SHOWBIZ: CONVERSATIONS WITH RICKY LO

MANILA, September 7, 2003  (STAR) BY Ricky Lo - From outside, the house looks like a huge white box (Balikbayan box?), occupying every space of a 300-square-meter lot in a quiet subdivision somewhere in Quezon City, with a panoramic view of the Marikina Valley especially from its balcony with a coffee table for two.

Wrap a ribbon around it and the house will look like a gift dropped from Outer Space.

It‘s the only house on that street, no wonder the owner has all sorts of safety/secuurity gadgets installed around it, one of them a hidden camera which relays the face of the visitor pressing the doorbell to the TV set between the kitchen and the sala.

Julius Babao lives there – alone. His fiancee, Christine "Tintin" Bersola, doesn’t live there – yet – but she‘s there most, if not all, of the time. You know, mi casa, tu casa. My house, your house. Soon, my house is your house.Our house.

"There are four rooms," says Julius as he and Tintin lead us on a quick tour of their house which Julius himself conceptualized and designed by Conrad Onglao. The architects are Ferdinand Rebolledo, Arnulfo Torres and Robert Bersola. "One room downstairs, plus a video room, and two upstairs."

Downstairs looks a bit like a gallery, part of it anyway, with the walls adorned with paintings of all shapes and sizes, all types, matched by various sculptures also of all makes and molds. Among the works on "display" are those by Bencab, Salvador Alonday, Malang, Ang Kiukok (paintings and sculptures); and paintings by Mark Justiniani, Elmer Borlongan, Felix Bacolor, Kiko Escora, Jason Moss, Manny Garibay, Joy Mallari, Jojo Ocampo, Gabby Barredo, Marcel Antonio, Rock Drilon, Bernie Pacquing, Steve Santos, Pablo Biglang-awa and Juan Alcazaren.

Take six steps from the sala which, when the drapes are drawn open, provides a breathtaking view of the surrounding places below, and you‘re in the kitchen (by Antares) so neat and so clean that it’s almost like a showcase, untarnished by nary a trace of grease. "Nobody cooks here," says Tintin. "Food is ‘by delivery’." There’s a dirty kitchen on the ground floor but the maid, who comes to clean the place everyday, hardly uses it. Not yet, anyway.

You walk on laminated narra floor which is spic ’n span. Look, visitor, no dust! A winding staircase leads to the bedroom dominated by a king-size bed which is also so neat that you surmise Julius must be sleeping gingerly on it, careful not to create folds in the sheets.

"I moved in more than a year ago," volunteers Julius who used to stay in a townhouse at the nearby Don Antonio Heights, lent to him by his mother who has migrated to the States. "All members of my family are there; only three of us brothers are left behind. I’m the youngest."

Tintin is keeping a photo album of the house, from its ground-breaking to the laying of the first stone to the installation of the first hollow block to the...well, to the finishing touches.

"Julius consulted a feng shui expert before deciding on anything," adds Tintin. "Every detail required, according to the feng shui expert, for the ground-breaking was followed, including what items to bury in the ground, such as..."

Two pieces of fried chicken (including heads and feet), one whole fried lapu-lapu, liempo, lechon, a bunch of fruits (two pieces of pineapple, one pakwan, one pomelo, six oranges, six mangoes and six apples), two boxes of tobacco, six beer-in-cans, six Coke-in-cans, six 7-Up (in cans), a rosary, coins, photos, rice, blue print and a letter in a time capsule addressed, according to Julius, to the lamang-lupa (earthlings), requesting them to guard and protect the house and its occupants.

On Dec. 8, Julius and Tintin will –finally, finally! – exchange "I do’s" and that beautiful house overlooking a valley will be their house. As the songs says, a house is not a home unless somebody you love and cherish lives there with you.

Why Dec. 8 as your wedding day?

Tintin: It’s a Monday, feast day of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception. According to our feng shui adviser, it’s a lucky day. Either 8 or the 18th daw is okay. But the 18th is too close to Christmas Day so we picked the 8th.

Did you wait for the house to be finished before you and Tintin set your wedding date?

Julius: Yes. I promised myself that I won’t get married until I’ve built a house for my future family. Talagang naka-plano na yon. Bahay muna bago kasal.

Tintin: That’s how responsible he is.

Mabuti nakapag-hintay ka.

Tintin: Oo naman!

The wedding caps how many years of going steady?

Tintin: Six years. Since 1997.

I suppose you’re convinced that you’re compatible.

