Escudero confirms discussing marriage with Heart Evangelista

MANILA, Philippines—Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero confirmed on Tuesday that he and girlfriend, actress Heart Evangelista, have been discussing about marriage but said he has yet to propose to her.

 “We’re talking about it. But I haven’t proposed yet. That should come ahead. And she should be the first to know,” Escudero said over the phone.

The senator issued the statement when asked about Evangelista’s reported statement that this year would be her last Valentine’s Day as a single woman.

Chiz Escudero and Heart Evangelista

Asked if Evangelista’s statement meant that they would get married within the year, Escudero reiterated there were discussions but no definite date yet.

Escudero separated from his ex-wife, Christine, in 2010 and their marriage was legally annulled in 2012.

Chiz, Heart planning 2014 wedding?

MANILA -- Actress Heart Evangelista is hinting that she might get married this year to boyfriend, Senator Francis "Chiz" Escudero.

 In an interview with "Startalk" last Sunday, Evangelista was asked if 2014 would be her last year as a single woman.

"Yes. I am very confident, babe, very confident," Evangelista told Escudero, who was a surprise guest for her upcoming birthday.

 Evangelista, who will celebrate her birthday on February 14, said she will spend her special day abroad with Escudero.

Sen. Francis "Chiz" Escudero and Heart Evangelista

 "Mag-a-out of the country kami with some friends, actually sa Asia lang. Ita- try naming pumunta sa Hong Kong and enjoy lang with friends saya-saya lang," she said..

Escudero and Evangelista had their first date in May 2012 and officially became a couple on July 31 that year.

Their relationship has been haunted by several intrigues -- her parents have been very vocal about their disapproval of Escudero, whom they accused as disrespectful and a heavy drinker, but the couple stood by their relationship.

For Escudero, the key to their strong relationship is being open to each other.

"Wala kaming itinago sa isa't isa. Open, bukas and what you see is what you get, walang false pretenses, maganda ang simula," the senator said.

Heart Evangelista on reconciliation with her dad: 'At peace na ako ngayon'

Kung si Heart Evangelista ang masusunod, mas gusto sana niyang tahimik na lang at hindi na kailangang pag-usapan pa o gawing isyu ang pag-aayos nila ng kanyang ama na si Reynaldo Ongpauco.

Hindi lang maiwasan dahil sa ipinost ng Kapuso actress sa kanyang Instagram account ang pagkikita nila ng kanyang ama nung kaarawan nito.

Nakausap ng PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) si Heart sa story conference ng bagong afternoon drama series niya sa GMA-7, ang Magkano Ba Ang Pag-ibig, kahapon, August 28.

Naikuwento niya na masayang-masaya ang kanyang ama nang magkita silang dalawa.
“Birthday niya yun, e,” simula ng aktres.

“Yung saya niya, hindi mo mabibili yun talaga.

"Hindi mo mabibili ang pagmamahal ng isang tatay… yung feeling na…

"Daddy’s girl ako, e.”

Sa ngayon ay masasabi ni Heart na okay na sila ng kanyang ama, at wala na raw silang problema.

“We’re good, we’re very okay.

"It’s just the reason why that’s something that I tried to… parang hindi ko masyadong pinag-uusapan kasi ayaw kong ma-question yung sincerity ko tungkol sa isyu.

“Kung dati napaka-public niya, na lumabas ako sa TV, ganito-ganyan, na marami akong sinabi...

"I wanna do the opposite about it and brag na okay na or something.

"Ayoko na kasing lagyan ng malisya ng ibang tao.

"Basta para sa akin, at peace na ako ngayon at okay na okay ako ngayon.”

Dagdag pa ng Kapuso actress, “Ibibigay ko sa daddy ko yung privacy na yun. To begin with, he is a private person.

“Ang dami lang talagang naganap nung mga times na yun kaya nakaka-heartbreak din yung mga nangyari, that’s why ito ang gusto kong ibalik.”

WHAT ABOUT HER MOM? Malinaw ang sagot ni Heart tungkol sa kanyang ama na nagkaayos na sila, ngunit taliwas ito pagdating sa kanyang ina na si Cecile Ongpauco.

Sabi ni Heart, “I guess ano, there’s something that you have to give more time. It’s better that way.

