Rooted in Truth, Blossoming in Love | Yvette Christine de Marcaida Poe: A Life’s Masterpiece of Professional Distinction, Generosity, and Grace
A masterpiece is not created in a single moment. It takes shape through countless experiences—some joyful, others painful—each adding depth, meaning, and beauty to the whole. For Yvette Christine de Marcaida Poe, life has become such a masterpiece: a rich tapestry of professional excellence, courage, family, faith, generosity, and grace, woven together by two enduring principles: Veritas et Caritas—Truth and Love.
These were not simply lessons she learned at the College of the Holy Spirit. They became the foundation upon which she built her life.
The Roots of Her Character
Born on November 29, 1959, to Antonio Solis de Marcaida and Lita Echalar Reyes, Yvette was only five when her beloved father, Toni, passed away. Her mother, widowed at 30, was left to raise four young children, including the youngest, Joy, who had yet to be born.
Fortunately, love came in the form of two extraordinary grandparents.
Francisco “Pye” and Cresencia “Nanay” Reyes stepped forward to help their daughter. Pye accompanied the children to school, guided their studies, and shared his wisdom. Nanay, through her pork business in Divisoria, helped provide the financial support that made their Catholic education possible.
Together, Mama Lita, Pye, and Nanay became Yvette’s three guiding parents. They taught her that hardship need not diminish one’s joy, that dignity comes from honest work, and that a generous heart can turn adversity into opportunity.
Her mother, a 1951 graduate of Holy Ghost College, reinforced the same principles Yvette absorbed during her twelve formative years at the College of the Holy Spirit. Her younger sister Joy would also become a Holy Spirit alumna in 1982.
Thus, Veritas et Caritas was never confined to the classroom. Truth was practiced through honesty, responsibility, and integrity; love through sacrifice, kindness, and service.
These values would become Yvette’s moral compass.
A Young Woman of Many Talents
A proud CHSian from Prep to graduating from High School, Class of 1977, Yvette was an “A” Student who also enthusiastically embraced friendships, social activities, and the joy of youth.
She graduated Cum Laude in Journalism from the University of the Philippines in 1982, while pursuing her artistic interests as a magazine cover model, commercial model, and professional stage actress with the UP Repertory Company and the Metropolitan Theater.
Her talent also brought her into Philippine cinema, appearing alongside Fernando Poe Jr., the King of Philippine Movies, in Aguila and as his leading lady in Lihim ng Guadalupe; who later became her brother in law.
These experiences enriched her confidence, creativity, and ability to connect naturally with people—qualities that would later distinguish her professional life.
Real Estate Excellence—with a Heart
After marrying Fernando “Andy” Poe (younger brother of Fernando Poe Jr) in 1980, Yvette moved to the United States with her husband and their two sons, Donnie and Lex, in 1984.
In 1988, she began a real estate career that would span nearly four decades and two countries.
Trained at the CENTURY 21 Real Estate Academy in the United States, she quickly distinguished herself, earning the CENTURY 21 Million Dollar Sales Club Awards in 1990, 1991, and 1992, followed by the prestigious CENTURION Producer Award, an international distinction recognizing exceptional sales performance.
Yet the true measure of her career lies beyond awards and sales figures.
In New Jersey, Yvette helped newly arrived Filipino immigrants, particularly nurses and medical professionals, realize their dream of owning a home in America. She patiently guided families with limited financial resources and short employment histories through property selection and mortgage qualification.
To these families, she was more than a real estate broker. She became a trusted adviser who understood their uncertainties, shared their hopes, and celebrated their achievements.
Between 1989 and 1993, she also contributed a weekly real estate column to Filipino Express, without professional fee, explaining American homeownership, mortgage financing, and investment to Filipino communities across the United States.
She believed that empowering people with knowledge was itself an act of generosity.
Returning to the Philippines in 1993, Yvette brought home not only international expertise but also a vision of raising professional standards.
As National Director of CENTURY 21 Philippines (1996–1998) and later CEO and Managing Director of CENTURY 21 Alliance One (1998–2001), she helped establish franchise operations and introduced American real estate systems, professional training, and ethical practices to Filipino practitioners.
She personally trained and mentored hundreds of brokers and entrepreneurs, helping them build their own careers and businesses. Many later became leaders in the Philippine real estate profession.
In August 2001, she founded R/E MARK: The Real Estate Business Center, subsequently renamed YCP & A Realty, which she continues to lead as President.
Her professional leadership extended to serving as President of the Pasay-Makati Realtors Board in 2002 and Secretary General of the Philippine Association of Realtors Boards in 2006 and 2007.
But perhaps her most meaningful distinction is the philosophy that has guided every transaction.
Yvette believes that real estate is fundamentally about people, not properties.
Behind every title is a family’s history. Behind every investment is someone’s hard-earned savings. Behind every purchase is a dream of security, opportunity, or a better future.
Whether handling a modest residential lot or a multimillion-peso commercial property, she gives clients the same respect, patience, diligence, and personal attention.
She offers honest valuations rather than inflated promises, explains property risks rather than concealing them, and advises clients according to their best interests—even when doing so means losing or postponing a commission.
For Yvette, Veritas means having the courage to tell clients what they need to know, not merely what they wish to hear. Caritas means caring enough to protect their interests as though they were her own.
