TACLOBAN CITY — Didn’t they, rather the song, say that love is lovelier the second time? It’s very true in the case of the First Couple of Tacloban City, second-termer Mayor Alfred Romualdez and his wife, Cristina “Kring-Kring” Gonzales, who are partners not only at home but at work. Having come from failed marriages, Alfred and Kring-Kring have discovered that love is, again as the song says, more comfortable the second time you fall.
The couple, blessed with two beautiful daughters, Sofia, 10, and Diana, 7, both studying in this city, has been together for 14 years, two years spent living-in while waiting for the necessary papers to be fixed before they could make their union legal, and 12 years married. The marriage between showbiz and politics is working very beautifully, proving that the two have ceased to be strange bedfellows.
Together with eight entertainment writers (Ronald Constantino, Ian Fariñas, Eugene Asis, Jojo Gabinete, Jun Lalin, Raoul Tidalgo, Mario Bautista and Aster Amoyo who acted as
leader of the group), Conversations spent three days in this Gateway to Eastern Visayas in time for the fiesta celebration (June 29 in honor of Senor Sto. Niño) which was highlighted by, among other activities, the Sangyaw Festival, with the concert of Air Supply thrown in.
Our group saw how hands-on and indefatigable Mayor Alfred and Konsehala Kring-Kring were. The celebration (starting on June 26 when the Mr. and Miss Tacloban 2010 were chosen) seemed not to have taken a toll on the couple. On the afternoon we watched the Sangyaw Festival Parade from a makeshift stage in front of Cristina’s Spa downtown, Kring-Kring looked cool even in the humid weather, while Alfred was running around, seeing to it that everything was in order.
During the following 30-minute Conversation, Kring-Kring consumed a glassful of Slim Fast chocolate drink. (She alternates it with Kirkland Weight-Loss Shake.) “My lunch,” she said. She’s watching her weight.
That night, just when we thought she was home resting after a hard day’s work, Kring-Kring showed up at the seafood resto where we were having dinner, still unruffled and looking fresh, making you wonder how she managed to do it.
You and Alfred came from failed marriages. What did you learn from the experience?
“My life is an open book; marami din akong pinagdaanan sa buhay. Nag-artista ako, everybody knows na nag-sexy ako during the time of ST (Sex Trip). I also had ex-boyfriends, one of them who was not from showbiz na pinakasalan ko. The marriage didn’t work. Of course, I don’t want to say anything bad against him and about that marriage. He also has a life of his own now. I’m just glad and thankful that God has given me a second chance na ayusin ang buhay ko. Medyo matigas din ang ulo ko noon. I was a rebel then; I disobeyed my mom.”
You and your ex-husband didn’t have a child, did you?
“No, we didn’t have.”
How did the wedding happen?
“We went to a courthouse in Maryland, USA, at doon kami nagpakasal. It was supposed to be a secret. When we got back to Manila, we didn’t live in one house; I never changed my name. It was as if, you know, parang gusto ko lang.” (Adding with a laugh) “Kasi nga maldita ako noon. I told myself, ‘When I reach 30, dapat married na ako; hindi ako magiging old maid’.”
So the marriage was a spur-of-the-moment thing.
“Exactly!”
How old were you then?
“Naku, malalaman tuloy kung ilang taon na ako ngayon! Basta, I was young then. We were traveling together; we visited my sister Ana (Margarita, also an actress) in London where she was studying. I don’t consider it a marriage because di ba, if you are married you live together, you change your surname, you become Mrs. whatever. We were not like that. But with respect to that person...anyway, it’s done and over, and I’m sure may bagong life na rin siya...I’m glad that I have another chance to fall in love with somebody else, somebody who is nice. Of course, Alfred and I, just like any married couple, we are not perfect.”
Is Alfred divorced from his “ex”?
“Actually, he was never married. Mayroon siyang ka-live-in who was married to but separated from somebody else. Nagkaanak sila, pero hindi sila kasal. They couldn’t get married kasi kasal sa iba ‘yung girl. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise for us when I sorted out my marriage, nagpa-annul ako, we didn’t have any problem getting married. I really thank God for giving me somebody like Alfred, even if he has not just one but two children by two different women. Chickboy yata siya noon, eh.”
Are you okay with his children?
“A, no problem. Actually, one of them, si Raymond, is here now. He’s 23, in college. He just came from the States.”
How did you and Alfred meet?
“We didn’t know that we were living in the same building. I’m not sure if our paths had crossed without our knowing it. Maybe we did. At that time, I had already broken with my ex. It was my birthday, May 23. My friends invited me out, you know, ‘It’s your birthday; let’s go out, have fun!’ So we went to Giraffe. My friends pala friends din ni Alfred. That’s where we met. ‘Hi, hi!’ Ganyan. He told me that he lived in Platinum 1000. He was on the 17th floor and I was on the 12th floor. I said, ‘Talaga! O, we are neighbors pala!’ He was free na at that time, that’s why he was living alone, and so was I. To make a long story short, we started calling up each other.”
How did the courtship go?
“He would ask me out to dinner muna. Minsan, isinasama niya ako mag-play ng golf. One time, he brought me to Joseph & Jeemark’s, a hole-in-the-wall kainan sa tabi ng Cuneta Astrodome. The food was good, huh! At mura.”
How did you realize that you were meant for each other?
