By Jose Paolo S. dela Cruz
In 2013, Maria Cecilia ‘Ces’ Gahuman and Maria Carla Antonio made history, when Ces became the first Filipina to be granted a fiancée visa (K1) to the US. Today, the two Marias are living the life they’ve always dreamt of as a legally married couple.
“I noticed how everyone was looking at me, as though I was a special case. After I went to the other room, the staff of the US Embassy asked if they could publish my story in their newsletter and disseminate the news to the papers and the TV stations, as well. It turns out I was the first,”Ces recalls.
She speaks fondly of that nerve-racking day, Nov. 27, 2013, when she trooped down to the US Embassy in Manila with documents, phone bills and various other government-issued papers in tow. These were the ‘receipts,’ she had intended to present to the Consul; proof that she and Carla had been in a relationship since 2002.
Carla, on the other hand, had little to no qualms. With her Navy career backing her up, she felt like her petition was as good as stamped. Looking back, she advises those who would go through the same process to always “Pray, have faith and save money for the future. It is a long process, so having patience is very important.”
That day, no matter how triumphant, is now but a timestamp in the two Marias ongoing, 19-year love story. Both now live in San Diego, California, in a home for two that they have successfully built for each other (and with each other). “It’s rewarding and challenging at the same time. I had to learn the American way of life, it is so diverse here but of course, even though I’m already a US Citizen I’m still a Filipino by heart,” says Ces.
Since their wedding in California seven years ago, Carla, has moved two ranks up in the US Navy, where she now serves as a Senior Chief. Ces, on the other hand, works in retail and applies her public relations background when it comes to dealing with her customers.
Due to Carla’s career in the Navy, the couple has had to move around a bit in the past years. Prior to San Diego, the two were soaking the sun in Hawaii, where they also made a lot of friends. “She hasn’t been away recently, which I like. The hardest time for me was when we were still in Hawaii and Carla was deployed for almost four months and I had to do things on my own until she came back,” says Ces.
In retrospect, Ces says that their journey, while not perfect, is the product of two people who made things work no matter the odds they faced. The couple, after all, has a six year age-gap between them and were on a long distance relationship, prior to tying the knot. “Even then, Carla would come home to the Philippines every year to visit me and we maintained our communication with each other. It’s about us staying in love with each other no matter what the circumstances are,” says Ces.
And so, when the US Supreme Court ruled that lesbian and gay spouses could petition their partners through due legal process in 2013, Ces marched confidently into the Embassy, powered by the love they have nurtured then for more than a decade.
What’s more, Ces and Carla now serve as an inspiration to many couples in the LGBT community, who wish to also find their happily ever after in the US. “I had a schoolmate who messaged me and asked about the process, so I referred her to Carla’s Aunt, who is an immigration lawyer. I advised her to be confident when she goes for her interview.
“Today, they are happily married and currently live in Florida,” adds Carla.
Indeed, love continues to win for the Married Marias!
