For Benedict Cua, fatherhood wasn’t something unexpected but in fact, it was part of his life plan.
In an exclusive interview with Manila Standard Entertainment in a recent event, he opened up how he enjoys his journey as a father.
“At a very young age, I already knew that I’m going to be a father someday. And fortunately, I became one. I’m enjoying it every single day,” Benedict said.
Today, the content creator shares glimpses of his journey as a first-time dad through vlogs and social media posts. But does putting his parenting life online come with pressure?
“At the beginning, I felt a little pressured. But now I’m at the stage in my life where I don’t let what other people think of me affect me,” he admitted.
Even before becoming a father, Benedict said he felt the responsibility to be someone worth looking up to.
“Before I decided to have a son, I felt like I needed to be a good example—not just by mindset, but to actually be one. Parenting, you can never perfect it. As long as you learn from the people around you, then you will always be sure that you can lean on other people. Even if you make mistakes, there can always be solutions,” shared Benedict.
Along the way, he discovered that parenting came with an unexpected emotional impact.
“Recently, I realized that parenting is a healing journey for me as well. But I did not intend it to be a healing journey. It was inadvertently a healing journey of my inner child,” he continued.
He tries each day to become the kind of parent he wished he had.
“The parenting I’ve always wanted to have, that’s what I strive to do every single day,” the vlogger added.
He doesn’t sugarcoat the difficulties either—but chooses to see them in a positive light.
“It’s hard, but it’s worth it. So, if it’s worth it, you don’t see it as a struggle. You see it as a challenge,” Benedict stated.
He also said that he thinks constantly about how to guide his son to become a good man.
“Every single day, I think about how else I can teach him things. At the end of the day, it’s worth it. It’s also rewarding,” he added.
Benedict is a solo parent—but he’s quick to shift the focus away from that label. “It’s not hard because there’s so much love. There’s so much love given to him. It’s more than just a father’s love, a mother’s love. We’re all surrounded by love.”
The experience, he added, is far from the assumptions people usually have.
“It’s not something to be proud of—compared to what other people think when they hear ‘solo parents.’ It’s actually very different,” Benedict explained.
When asked what his son has taught him, he answered simply: “Patience. It’s easy to tell yourself that I’ll endure this. But it’s different when you are tired and you face all those challenges. But at the end of the day, as I said earlier, he’s very worth it.”
He also expressed his hopes that one day, when his son is older and watches his vlogs, he understands what those moments really meant.
“So when he sees my vlogs in the future, these are the things that happened in the moment. So, just be you. Just be happy. Don’t be pressured. Don’t let anyone dictate what you should do or should not do. Trust you and yourself alone,” he stated.
When asked for a message to his son, Benedict kept it simple: “Follow your heart. Be a good person. That’s it. No pressure. I feel like he should be himself.”
