Cultivating our own happiness is more important and encouraged than ever as people have become used to being confined in their own homes and finding little pockets of joy this pandemic. The good news is there are plenty of shows that help us cope with all the distressing news around us and urge us to focus on self-care and self-love.
One of these shows is iWanttFC’s newest lifestyle show, “Happy Place,” hosted by chef, restaurateur, and mom Happy Ongpacuo-Tiu. Living up to her name, Happy wants to inspire viewers to find things that make them happy as she shows them every aspect of her life – as a mother and wife, a boss, a career woman, and a culinary artist.
Here are five reasons you should watch Happy’s feel-good show on iWantTFC:
1. Happy’s secret recipes and kitchen hacks
As a chef and a foodie, Happy gets to explore her creativity the most in the kitchen. For her, home-cooked meals are the most delicious, and she makes it a point to make every meal an event for her family and guests – from its flavors to the presentation. Understanding that moms just like her are busy, she shares the secret recipes of her go-to meals to prove that whipping up impressive dishes doesn’t have to be complicated.
In the show, she demonstrates how to make wow-worthy dishes such as Filipino-style porchetta and her own restaurant’s salt-crusted fish (each of them only requires seven ingredients, too!) and her family’s favorite ‘ulam’ with a twist, apple beef tapa. Happy also shares kitchen hacks that tick all of the boxes of a busy and ‘segurista’ mom, as well as tips to make meals more exciting that even kids who are picky eaters will look forward to.
2. Happy’s family bonding moments
For Happy, there is no happier place than home. She wears many hats, but being a mom to her four boys is her favorite role. In the show, we get to see how Happy is at home and who she is according to her boys Renzo, Chezco, Nicco, and Matteo. Happy and her kids also open up about making their home a happy place even during the pandemic, as they recollect memories from out-of-country trips and share how they “travel” to other destinations without going outside.
Happy also shares a special episode with her younger sister, Sunshine, as they return to their family home in Antipolo and bond over their happy childhood, family cooking, and unforgettable memories with loved ones.
3. Happy’s relationship with her employees and their inspiring stories
Aside from letting viewers into her home, we also get to see Happy as a boss through the eyes of her staff at home and at work. Happy considers having a strong relationship with her staff an essential, and she sees to it that she is able to give back to them, keep them motivated, and help them uncover their potential.
In the show, Happy shares the spotlight with one of her “angels,” Maricel, her personal assistant who’s been with her since she was a teenager. Happy also takes pride in her mentee and head chef, Jenny, who started out as a home cook but was too talented that she was given the opportunity to take culinary courses and prove herself in Happy’s restaurants. There is also the moving story of Paulo, Happy’s family driver, who used to be an espasol vendor who would sell products outside of her restaurant in Tagaytay.
4. Happy’s family legacy and values
Happy is protective of her Barrio Fiesta clan’s legacy; his dad invented crispy pata after all. But far more important to Happy are the values that she inherited from her grandparents and parents that she wants to pass onto her kids: the importance of sharing, kindness, looking after the people around her, gratitude, and doing everything with love.
In one of the show’s episodes, Happy recalls a realization she had when her family home burned down that still rings true to this day during the pandemic: Material things may come and go, but it’s the relationships and the memories with the people you love that will always stay with you.
5. Happy’s words of wisdom and encouragement
While every episode of the show explores how Happy finds her happy place in different spaces of the world she’s in, Happy also gets to impart experience-based lessons that have made her grounded, passionate, and successful. In one of the episodes, Happy narrates how she turned one of her passions into a thriving business in order to continue providing jobs to her employees.
In one of the most touching snippets of the series, she talks about the importance of perseverance and having a positive outlook: “Do what you love. Love the decision. If people doubt you, don’t listen to them. If one person believes in you, believe in that person,” she shares. Each episode is guaranteed to cheer you up and give you a dose of inspiration!