Tintin: Oo naman! We’re compatible in a lot of ways but also opposites in some ways. It helps the relationship a lot.

Oh, yeah?

Tintin: I’m the analyzer. I analyze everything before making any decision – you know, from the beginning to the middle to the end.

Julius: Ako, passive.

Tintin: Quiet lang siya. When he’s angry, he’s quiet. When I’m angry, I write down every single detail–why I’m angry, what should be done, ganyan-ganyan. Hinihimay ko lahat-lahat.

Julius: She wants to discuss but I prefer to be silent.

Do you do most of the talking, and Julius the listening?

Tintin: Hindi nga, e! Not talking – writing!

You’re not naman the domineering type, are you?

Tintin: No, I’m not! Otherwise, you would see my "influences" on him. He calls the shots. (Addressing Julius) When do I call the shots as far as your affairs are concerned?

Julius: What affairs? (Followed by laughter)

Tintin: Affairs... You know, things you do in life.

Julius: Yeah. Especially concerning financial matters.

Tintin: I always remind him, "Honey, this is a good buy...That’s not a good buy. I think you should invest in this...I think you should invest in that." I always remind him to pay his bills on time. Sometimes, napuputulan ‘yan ng ilaw.

Do you listen to her advice?

Julius: Oo naman – but not when it comes to paintings. That’s where we bump heads sometimes. I make purchases na ayaw niya, but I still go on because I believe na may value ’yung paintings. Mahilig talaga ako sa paintings. I also paint kasi, but I don’t have the time now.

When it comes to pets, magkasundo kayo, di ba?

Tintin: I have chow chows, chin-chins.

Julius: Ako naman, I have huskies. I sold some. The others are in Tintin’s house. Wala kasing mag-aalaga dito. I breed dogs so I have a lot.

What are your other points of compatibility?

Tintin: We love to watch movies; we can watch two to three movies in one sitting. We love going to bookstores and cafes; we just sit there, chill out and read – we don’t even have to talk.

Julius: Ang hindi namin napagkakasunduan? Tagalog movies! Mas addict siya sa Tagalog movies, ako naman sa English movies. I watch all kinds of English movies.

Tintin: If I have to watch a Tagalog movie, ang Nanay ko na ang kasama ko. We watch movies sa sinehan talaga.

What about your schedule?

Julius: We’re both busy. Matagal na siyang nagyayayang mag-bowling but I can hardly find time. Actually, ayoko ko, e! Ayoko ng bowling.

Tintin: Lagi akong nagyayaya, ayaw. I bought a badminton set. We played. Ten hits pa lang hiningal na siya.

Julius: She has influenced me on that score. Now, nagwo-workout na ako.

Tintin: Ako kasi, health-conscious. I exercise everyday; careful ako sa diet ko. Siya, for one year, ayaw.

Julius: That was before. Now, I exercise everyday.

You’ve been steadies for six years. How did your romance start?

Juluis: It started with a blind item in (your column).

Tintin: Na kami na raw ni Gilbert (Remulla, now representative of Cavite and married to Georgia, niece of Gloria Diaz). Because of that blind item, inaway si Gilbert ng girlfriend niya noon. We’d go out, the three of us – Julius, Gilbert and I – and people thought that it was Gilbert who was courting me.

That was one year after you (Tintin) broke up with "E".

Tintin: Yeah, a year after.

It’s a good thing Julius was free at that time.

Tintin: Mayroon siya. But they broke up. After nila, saka kami na. But we had been meeting na sa newsroom since 1993.

Julius: Na-develop kami.

Tintin: Because of Alas Singko y Medya (the ABS-CBN early-morning show later reformatted into the present Magandang Umaga Bayan, or MUB). We were together on that show. (Joking) Siguro, matagal na niya akong crush; hindi lang niya masabi sa akin.

Julius: With her face, who wouldn’t have a crush on her?

Tintin: Pero he didn’t have the guts to court me because, you know, mayroon pa akong boyfriend noon.

Did you, ahem, plan it?

Julius: Hindi naman plano. Nagkataon na lang. Nagkaroon ng chance, so...

Tintin: In fact, he was dating somebody else in the newsroom at that time.

Julius: Hey, quiet!

Paano ka niligawan ni Julius?

Tintin: Wala. Wala lang. There was no ligawan at all.

Binibigyan ka ba niya ng pera, regalo or some such things?

Tintin (Joking): Ako ang nagbibigay sa kanya. Hindi, loko lang! Actually, walang courtship.

