In time for Valentine’s Day, PeopleAsia turns its gaze on the rosy side of love: the kind that sends hearts aflutter and, despite a few hurdles and tumbles, leads to happily ever after. On the cover are Leyte Fourth District Rep. Richard Gomez and Ormoc City Mayor Lucy Torres-Gomez, the former stars of the famous series of Lux shampoo commercials from the ’90s that inadvertently led them into each other’s arms.
On Richard: Hoodie from VAN LAACK
Nearly 25 years after they exchanged “I do’s” on April 28, 1998, Lucy and Richard — a power couple in every sense of the word — continue to bring out the best in each other. “Almost every couple celebrates their 10th, 25th, then their 30th, so it shouldn’t feel any different from our previous wedding anniversaries. Because I think in any relationship, whether it’s the 10th, the 25th or even the 50th anniversary, it has to be able to dance through time,” Lucy tells PeopleAsia, shortly after they were photographed at W/17 in Makati City.
Goma, as Lucy’s Prince Charming is famously called, also dispenses sage advice in choosing a partner. “I always tell my friends that if they have doubts, don’t get married. Because every day, from the moment you wake up to the time you call it a day, you will be seeing that face, that same person. So, you have to be very sure that every time you wake up, you’re happy to see that person beside you.”
Just like Richard, who commands attention as showbiz royalty, and Lucy, who hails from a low-key yet de buena familia down South, the other featured couples also found that sweet spot in the midst of their differences, and from there, built the rest of their lives.
For Doctors Vicki Belo and Hayden Kho, love is not just about giving each other expensive gifts, but being ever-present in making each other’s dreams come true. “I’ve always known that Hayden’s dream is to see my dreams come true. As a businesswoman, I usually have a vision, a big picture, but it’s Hayden who puts the pieces of the puzzle together,” she admits.
Thirty-three years into their marriage, award-winning composer Louie Ocampo and wife Jojo, a successful bank executive and former Hotlegs dancer, continue to live a life of harmony by letting each other simply “be each other.” “We don’t try to change each other… I am who I am; she is who she is. And that’s why it becomes really interesting. At the end of the day, you fall in love with the same person again,” explains Louie.
Businessman Gerry Sy and wife Jinky, whose serendipitous meeting at the doctor’s office reads like a scene from a movie, say its important to appreciate even the little things. “Always try to see the beauty in small gestures. Even getting a short text from her saying ‘I love you,’ makes me happy,” Gerry says of his wife of almost 12 years.
Love is also about making each other laugh, as per supermodel Tweetie de Leon and her husband of almost 28 years, engineer Mon Gonzalez. “Between us, everything felt light, organic and easy. We’re like John and Marsha, or even Dolphy and Panchito. We make each other laugh and we genuinely enjoy each other’s company,” Tweetie shares.
On Mikael: White long-sleeved polo from MASSIMO DUTTI; Jeans by ZARA.
The same goes for Miss World 2013 Megan Young and husband, actor and host Mikael Daez. “Love means being happy at the moment. Just enjoying the moment we’re having right now. Just making the most out of now rather than worrying about the future,” says Megan, who, along with Mikael, kept their relationship and engagement under lock and key, before confirming everything in a rather discreet, intimate wedding in 2020.
And last but not the least, we have model-turned-influencer Victor Basa and wife Stephanie Pe Dan, who prove that there can always be three in a marriage, as long as the third party is no less than the Almighty. “It’s helped us in our relationship to trust each other. To know that God has destined a testimony of His love, His grace. We try to exhibit that to other people,” says Stephanie.
For these couples, love is, indeed, a many splendored thing!
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