Aiko is happily single by choice

After two failed marriages, first to Jomari Yllana (by whom she has a son, Andre, 18) and then to Martin Jickain (with one daughter, Martina, 10), and a four-year romance with a Bulacan local politician (father of another actress’ love child), Aiko Melendez claimed that she’s happily single.

“For 11 months now,” she famously announced when she met Funfare for an exclusive interview. “Single by choice.”

I met Aiko two days before DSWD Sec. Judy Taguiwalo faced the Commission on Appointments in the Senate and the interview didn’t have any reference to the “na-ano lang” issue heard ‘round the world.

“My marriage to Jom lasted for seven years and to Martin almost three years. I’m contented where I am now.”

In the next breath, Aiko admitted that she’s not in good terms with Jomari.

“If he’s there, then he’s there,” she added dismissively. “If he’s not there, I’m not gonna look for him. My only concern is his relationship with Andre. All I ask of him is to take care of Andre. As I said, I’m single, and happily so, and as far as I know, he has a non-showbiz girlfriend.”

During the elections in May last year, Aiko gladly campaigned for Jomari who got elected councilor of Parañaque City.

“After the elections,” Aiko forced a smile, “wala na. Nagkagalit na kami.”

If they are not okay as exes, how is Jomari as a father?

“You mean if he supports Andre financially? We don’t ask, we don’t demand. If he wants to give, okay lang. I cannot say that he’s really bad, but he can do better. You know, when Jom is in love, he tends to forget the people around him. Maybe if he’s okay and back to his old self, he will realize that, you know…”

No problem with Martin.

“We’re okay. I am even friends with his wife, Maggie. Their daughter is a good friend of my daughter.”

In showbiz, the belief is that if you’re unlucky in love, you’re lucky in your career. It holds true with Aiko.

She has bagged two awards, Gawad Tanglaw and Gawad Pasado, for her performance as the manipulative wife of a politician (played by Ricky Davao) in Iadya Mo Kami for which she also got nominated at the New York Manhattan Film Festival.

Although with only one show, the Kapamilya teleserye Wildflower (as kontrabida to Maja Salvador), Aiko described her shooting schedule as “patayan, madugo” (killing, bloody).

“Whatever we shoot, for example, in the morning is schedule for airing that same day or the next day,” said Aiko who has a 2 a.m. cut-off time so that she could sleep for at least six hours. “When I was taping Apoy sa Dagat, I had to be hospitalized because my blood pressure went up to 160/100; my normal BP is 110/80. My doctor told me to get enough sleep and to work out. Thank you naman at nag-stabilize ang BP ko…and I also lost weight, more than 50 lbs. so far. I need to shed 20 more pounds.”

But she’s not complaining.

“I look at it as work. Everybody has to work hard to get paid, di ba? Sometimes, if there are 32 sequences to shoot, I am in 28. As a kontrabida, my role is just as important as the bida so I have as many scenes as those of Maja.”

Her peg is Rosamund Pike’s villainess character in Gone Girl which Aiko watched as part of her research. “Ang ganda ng mga pitik-pitik niya,” observed Aiko. And who does she see in Maja’s face during the shoot of their confrontation scenes? Does she draw from real life?

“Hmmm,” evaded Aiko (who has had brushes with some actresses over romantic issues), “no more. I have passed that stage already, hehehe!!! Tapos na ako dyan. Before the shoot, Maja and I sit down to discuss the details. She’s a very good actress. Masarap ka-work. I can say that in this generation, Maja is the best.”

Her role in Wildflower is different from the one in Iadya Mo Kami.

“As a king maker in Iadya, yung pagka-kontrabida ko ay pailalim. In Wildflower, my character is openly kontrabida; she’s really bad.”

Asked which character she identified with, Aiko laughed.

“Neither. Ask my co-workers and they will say that I am easy to work with, very jolly. I don’t want undue stress; I don’t want tension. If I have to say yes, eh di, yes na lang to avoid trouble. I want life to go on smoothly. I guess it comes with age,” explained Aiko who is 41.

Since she became an active member of Victory Christian Fellowship four years ago, Aiko has radically changed, according to her, “spiritually,” after what she described as a “turning point” in her life.

“It’s nice to wake up in the morning without a heavy heart, without any excess (emotional) baggage. I realized that no matter how many problems I have, I’m still lucky to have work. God has blessed me. I have Wildflower and two awards. The past two years were very bad. I was swindled in some investments, my savings were gone, I was financially zero.”

More than the acting awards, Aiko considers her being a “happily single” mom to growing children as her biggest trophy. Andre has quit school (a Marketing freshman ) temporarily to try showbiz and Martina is in Grade 5 at Poveda.

“I am single by choice,” stressed Aiko. “Andre and Martina are growing up and I’m glad I can spend more time with them. They are like barkada to me. Andre is at the stage where he wants to explore. He courted a girl but he stopped na.”

Asked how long she intended to stay single, Aiko said, “It depends. Who knows if somebody would come along…”

Teresa also happy being single mom

Like Aiko Melendez, Teresa Loyzaga is a happy single mom to her sons Joseph and Diego — that is, aside from being a dutiful daughter to her mom Victoria (widow of basketball legend Carlos Loyzaga) and good sister to her siblings Chito, Joey, Princess and Bing.

“After all,” she said, “family means everything.”

The hard part of being a working mom is being away from family and Teresa is thankful that her Nanay Conchita, the yaya whom she considers her second mom, is always around.

In 2000, taking her children along, Teresa joined her parents in Australia to start anew. It not only meant getting out of her comfort zone, it also required her, at the onset, to take on odd jobs just to support her family. “Yes, I took odd jobs. But I had a dream. It doesn’t come easy and definitely not for free, but they do come true,” she shared.

“She’s strong willed but most of all I’d just say she’s motherly,” said Joseph who is working towards opening a vegan restaurant. “She managed to teach us to think for ourselves, to always do right, not because of merit and reward, but because it is the right thing.”

“She’s a superhero!” added Diego (dad is Cesar Montano). “She would split herself into many versions and work multiple jobs. She has fulfilled her dreams. She has given us a good life.”

As a gesture of gratitude to their mom, Joseph and Diego are giving her a TechoMarine timepiece as Mother’s Day (Sunday, May 14) gift.

The gift is very meaningful because Teresa made use of her time raising her children single-handedly.

She has a message to single moms: “To my fellow single moms, chin up! You are no less than other moms as there is no task that you cannot achieve. Enrich yourselves through this journey and grow with each day of struggle. Most importantly, keep your feet on the ground but keep reaching for the stars.”

(For more information, you may visit TechnoMarine boutiques at SM Mall of Asia, SM Megamall, SM North Edsa, SM City Cebu, SM Lanang Premier, TriNoma, Greenbelt 3, Robinsons Galleria, Robinsons Magnolia, Shangri-La Plaza and all MyDiamond boutiques nationwide.)

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