"Ang daddy ko naman kasi super-duper close naman kami, on a different level kami nun, e.

“But everything naman falls into place,” saad nito.

Tinanong uli ng PEP kung okay na rin ba sila ng kanyang ina.

“Oo,” nakangiting tugon niya.

Kasama ba ni Heart ang kasintahan niyang si Senator Chiz Escudero nang nagkita sila ng kanyang ama?

Aniya, “I don’t want to involve kasi anymore my lovelife.

"Ayoko na talaga. Hiwalay na talaga yun.

“Ayoko nang ipagsama, basta kung ano man, sino man, hiwalay na yun.

“Yun na lang siguro the best way of maneuvering around it.”

Dagdag pa ni Heart, nagkakaintindihan na sila ng kanyang ama.

DOGS and SLIPPERS. Natatawa na halatang naiinis din si Heart sa ilang malisyosong intrigang ikinakabit sa kanya, dahil lang sa mga ipinu-post nito sa kanyang Instagram account.

Ginawan ng intriga ng isang blogger ang pag-post ni Heart ng litrato ng kanyang aso na may dalawang pares ng tsinelas.

Inintrigang tsinelas nila iyon ni Chiz na parang pinapalabas na nagli-live in na sila.

Sabi ni Heart tungkol dito, “Oo nga, e, narinig ko yun, e.

“Actually, ang pinipiktyuran ko dun, yung aso ko, and then parang magandang tingnan lang sa frame yung mga tsinelas.

"But I think it’s ridiculous that, you know, that these people could come up with these things.
“Again, I’m very open about my private life.

"I may not be so open, like, na nilalantad ko siya because you know again the reason why I admit or I don’t lie about things, but I also respect the privacy of Chiz.

"Kasi siyempre isa siyang respectable person and nada-drag in siya sa pagiging artista ko.
"So, parang we’re starting to have our own thing when it comes to our careers tapos may mga ganyan na lumalabas.

“I don’t feel anything about it because ganun talaga, e. Pag nasa showbiz ka, every little thing iniintriga.

“May suot ka lang na singsing, wedding ring na. Nagpa-autograph ka lang sa Sonya’s Garden, nagpakasal.

"So, it doesn’t really mean anything to me. I’m not bothered at all.”

PAINTING. Sa ngayon ay masasabing masayang-masaya na si Heart sa magandang takbo ng kanyang buhay pati na ang career niya.

Wala siyang manager at siya ang nagdedesisyon para sa kanyang career pero. Kung magkamali man daw siya, wala siyang ibang sisisihin.

Ang isa pang nagpapasaya kay Heart ngayon ay ang pagkahilig niya sa pagpinta.

Pati nga raw si Chiz ay nakahiligan na rin ito at minsan ay sinasabayan daw siya sa pagpinta.
Kuwento ng aktres, “Habang naghihintay siya… before nagbabasa siya ng kung anu-ano sa office.

"Pag kunwari tapos na siya sa trabaho niya, kukuha na siya ng canvass at magpi-paint na rin siya.

"Meron siyang sariling style.”

Panay rin ang post ni Heart sa kanyang Instagram account ng mga naipinta niya, at nakikita naman daw sa mga huli niyang gawa na masayang-masaya siya sa kanyang buhay.

“That’s also a side of me that nobody has seen.

“Usually, I’m very private about my paintings kasi, kumbaga, parang you say everything in your painting, e. Everything that you feel inside…even without explaining.

"So, for me, it’s a huge thing to show that.”

Kaya raw ipinu-post na ni Heart ang kanyang mga painting ngayon dahil pinag-iisipan na niyang magkaroon ng sariling exhibit kapag tingin niya ay puwede na at marami na siyang nakolekta.

Heart Evangelista supports Chiz's stand on issues

Aminado si Heart Evangelista na kahit non-showbiz ang topic tungkol sa abolition ng Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), o mas kilala bilang pork barrel, ay napag-uusapan din nila ito ng kanyang nobyo na si Senator Chiz Escudero.

Bilang isang malayang mamamayan ng Pilipinas ay karapatan niya na suportahan ang mga opisyal ng pamahalaan na nagsusulong nito, lalo na ang Anti-Pork Barrel rally na gagawin bukas, August 26, sa Luneta Grandstand ganap na alas nuwebe ng umaga.