That is the heart of her professional legacy: real estate practiced not merely as a business, but as a profession of trust, responsibility, and genuine service.
Courage, Love, and New Beginnings
Behind her professional success lies a deeply personal story of resilience.
In 1995, at only 35, Yvette lost Andy to a heart attack, leaving her to raise their sons.
Her experience echoed the lives of two remarkable women before her: her mother Lita, widowed at 30, and her mother-in-law Bessie Kelley Poe, widowed at 31.
Three women, united by similar losses, chose to meet life’s challenges with courage, dignity, and unwavering devotion to their children.
Drawing strength from their example, Yvette balanced the responsibilities of motherhood with the demands of building her career. She ensured that Donnie and Lex grew up surrounded by love, guidance, educational opportunities, and strong family values.
Her greatest pride today is seeing her sons become accomplished professionals, devoted husbands, and loving fathers.
After seventeen years of widowhood, life offered another beautiful beginning. Yvette reunited with her former high school sweetheart, Alfredo “Peque” Cui, whom she married in 2012.
She considers herself profoundly blessed to have experienced two great loves in Andy and in Peque. And to share a happy life with Peque here in the Philippines, and with her sons, daughters-in-law, and five beloved granddaughters who live in the US.
Her story reminds us that love does not end with loss. Sometimes, with faith and courage, it finds a new season in which to bloom.
Ikebana: The Art That Mirrors Her Soul
In 2013, Yvette discovered a passion that would become a profound expression of her inner life: Ikenobo Ikebana, the classical Japanese floral art of a school with more than 560 years of history.
Through years of disciplined study at the Ikenobo Central Institute in Kyoto, she earned the distinguished rank of Professor of Ikebana, First Grade. She continues to study in Japan twice yearly and currently serves as Vice President of the Ikenobo Ikebana Society of Manila.
For Yvette, Ikebana is not simply the arrangement of flowers. It is a spiritual expression of her appreciation for life and all creation.
She finds beauty in a blooming flower, grace in a bending branch, and quiet dignity in a fading leaf.
Each arrangement teaches her that perfection is not the essence of beauty. Rather, beauty emerges from harmony, balance, acceptance, and respect for the uniqueness of every living thing.
The discipline of Ikebana reflects the very principles she practices in life: strength tempered by gentleness, achievement balanced with humility, and appreciation for both life’s fullness and its imperfections.
In her hands, flowers become more than art. They become a reflection of gratitude, faith, and the beauty of a life lived with purpose.
Generosity Without Applause
Yvette’s commitment to service is expressed as quietly as it is sincerely.
Throughout her professional life, she has practiced tithing and charitable giving as personal expressions of gratitude to God —a way of giving back through helping others. She holds a deep conviction that education, grounded in strong moral and spiritual values, is the foundation for developing individuals of good character who will, in turn, build loving families, nurturing homes, and a compassionate society. Her generosity therefore extends beyond material assistance to supporting education, religious formation, and spiritual development—nurturing those who dedicate their lives to teaching, healing, guiding, and uplifting others. For Yvette, true giving is not simply sharing one’s blessings, but helping cultivate wisdom, compassion, integrity, and love that will continue to enrich lives for generations to come.
Her sense of responsibility also extends to her community. As President of the Tierra Pura Homeowners Association in 2002, she helped restore harmony among residents, improve village roads, establish practical community guidelines, and raise funds for future improvements.
She has never regarded generosity as something that requires recognition.
For Yvette, the privilege of being blessed carries with it the responsibility to become a blessing to others.
A Masterpiece Still in the Making
Despite her many accomplishments, Yvette remains refreshingly unassuming—a warm, cheerful, down-to-earth woman whose genuine smile and open heart make people feel welcome and appreciated.
She believes that character is not defined by the honors one receives, but by the choices one makes when no one is watching.
She continues to cultivate five virtues: loving-kindness, generosity, honesty, industriousness, and moderation. She readily acknowledges that these are not qualities she has perfected, but ideals she strives to practice and strengthen each day.
Perhaps this is what makes her life’s story so meaningful.
Like the Ikebana arrangements she lovingly creates, her masterpiece has been shaped by contrasting elements: the tenderness of love and the pain of loss, the discipline of professional achievement and the freedom of artistic expression, the strength to persevere and the humility to remain grateful.
Each experience has contributed something essential. Each challenge has deepened her compassion. Each achievement has given her another opportunity to serve.
And beneath it all remain the roots planted during her twelve years at the College of the Holy Spirit.
Veritas gave her the courage to live with honesty, to pursue excellence, and to stand firmly by her principles. Caritas gave her the heart to love deeply, to give generously, and to see the dignity and worth of every person she encounters.
Together, Truth and Love transformed professional success into meaningful service, personal adversity into strength, and life’s many experiences into something beautiful.
For Yvette Christine de Marcaida Poe, the true masterpiece is not found in the awards she has earned, the businesses she has built, or even the exquisite flowers she arranges. It is found in the lives she has touched, the trust she has earned, the family she has nurtured, and the love she continues to share.
That is the masterpiece of Yvette’s life: a woman rooted in Truth, blossoming in Love, and quietly inspiring others to do the same.
Veritas et Caritas—not merely the values of her alma mater, but the living signature on a life’s masterpiece.
via Bravo Filipino