“Actually at that time, I didn’t want to fall in love anymore. I told myself, ‘Ayoko na ng mga love-love na ‘yan! Sasakit lang ang ulo ko.’ But I was praying, ‘God, you know matigas ang ulo ko. But now, I will follow you na talaga.’ We are Born-again Christian; we belong to the Victory Christian Fellowship. I was the first to become a Christian. I was telling him to be one, too, and since he was courting me then, hayun, sumama siya. I knew then that without the guidance of God, if you don’t put God at the center, most relationships will not work, will not last long.”
How long did it take you to say yes to him?
“Sandali lang; a matter of a few weeks lang. We were together every day, so nagka-develop-an kami; nagka-in-love-an na kami kaagad. Siempre we are not that young anymore, ano! So we met in 1996 but we had to get married in 1999 because I had to fix my problem. He was already a congressman and he wanted me to be a member of the Congressional Spouses. I couldn’t do it naman if we were not yet married so we decided to get married in civil rites after my (previous) marriage was annulled. Later, we got married at the Malate Catholic Church.”
Was it Alfred who convinced you to enter politics?
“Actually, it was his dad, si Mayor Bejo, my father-in-law. He’s very supportive. Sobrang close sila ni Alfred.”
Former First Lady Imelda Marcos is the original Rose of Tacloban. They’re saying that you are the new Rose of Tacloban and you’ve been such a big help in enhancing the image of the city.
“It’s a group effort. Lahat kami. Alfred is a hardworking, hands-on mayor; masipag talaga ’yan. There’s also Martin (Romualdez, congressman of Leyte), Alfred’s cousin. He got funding for the district. It helped that he’s close to (former) Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.Team work kami.”
Like Alfred, you are busy with your job as councilor. How do you divide your time between your work and your daughters?
“You know, sometimes I feel guilty na para bang nagkukulang ang time ko for my kids. Especially during the campaign. Sometimes, when I went home tulog na sila.They would tell me, ‘Mommy, when you come home we are sleeping na; you always come home late.’ Mga ganyan. Now, I’m busy with the fiesta. After this, I really have to make up for it. My schedule will be lighter na. It’s not a 9-to-5 job. As a councilor, I can go to the office only once a week so I can choose what day to go to work.”
You have become a thorough Waray. You speak Waray-Waray like a native.
“Yes, Taclobanon na talaga ako. I spend all of my time here and I go to Manila to visit my parents and my siblings every now and then. The Taclobanons have embraced me like their own daughter. The Romualdezes are well-loved here.”
Hindi ka ba na-intimidate sa kanila?
“Not at all. You’d be surprised but they are down-to-earth. I don’t know about the children of other presidents, ha, but the Marcos children are something else. I know Imee; baklang-bakla ’yan, she’s down-to-earth and not isnabera at all. Minsan , sumasama pa ’yan sa amin ng mga friends ko. Bongbong and his wife Liza (Araneta) are nice, too. They are not at all high-and-mighty that some people think they are. Hindi sila ganoon. Irene (wife of Greggy Araneta) is very sweet, tahimik lang siya. Madame Imelda is very warm, very approachable.”
You and Alfred seem to have many things in common.
“Of course, family is No. 1. We both come from closely-knit families. We both work in the city. Most of our conversations revolve around our projects for the city. We love good food. I have a restaurant (Patio Victoria in Intramuros, Manila), di ba? Sometimes, I bring my cooks here. We like the same sport and we love to exercise. We both love the beach, Alfred loves sunbathing which I avoid because I don’t want to ruin my complexion. (Kring-Kring is an endorser of Marie France. — RFL) Pareho kaming outdoor types. We enjoy traveling. We bike together.”
Oh yes, I heard that you and Alfred went around the US West Coast riding a bike in tandem.
“Yeah. It was fun. After the 2007 election when Alfred first ran for mayor, we had a 45-day break before he took his oath of office, so we decided to do something out of the ordinary. We went to the States. We rented a big bike starting in San Francisco. We left our things with my stepson and we rode from California to Oregon, taking the back road. Nakaangkas ako. We drove through the Redwood Forest. It was beautiful! Big trees. We drove along coastal places and long, long highways. From the mountains, we went down to Lake Tahoe and Reno, Nevada, before we went back to San Francisco. We did the same thing in 2006, from Kuala Lumpur Phuket in Thailand.”
You’ve been together for 14 years (lived-in for two years and married for 12 years).Don’t you ever fight?
“Like any couple, we also fight pero minor lang; nothing serious. I’m jealous but not too much. I can’t be possessive naman because Alfred, being mayor, is surrounded by all kinds of people, including women. As I said, what keeps our marriage strong is having God at the center of it.”
What did you learn from your previous relationships that you are applying in your and Alfred’s marriage?
“Be friends. Be patient with each other. Be considerate.”
You said that Alfred used to be a chickboy. How do you stop him from being attracted to other women?
“Well, Alfred is normal and just like any man, he still looks at other women pero hanggang tingin na lang.” (Followed by laughter) “Of course, I have to maintain my looks siempre. I have my own Cristina’s Spa in Tacloban, di ba? When I am in Manila, I go to Marie France. Siyempre, I have to always look good not only for myself and more so for Alfred.” (Then she laughs again)
(E-mail reactions at rickylo@philstar.net.ph or at entphilstar@yahoo.com)