Mona Marbella Al-Alawi (Tagalog: [ˈmɔnɐ ɐˈlaʊɪ]; born August 19, 2004), formerly known as Mona Louise Rey,[2] is a Filipino actress and model. She is known for appearing in the television series Munting Heredera (2011), Aso ni San Roque (2012), and Luna Blanca (2012), among others.[3]
Career
Alawi was born in Manila, Philippines. She started her career in show business playing the title role of Jennifer Montereal in the hit GMA Network family drama Munting Heredera that aired for more than a year.[4][5] She then portrayed the role of Fatima Salvador, a blind girl with a golden heart who is an offspring of a mortal and a manananggal, in the same network's fantaseryeAso ni San Roque.[6]
Personal life
Mona Alawi is the youngest of four siblings born to a Filipino mother, Fatima Marbella, and a Moroccan father, Samier Al-Alawi. Alawi's mother separated from her father when she was pregnant with her and went to Manila in 2004. Alawi's mother left her three older children with their father; Alawi would not be reunited with her in Manila until 2006.[7]
Alawi suffers from Type 1 diabetes, a disease she was diagnosed with in 2011, the year she started her career in show business. She is the only one in her family who suffers from the illness. As a result, she has to maintain a strict daily regimen of insulin self-injections and avoiding foods and drinks rich in sugar and carbohydrates.[8][9]
Alawi and her family are born again Christians.[10] One of her older sisters, Ivana Alawi, is an actress and social media influencer with millions of followers.[11]
