice talaga.

“Si Connor, kasama siya ni Victor. Siyempre kasama siya since that is his son, here in Manila.

“It’s nice na may time apart kami. You can never always be together.”

Paano kapag nami-miss nila ni Victor ang isa’t-isa?

Sagot ni Rachel, “Uwi! Nagpa-fly din siya minsan [sa Singapore] pero ang hirap din kasi siyempre, he has to be there with his son,”

Nauunawaan daw niyang mabuti ang sitwasyon.

Sa kanyang sariling salita, “We have to be, kasi from the beginning naman talaga, that really has been my choice to still stay there.”

Nang mapag-usapan ang mga anak nila ni Victor, namamanghang sinabi ni Rachel ang mabilis na paglaki ng mga bata.

“Ang bilis nila lumaki. Talagang big kuya [si Connor]. He hangs out a lot.

“Malayo lang kasi talaga ang gap, so may moments na magkasama. Siyempre kami, we live overseas, so kapag umuuwi na lang kami.

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“Actually, nag-trick or treat sila together, silang dalawa lang noong weekend.

“But now, madalas kami [sa Pilipinas] kasi ang daming preparations but as soon as my daughter goes to school next year, I don’t know yet kung papaano ko ima-manage ang schedule.”

Rachel Carrasco with Victor Consunji and their daughter
Photo/s: @rachelcarrasco on Instagram

RCHEL’S BUSINESS

Si Rachel ang co-founder at CEO ng Baken, ang matagumpay na all-bacon snack company.

Bahagi ng kanyang acceptance speech, “I live in Singapore for the past twelve years and many people have actually asked me, ‘Why did you come back home to the Philippines? What did you see here as an opportunity?’

“You know, when I first started as brand, I thought I wanted to make it as a Singapore brand because it has been my second home

“But as time went by and running this business for six years actually, I actually realized that my brand needed a home and the Philippines is that home.

“I just wanna thank Rising Tiger for this award and for being able to recognize the work that we Filipinos do and being able to give that platform to other Filipinos as well.”