Panimulang kuwento ni Heart sa PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) kaninang hapon, August 25, nang makausap namin ito pagkatapos ng Sunday musical variety show ng GMA-7, ang Sunday All Stars, “Oo, napag-uusapan namin. We talk about it.

It’s very hard to have an opinion or say something especially if you are identified with a politician.

“You don’t also wanna mix the two [showbiz and politics] together but as an individual, I do have a stand.

“I think they [the government] should really take it out. Corruption all begins with that.

“I think there’s something that they could do to change and really be realistic about the whole thing. It’s a source of corruption.

“I will support the rally but I also believe that…basta, I’ll just support it.”

Support for Chiz

Pagdating talaga sa mga adhikain ng kanyang boyfriend ay ibinibigay ni Heart ang kanyang all-out support.

Saad pa niya, “It’s not just when it comes to this issue but to any kind of issue.

“The most important is that you keep yourself updated with what’s going on in this country and before kasi I don’t pay much attention.

“Now, I realized that I should know what’s going on and I think another way to support him is to read about all these things.

“Also, I try to listen to what he’s saying and he needs someone to talk to but hindi rin ako nakikialam.”

Busy with showbiz commitments

Pagkatapos nito ay napag-usapan namin ang sobrang pagiging busy niya sa ngayon.

May panahon pa ba siya sa kanyang sarili?

Aniya, “I’m doing a movie now. I’m doing a soap [opera].

‘This time kasi puno ang slot sa panghapon... I mean sa primetime. I’ll be doing an afternoon soap with, I think, Sid Lucero and Alessandra de Rossi at ang dami pang mga artista na magagaling.

“I’m so happy.

“Lately, I had time for myself also. But, I’ll be busy everyday na... almost everyday.”

Wala naman daw siyang reklamo sa dami ng proyekto na ibinibigay sa kanya ng Kapuso network.

Nakangiting sabi ng 28-year-old actress, “No complains.

“You know, everyday we want to work and think about the future... ganyan.

“Startalk (TX), babalik ako kapag walang shooting. Natutuwa ako kasi na-e-enjoy ko ang Startalk.

“Actually, it’s something that I was against before kasi ang feeling ko, nagtsitsismis ako sa buhay ng ibang artista.

“But I guess, bilang isang artista ay naiintindihan ko rin how you could be... kung paano mo rin babalansehin ang lahat.”

Kung sakali raw bang hilingin na si Sen. Chiz ang interbyuhin niya kahit ayaw niya talagang mangyari ito, willing ba siya basta piling-pili lamang ang mga itatanong?

“Hindi rin,” mariing sabi niya. “I guess I’ll be open about my lovelife but to be so public like that, I’m not for it anymore.”

Kahit nga raw nag-o-override na nang husto ang publiko sa isyu sa kanilang dalawa.

Pahayag niya, “No, I don’t really care.

“Minsan din kasi I wanna take and a rest and it’s been quiet which is very good. Ganoon naman talaga.

“I believe dati there’s always noise pero eventually ay nawawala rin ang ingay. So, okay na rin.”

The calm after the storm

Sa ngayon ay mas maayos na niyang mahaharap ang anumang problema na puwede niyang pagdaanan.

Mas kaswal at mas cool na siya kapag kausap.

Muli siyang napangiti at nagsabing, “I guess it comes with age and also, experience.

“When you think about what happened in your life, there’s nothing you can do about it but you have to just wait for it to pass.

“And I’ve been through that and I’m really okay now.

“Sana tapos na kasi ayaw ko naman na…you know…I mean, you really can’t expect na it will last. But this is life, this is reality.

“Something will always come up and as long as you know how to deal with it one day at a time.”

Kaya kahit ang tungkol sa kanyang pamilya ay handa rin siyang pag-usapan ito.

“Okay na naman kami,” sambit ng Kapuso star. “Okay na kami. Yeah, okay na kami.

“Magandang balita pero the only reason why na ayaw ko siyang pag-usapan kasi I don’t want the sincerity to be questioned.

“I’m not doing anything and whatever I’m doing for myself, it’s not to please anybody, it’s just for me.”