Roman Romulo and Shalani Soledad: History, destiny and a love story

Roman Romulo has a new nickname these days. Colleagues in the halls of Congress are happily calling him “Congressman Romance.” Just a few days ago, TV reporters were hounding him, after spotting him and Shalani Soledad together in Quiapo Church and a public event in Antipolo. Wasn’t she wearing a diamond engagement ring?

And finally, Roman admitted it on TV. Yes, he has proposed to Shalani. Yes, they are engaged.

Why should the Roman-Shalani engagement be everyone’s favorite love story these days?

Because it is no ordinary love story.  

The guy, the kind that every girl would love to bring home to picky parents, has been one of Manila’s most elusive bachelors for the longest time. He has captivated and won the hearts of many beautiful and brainy women.

Shalani looks shy, but she is sharp and intelligent. Photo from www.pinoy-ofw.com

The girl was last year the country’s favorite romantic heroine in a telenovela-like series of dramatic highs and lows with President P-Noy, now still holding the crown as the country’s most elusive bachelor.

Beyond the telenovela factor, however, there is an element of history, destiny, and perhaps divine intervention that many people don’t know about yet.

It might have started months ago when Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario told his inaanak Roman: “You should meet Shalani.”

Countless other friends tried to act as matchmaker to Shalani and Roman, saying “Bagay kayo talaga.”

Too busy with their hectic work schedules — he as congressman of Pasig and she as councilor of Valenzuela, Bulacan, and Willie Revillame’s co-star in TV 5’s top-rated Monday-to-Saturday show Wil Time Big Time — the pairing off never happened. Until Dan Soliven, Roman’s good friend since grade school, decided to set up a “chance encounter.”

That first encounter in June, Roman now recalls, was fantastic. “Shalani is so beautiful,” he says, admitting that he also liked her feminine, dignified grace. Friends were saying: “Shalani looks shy, but she is sharp and intelligent.” And they agreed: “Roman is quiet but not shy. He is strong-willed, articulate and very intellectual.”

In other words, bagay talaga.

After that first meeting, Roman recalls, “I texted Shalani a couple of times, but got no reply. On June 12, I texted her: ‘Happy Independence Day!’ Would you believe that was the text that made her reply to me?”

Shalani laughs and admits she found the text intriguing. “Yes, I replied because that was the first time I ever got such a text from anyone.”

Soon, Roman and Shalani were seen attending and supporting each other’s projects in Pasig and Valenzuela.

Perhaps the most meaningful event happened last July 11 when Roman was guest speaker as Valenzuela celebrated the 142nd birth of Dr. Pio Valenzuela, the city’s hero. One of the Kataastaasang triumvirate of the Katipunan, Dr. Pio Valenzuela was one of our top revolutionary heroes along with supremo Andres Bonifacio and secretary-general Emilio Aguinaldo. He was also the first editor of the revolutionary paper Ang Kalayaan.

“Roman didn’t tell me that he was our guest speaker,” says Shalani.

Perhaps because it was simply routine and a duty to the family for Roman, who just happens to be a descendant of Dr. Pio Valenzuela. The hero is the grandfather of Roman’s mother, Lovely Tecson-Romulo. Lovely’s mother, Rosa Valenzuela-Tecson, was the daughter of the hero.

Roman is quiet, strong-willed and very intellectual.

“Our summers with the children were always spent in Baguio and Valenzuela,” recalls Roman’s mother Lovely, who remembers that in front of her aunt’s house in Valenzuela stood a history marker and a statue of Dr. Pio.

“For the longest time, my father (former Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo) would be Valenzuela’s annual guest speaker. The town became a city after my father filed a bill when he was Senator converting Valenzuela into a city,” says Roman’s sister Mons.

The people of Valenzuela were all the more amazed at the historic link in the Roman-Shalani love story. Valenzuela Mayor Sherwin Gatchalian was heard saying: “Now Shalani is doubly a child of Valenzuela City.”

And Roman is doubly a descendant of heroes. On his father’s side, there is the venerable Carlos P. Romulo, UN General Assembly president who served as Secretary of Foreign Affairs to eight Philippine presidents.

