Matteo Guidicelli and Sarah Geronimo on Social Media and Sustainability

Sharing their passion for sustainability, superstars Matteo Guidicelli and Sarah Geronimo-Guidicelli express their hope for a better tomorrow

Geronimo-Guidicelli live life under the spotlight. Married for a little over two years, both enjoy successful individual careers that have brought them to television screens and concert halls. Matteo is an actor, entrepreneur, singer and heartthrob; Sarah is a recognised multihyphenate in the entertainment scene—her 2016 hit Tala remains incredibly popular today, among many other iconic performances.

Despite their fame and fortune, the couple’s greatest passion is far more grounded: they love the natural world. For Sarah, nature means serenity, clarity and being grounded. For Matteo, it is freedom. “It reminds us that we don’t need so much to be happy,” he explains. “It’s a reminder of how blessed we are,” his wife adds.

Sarah is continuously learning about nature and actively seeking ways to help spread the importance of its protection—including in her own life. Matteo describes his wife as an animal lover who, after watching Bong Joon Ho’s 2017 movie Okja, which she describes as nakakaiyak, or incredibly touching, pivoted towards pescatarianism. “Ever since watching Okja, my perspective on meat changed,” she says. Since then, Sarah has been limiting her intake of animal products—though turning fully vegan has been a little too challenging so far.

Above The couple enjoying a horseback ride in the countryside

The couple enjoying a horseback ride in the countryside

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“We have to be realistic,” her husband says. While the couple know of a few friends who live completely vegan and waste-free, they recognise that making that shift
is not as easy for most people. “We can slowly get into it [living sustainably] and encourage people to do the same,” Matteo says. “We have to show small examples of little good deeds, and hopefully somebody will follow.”

Their concern for the environment naturally extends to the damage threatened by climate change. The Doomsday Clock, maintained by the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, is a reminder of the possibility of manmade catastrophes. Sarah is a believer. “I have faith in God but I admit that sometimes, out of fear and worry, I ask the Lord, if I were to have children, and catastrophic events continue to happen, what would their future be like?” Still, she remains hopeful: “However, only God knows when ‘doomsday’ is; so all that we can do is continue holding onto our faith and do our best to make tomorrow better for our family and the future of the next generation.”

“There is always hope,” adds Matteo. The two have made it a point to disseminate information about the environment using their shared platform that reaches millions of followers. “You must [never cease to] explain. The power of social media can be good or bad, but we always try to use it in a positive light, educating people.”

Above Sarah takes time off and reconnects with nature

Sarah takes time off and reconnects with nature

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Their advocacy is a result of both research and experiences. As well as being “paw-rents” to five dogs, they constantly look for unique encounters in the natural world; you may remember their Lake Caliraya post-nuptial photo shoot, where they were seen laughing against a backdrop of verdant landscape and clear blue waters. They recall taking a banca (fishing boat) to the location and enjoying the seclusion that it offered. “I learnt so much from my wife, from my environment and from the animals I encountered there,” says Matteo. “It’s up to the individual to find the interest in learning about these topics. To some, it might be boring, but if you look deeper into it and see where our world is going, [you’ll realise] it’s better to try to make that difference . . . for our little circle.”

One platform to which they have contributed their creative talents to help spread their message is G Diaries, a travel and lifestyle television show that first aired on ABS-CBN. The show spotlights Philippine ecotourism, and Sarah and Matteo lent their voices to the theme song. “During the pandemic, they asked if we could sing the theme song [for G Diaries].” Agreeing to do so was a no-brainer.

Above Matteo encourages everyone to take action in protecting and preserving the planet, one step at a time

Matteo encourages everyone to take action in protecting and preserving the planet, one step at a time

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Working together during a pandemic has its own challenges—particularly when it comes to such personal affairs and beliefs. Matteo reveals that they prefer to keep work separate from their personal life. “Whenever we do jobs together, we always remind our partners or the people we work with that we’re not a love team. We’re husband and wife. Our relationship is not part of work.”

Despite her 19-year-long career in Philippine showbusiness, Sarah continues to cherish her privacy. “When Twitter became popular, I fell into the trap of feeling obligated to voice all my feelings,” she recalls. “Even in magazine interviews, if I was broken- hearted, I would pour out all my feelings.”

This maintaining of boundaries between private and public gives Sarah and Matteo more control over their respective lives and careers. It also allows the public to focus less on their relationship and more on what they stand for. They’ve continued to speak about their hobbies and promote their causes during the pandemic. Sarah has been exploring her love for baking, while Matteo remains an active friend and reservist of the Philippine National Army.

Above Matteo and Sarah believe that it is important to take care of the environment for the benefit of the future generations

Matteo and Sarah believe that it is important to take care of the environment for the benefit of the future generations

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But although they’ve kept busy, the couple admit that the pandemic is a nerve-wracking time. “We got married on February 20, 2020. We had our honeymoon in lockdown,” Matteo says.

“It was a very challenging time for us,” Sarah adds. “It was our first time living together, too.” Asking how they are getting. through it, they have one answer: by their faith. “We prayed a lot together, we Zoomed with our families,” Matteo says. “We had discipleship with [Victory’s] Pastor Job Wahiman and Pastor Paolo Punzalan. It was rough the first few weeks; everybody was scared. We’re okay, but when someone we know got COVID-19, it was terrifying. We just prayed and prayed and prayed,” says Sarah. “We just continued holding on to our faith and we chose to be grateful for all the blessings we’ve received from God.”

The two have since proven that it helps to have that lifeline: a belief, advocacy, or some faith, especially during such unprecedented times. Though they are not exempt from the everyday worries of life amid a pandemic—with the added political and environmental concerns to worry about—both Sarah and Matteo cling to the belief that hope is still alive and that life is worth living. “I guess that’s the beauty of faith, isn’t it?” Sarah wonders out loud. “Some things will remain unanswered, but having a strong faith in God will continue to give you a renewed hope and trust for a better tomorrow.”

This feature was originally published as Tatler Philippines' May 2022 cover story

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Credits

Photography: Mark Nicdao

Styling: Liz Uy and David Milan

Hair: RJ Dela Cruz

Make-Up: Gela Laurel Stehmeier

Production: Isabel Martel Francisco and Nick Oliver Valera

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