Iya Villania-Arellano tests positive for COVID-19: 'You are not alone'

Mars Pa More host Iya Villania-Arellano revealed that she tested positive for COVID-19 in an Instagram post on Monday, January 10.

Along with photos of her three children - Primo, Leon, and a crying Alana - peeking from their glass door, the celebrity mom shared her experience in hopes of comforting other parents who are going through the same ordeal.

“Drew and I are still hanging onto that little chance that maybe the kids are spared. This post is for all mamas and papas who are going through the same thing [of having] to endure not hugging and kissing their children. This was the hardest thing to accept upon learning I was positive and I'm not talking about my pregnancy test,” she wrote in the caption.

Iya added that while her two older sons understand the situation, their daughter Alana has yet to grasp why she has to be away from her parents during these times.

“It broke my heart to see her cry for me and not be able to console her even for a bit. So mamas in this same situation, you are not alone. My tip? Try not to cry 'cause the tears will only cause nasal congestion and lengthen recovery! I know, I know. Ang hirap… but you have to get over it as soon as you can and get in that speed car towards recovery for your family. Kapit, guys! There's a whole bunch of us! We can do it,” she said.

Iya and her husband Drew Arellano confirmed last Monday, January 3, that they are currently expecting their fourth child.

The couple tied the knot in 2014 after 10 years of being together. They welcomed their first son, Primo, two years later, while their second son, Leon, was born in August 2018. Their third child, a daughter named Alana, was born in July 2020.

Aside from Iya, other celebrities and personalities like Pia Wurtzbach, Arnold Clavio, and Candy Pangilinan have also contracted the virus during an alarming COVID-19 surge in January 2022.