The Roman-Shalani engagement, says Mons, is a case of “answered prayers.”

“Since he got this break from government service, my dad has been hearing Mass daily in Quiapo, and I presume he has been praying for us, his children and his grandchildren to whom he has been devoting much of his time now.”

What does Secretary Romulo pray for? He says: “I pray for our country, and for our people. I pray for spiritual strength for my children.”

Obviously he got more than that. He now has a new addition to the family. He says he endorses the union, and describes Shalani as “a wonderful person.”

Shalani herself is a prayerful person. She grew up in a home where her grandmother led the praying of the Oracion (Angelus) every day at 6 p.m. “I have a devotion to Our Lady of Fatima. I pray the rosary at Our Lady of Fatima church in Valenzuela every day. There were times when I would finish work late and would arrive at the church at 1 a.m., when its doors were already closed, so I would just pray outside the church.” When the parish priest found out about this, he ordered the church security guard to open the doors for Shalani anytime, even in the wee hours of the morning.

It was, in fact, in this church where Roman proposed to Shalani. Here, he gave her the diamond ring, which was his mom Lovely’s own engagement ring. Did he kneel down as he said the words “Will you marry me?”

Roman says: “I guess I was kneeling down. We were in church, after all.”

Over lunch with a friend at Edsa Shangri-La Hotel’s Japanese restaurant Senju last Friday, Roman and Shalani revealed that their wedding will be in February 2011 to be held at, where else, but Our Lady of Fatima Church in Valenzuela.

Will there be two receptions for their respective constituents — one in Valenzuela and another in Pasig? Perhaps a Valenzuela wedding would suffice, as both Roman and Shalani trace their families’ roots to this city.

This is a union of two people who obviously find fulfillment in public service. “Roman is such a hands-on congressman,” says sister Mons. “He has visited practically every nook in all Pasig barangays; his energy is amazing.”

His brother Erwin, who is editor of Esquire Philippines, once wrote about Roman’s first legal assignment as a fresh graduate of the UP College of Law in 1994. Roman was asked to handle the case of a Bilibid prisoner. He visited the prisoner every day until he was able to convince the courts to lift the death sentence on the prisoner.

“Just relax, have fun, and enjoy it all. Willie will always be there to make you laugh and feel comfortable,” TV5 boss Manny V. Pangilinan told Shalani. Photo from www.pep.ph

Roman says: “The feeling of helping someone who had seemingly fallen through the cracks of the legal system is indescribable. Perhaps God’s purpose is for me to help people. That is why he has blessed me with my parents; my father set a good example for my education and training.”

In college, Roman played basketball with the UP Maroons together with teammate Ronnie Magsanoc. He was an excellent soccer player, and still plays squash when he has the time. Erwin says that “Roman needs someone who understands that he has responsibilities to his constituents. After work, Roman unwinds by watching TV, and I think he needs somebody he can watch TV with.”

Shalani’s favorite sport is walking — walking around Valenzuela to bond with her constituents. So people-oriented, her regimen includes attending wakes — practically every wake in the city. After attending city council meetings, Shalani rushes to the TV-5 station for Wil Time Big Time. She is getting honed and at home in TV work. “At the start, our boss Manny V. Pangilinan advised me: ‘Just relax, have fun, enjoy it all. Willie will always be there to make all of you laugh and feel comfortable.’”

With their hectic schedules finishing late at night, are Roman and Shalani such night owls?

Katipunan leader Dr. Pio Valenzuela: Shalani’s city was named after Roman’s heroic great grandfather

“I am,” says Shalani.

“I am now,” says Roman.

Roman has gotten used to visiting Quiapo church past midnight with Shalani and raves about his recent thrill. “I discovered that Quiapo at 1 a.m. is such a nice and beautiful place to visit, so quiet and spiritually inspiring. And so are other churches like Baclaran and St. Jude.”

Roman, a stickler for punctuality, has only one complaint. With Shalani being tied down to so many community projects and TV obligations, he now has to get used to what he calls “Shalani time.” That means being at least one hour late.

“But it’s always worth the wait,” he smiles.

Just like this long and winding search for the right partner in life. It was worth the wait.