Pops on fans still hoping for her to get back with Martin Nievera
MANILA, Philippines — Pops Fernandez is aware that there are still fans hoping for her and ex-husband Martin Nievera to get back together even after 29 years of being separated.
In response to a question from The STAR during a recent presscon, Pops said she finds it amusing that even after a long time has passed since she and Martin broke up in 1995, the ex-couple would still receive greetings from their fans every June 28, the anniversary of their church wedding. They married on June 28, 1986, which means that the parents of two would have been husband and wife for 38 years this 2024.
“Sobra akong grateful na maski alam nila na medyo baka hindi na yon mangyari, they’re still there and they understand our situation,” she said.
“The nice thing that happened to us… a couple of years ago, I posted something on my Facebook because I was amused that every June 28, they still remember and celebrate our anniversary with Martin.
“So, Martin and I, until now, just greet each other on June 28, saying, ‘Hey, happy June 28th,’ because I know that we have fans who still celebrate it, and it’s still a big deal for them.
“And thank you that they accept us for our situation now,” said Pops.
The concert star admitted that she and Martin still do have occasional tampuhans. “Natawa ako because parang recently lang, pero huwag na yon. Hindi naman yon mawawala sa amin because we are in separate situations,” she said with a laugh.
“I don’t want to pretend that we are 100-percent okay. We go through certain tampuhans.
“But what is good about it is we know how to deal with it. Sometimes, we just... Time always heals wounds, right? Because I think we choose to always be okay, nase-settle naman siya.
“We settle everything privately and we deal through all those misunderstandings privately also.”
The STAR also asked Pops what it took her to admirably reach this point and accept her failed marriage with Martin.
“That is a lot of mind-conditioning. I have to be honest, ha? Of course, that’s very painful so a lot of mind-conditioning and acceptance,” she said.
“You have to get to a level where you need to be really strong to accept it. I’ve said it before, it took many years because, again, I didn’t want to revisit the pain, but it has to be mentioned so that people will know it’s not easy, especially for those who might be going through the same thing I experienced.
“It’s not easy, but it’s possible, right? Because it’s totally up to you. Instead of constantly having conflicts, I don’t want us to always be in conflict, for the sake of our children who were still very young then. It’s better for us to be okay, and again, it’s not easy.
“Those things are emotions… (they) have never been easy so you have to condition yourself and you have to accept it. Again, you have to be strong enough to admit it to yourself.”
She and Martin are also entering another phase in their relationship as grandparents to Baby Phineas (Phin for short), their first grandchild with eldest son Robin Nievera.
Due to work commitments, not just as performer but also concert producer, she said she has yet to travel to the US and visit her newborn grandchild. But whenever her apo is mentioned, Pops couldn’t help but feel very emotional. After all, she still can’t believe that her eldest son, Robin, is now a father.
Pops said, “I’m already excited. But I’m sure when I see, hold, carry, and smell the baby, it’s a totally different feeling. I’m sure I’ll cry because I’m a crybaby. Actually, just talking about (my grandchild) makes me teary-eyed. I still can’t believe that, of course, my eldest now has a baby. That’s what makes me cry first.”
Pops couldn’t yet tell what kind of grandma she would be. However, she knows what she wants Baby Phin to call her — “Lolli Pops.”
“Actually, many people are already calling me Lolli. I appreciate it. I don’t know yet. But a lot of my friends who already have their own grandchildren say it’s a different feeling. So, I’m extremely excited. But, I promise you, I’ll still be a ‘hot lolli,’” Pops quipped.
The media got to interview Pops during the recent presscon for her pre-Valentine two-night concert, Always Loved, at Solaire’s The Theatre on Feb. 9 and 10. Martin will be her special guest as well as Gary Valenciano.
Always Loved will be her first solo major show in years after she has been concentrating on producing concerts for other OPM artists.
“I’ve been performing here and there for some time, but this one, because it’s a solo performance, comes with nervousness, (a certain) fear like, ‘Can I still do it?’ But that’s good,” she said.
“I believe that when you no longer feel nervous, then there’s no sense in doing it anymore. But I’m happy that I’m slowly getting back into the groove. I’m gaining a lot of confidence, preparing for this show.”
These shows will also celebrate the 40-year music career of Pops, also dubbed as the industry’s concert queen.
Earlier, Pops dropped two music releases under Star Music — the dance-pop self-love anthem Get It Poppin and the comeback single Always Loved — both available on various streaming platforms.
Tickets are now available via Ticketworld with prices ranging from P15,000 for SSVIP to P2,000 for Bronze.
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