Kinorner ka ba niya o pinuwersa kaya?

Tintin (Still joking): Yeah, ganoon. Pinilit niya ako! The truth is that we are non-traditional – no ligaw, no letter-letter, no chocolates nor roses. We don’t even know our anniversary.

Julius: I know. February. I remember the date because I went to Korea at that time. (Addressing Tintin, as if they’re sharing a secret) Remember?

Isn’t Julius demonstrative with his feelings?

Tintin: Not in public. But in private, he is. Everything is done in private.

How does he act in private? Does he force himself on you?

Tintin: Hindi. (Adding in jest) Actually, ako ang namimilit sa kanya.

How did Julius tell you that he wanted you to be more than just his friend?

Tintin: Heto na naman ako, si "defining moment." One afternoon, he invited me to his – the townhouse where he used to stay. Take note, ha, afternoon, not evening. He asked me to close my eyes and then he played Just the Way You Look Tonight on his stereo. Then, he asked me to open my eyes, "May I have this dance?" So, nagsayaw kami sa sala niya. Umiiyak ako. Then, I noticed na basa na ang shoulder ko; umiiyak din siya! Nag-iyakan kaming dalawa.

Bakit naman?

Tintin: Kasi, we didn’t want to give each other a chance kasi Alas Singko was only starting then at baka maka-apekto ang relasyon namin sa aming trabaho – and vice-versa. You know, what if it didn’t work? Kaya ba naming mag-show na magkaaway kami? Our show would be affected. If we gave our relationship a chance and it didn’t work, I’d leave the show, kasi he was the original member of the show, e. I came later.

Julius: But then, we gave it a chance and it worked naman.

Tintin: And there was no turning back.

When did you say "yes" to him?

Tintin: Walang ganoon. Basta, mayroon lang "defining moment." ’Yung sinasabi niyang Korea, it was when we went there that he started calling me up every night. ’Yung dance namin sa bahay niya happened after he came back from Korea.

Is Just the Way You Look Tonight your theme song?

Tintin: Sort of. Eddie Mercado will sing it at our wedding. Di ba he’s the Frank Sinatra of the Philippines? That’s his gift to us. I must admit that when Jules was calling me from Korea, medyo confused pa ako. Mahirap naman pumasok sa bagong relationship when you’re still confused, di ba? Dapat, may closure muna ang past, di ba?

How did Julius propose (marriage) to you?

Tintin: Again, non-traditional. No formal proposal. But we’ve been planning for the longest time. First, l998; then, l999; hanggang naging 2000. One time, nang tapos na ang bahay niya, he invited me and, again, he asked me to close my eyes and when I opened them, he told me, "This is the house! This is the ring!" You know, instead of a ring, house na lang. Proud na proud siya na gawa niya ang bahay niya. Again, napaiyak na naman ako!

Julius: I told her, "The ring will have to wait." Welcoming her to my house is like a commitment – you know, that you’re ready na to start a family with her. It’s just like the ring. When you give your girlfriend an engagement ring, it means you’re committed na to her, di ba?

I bet Julius is not the type of boyfriend who would take advantage of you – of any girl.

Tintin: No, he’s not. You know what sets him apart from the other guys I was dating? Magalang siya. Before he would kiss me on the cheek – cheek lang, ha! – nagpapaalam muna siya.

Ngayon?

Tintin: Does he still have to? (Laughter)

Are you close to each other’s families?

Tintin: Oh, yes, we are.

Julius: She became even closer to my family when she joined us on our vacation in the States a few years ago. My parents and other members of the family are all in the States na kasi. When my parents came home naman for a vacation, they met with Tintin’s family.

How do you fight – and make up?

Julius (Almost screaming): I always apologize!

Right or wrong?

Julius: Right or wrong.

Tintin: I’m always the ma-pride one. Frustrated lawyer kasi ako, e. Gusto ko lagi akong tama.

(To Julius) Are you faithful?

Julius (Screaming now): Of course!

And how do you make up?

Julius (Joking): Make love!

Tintin: Joke, joke, joke!

Isn’t there any professional jealousy between you?

Tintin: None.

Julius: We complement each other; we support each other.

Tintin: Pareho kaming madaling pakisamahan.

How soon do you plan to have a baby?

Tintin: Starting on the wedding night.

That soon?

Julius: The sooner, the better!

(Laughter, laughter, laughter!)

(E-mail reactions at rickylo@philstar.net.ph)