WE had the privilege na makadaupang palad ang mag-asawang former Sen. Bongbong Marcos at ang kanyang lovely wife na si Atty. Louise `Liza’ Araneta-Marcos.

Maraming beses na namin nakahalu-bilo si BBM (short for Bongbong Marcos) sa tuwing fiesta ng Tacloban City na pumapatak sa araw ng June 30. Just like his mom, former First Lady Imelda Romualdez-Marcos, napakaganda rin ng PR ng kaisa-isang kapatid na lalake nina Sen. Imee Marcos at Irene Marcos-Araneta. There was even a time na kami ang naatasang mag-host for BBM nang ito’y dumating ng Tacloban kung saan mayor ang kanyang first cousin na si Alfred Romualdez, ang mister ng dating politician, ang singer-actress na si Cristina `Kring-Kring’ Gonzalez-Romualdez. First cousin din nila ang House Majority Floor Leader na si Martin Romualdez na ang misis ay ang dating beauty queen-turned politician na si Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez.

Our first encounter with the couple (BBM and Liza) ay dinner reception ng wedding noon nina Alfred at Kring-Kring na ginanap sa Olot, Leyte sa bahay mismo ng mga Romualdez at Marcos.

Doon pa lamang ay nakita namin ang pagiging sobrang down to earth ng misis ni BBM who even personally attended to me and my sister, Meriam Amoyo. Yung unang impression namin sa mag-asawa laluna kay Lisa lasted hanggang muli kaming magkita sa dati naming Japanese restaurant in Bonifacio Global City (BGC), ang Toki kung saan ito nag-dine-in kasama ang Diamond Star na si Maricel Soriano and another friend.

When Toki was still in business, I would regularly receive a family Christmas card from BBM and Liza together with their three sons na sina Ferdinand Alexander (Sandro), William Vincent and Joseph Simon.

Hindi man kami close sa mag-asawa, tumatak ang kanilang kabaitan sa akin.

Most recently, we had the chance na makahuntahan ang mag-asawa in a very casual manner. We did not talk about BBM’s plan for the 2022 national elections but we focused on their love story.

Paano nga ba nag-krus ng landas ang dalawa considering that they belong to opposite fences – BBM being a Marcos at si Liza being an Araneta na identified sa mga Aquino.

The love story of BBM and Liza is beyond politics. Nagkakilala ang dalawa in 1989 when Lisa was working in a law firm in New York City while BBM was taking his master’s then at Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. They were introduced by a common friend. It turned out na meron silang iba pang common friends in New York. They both admitted that it was not love at first sight kundi na-develop lamang sa mga sumunod pa nilang pagkikita dahil madalas sa apartment ni Liza in New York ginaganap ang kanilang pot luck get-together with friends. The young Marcos confessed that he was smitten hindi lamang sa ganda ni Liza kundi sa pagiging matalino at smart nito at may kakaibang tapang which is unusual sa mga Ilonggo. Si Liza naman ay hindi lamang na-guwapuhan kay Bongbong kundi dahil sa katalinuhan nito at pagiging down to earth.

At that time, napakagulo pa ng buhay ng Marcos family when they were ousted in February 1986. Bongbong was 32 when he met Liza. After months of seeing each other, the young Marcos proposed to her in Hong Kong in 1992 kung saan nagbabakasyon noon ang buong pamilya ni Liza. Bongbong was already close to Liza’s family especially to her dad. The following year on April 17, 1993, the couple had an intimate wedding in Fiosole, Italy with only 21 guests at sa kanilang pagbabalik ng Pilipinas ay saka sila bumuo ng sarili nilang pamilya now with three grown up sons, with Sandro being the eldest (27) and is most likely to follow the footsteps of his father, his grandparents, his aunt and uncles and cousins. He has the support of his family.

Between BBM and Liza, the former is a better cook. Natuto silang magluto when they both stay abroad. Bongbong studied high school and college in London and his master’s in Wharton na hindi na niya natapos dahil sa maaga niyang pagpasok sa pulitika when he ran for vice-governor in Ilocos Norte in 1991 and won. At kasunod na rito ang kanyang pagiging governor ng tatlong termino na sinundan ng pagiging kinatawan ng ikalawang distrito ng Ilocos Norte and eventually sa pagiging senador in 2010 hanggang 2016.

Liza being a supportive wife, would extend everything she could and all the necessary help she could to her husband except joining him in campaign sorties which her husband understands dahil sa pagiging mahiyain at pribado nito.

Unknown to many matagal-tagal ding nagturo ng law subjects si Liza sa iba’t ibang school including St. Louis University in Baguio City, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM), De la Salle University at Far Eastern University nang walang tinatanggap na bayad. It was her own way of helping and extending her knowledge as a lawyer sa mga future young lawyers ng bansa.

Kahit may cook sila sa bahay, BBM would still cook for his wife and children whenever they’re together on Sunday lunch. Since their three sons are now living independently, Sunday lunch are spent with their parents for lunch and their grandma (former First Lady Imelda Romualdez-Marcos) for dinner.

“Ang babait and so grounded ng mga anak namin,” pagmamalaki ni Liza about their three sons.

Although mga binata na ang kanilang mga anak with Sandro being the eldest at 27, wala pang nag-aasawa sa mga ito.

“Ang request ko lamang sa kanila noon ay tapusin nila ang kanilang pag-aaral which they did,” proud na pahayag ni BBM. “Whatever they do with their lives now, we’re okey. We’re here to support them.”

Tulad ng ibang couples, hindi rin nawawala sa mag-asawa ang pagtatalo at tampuhan pero hindi umano ito nagtatagal dahil agad umano nila ito inaayos. Being married for over 28 years now, hindi pa rin nawawala sa mag-asawa ang kanilang date night as a couple nung wala pang pandemic. Pero ngayon ay mas madalas silang magkasama sa bahay attending to their respective work (from home).

Lahat silang magkakapatid nina Sen. Imee Marcos at Irene Marcos-Araneta ay pawang mga lalake ang mga anak kaya hindi nagkaroon ng apong babae si dating First Lady, former governor and congresswoman Imelda Marcos.

“Actually meron, kay Imee pero nakunan siya. It was a girl,” pagbabahagi ni BBM.

Samantala, inamin ni Bongbong na never umano niyang plinano na pasukin ang pulitika dahil mas gusto umano niyang maging isang pribadong citizen. But it was his late father, the late President Ferdinand Edralin Marcos who prodded him to run nung ito’y nabubuhay pa. Inamin din niya na kung sa Pilipinas sila nagkakilala ng kanyang misis na si Liza, malamang daw na hindi sila nagkatuluyan dahil sa media pressure and attention dito sa Pilipinas.

“In New York pareho kaming ordinary citizens and no one would bother us there,” aniya.

Kung hindi kami nagkakamali, ito ang kauna-unahang pagkakataong nagbahagi ang mag-asawa tungkol sa kanilang love story and we are so privileged.