The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
Filial piety means a lot to family members in distress.
Like when beauty queen and actress Maria Isabel Lopez figured in a near-fatal car accident in the US recently.
Maria Isabel suffered a damaged intestine when she collided with another vehicle coming from the opposite side along a highway in California.
Even after Maribel had undergone the knife her intestine developed an abscess after a few days that made her take antibiotics to heal.
What added to her healing was the presence of her daughter Mara Lopez who came all the way from Texas.
Lopez was supposed to attend the 2026 Los Angeles Asia-Pacific Film Festival in LA but her confinement at the Keiser Permanente Santa Rosa Medical Center hindered her to grace the fest where her film “Diamonds in the Sand” was an official entry last May 2, 2026.
According to Maribel, it was nice of Mara to quickly arrive in her sickbed.
“Mara flew in from Austin Texas. She’s still based in NY. She was my caregiver in the hospital. Pinapaliguan ako. Lagi ako me pasalubong (She bathed me. She had always wonderful presents for me). And sometimes brings my apo (granddaughter Lana) to see me. She’s a blessing,” said the actress in our online conversation.
Lopez informed that Mara is blissful of her role as a mom. “Mara is enjoying motherhood for now. She’s still open to projects. And she lives in Dumbo, New York,” the 1982 Binibining Pilipinas-Universe added.
Meanwhile, Mara’s husband, Chandler Booth works in Finance.
What are her realizations during this darkness moment in life? “My realizations in life. One, there are no guarantees. Nagpaplano tayo (We plan things out. For example, the LA Asia Pacific film fest. Then this happened. Cancel na lahat ng (all) plans.
“Two, it’s good to plan but the bottom line is that our life is really in God’s hand.
“Three, when you are at the point of death—material things don’t matter anymore. Building memories and sharing love are all that matters,” shared the beauty queen-actress.
Maribel was driving along Gravenstein Highway at the corner of Hessel Road in Sebastopol, California when she collided with a vehicle from the opposite direction. (Boy Villasanta)