Ai Ai delas Alas is getting married for the third time.
But as far as the 52-year-old actress-comedienne is concerned, she might as well be the tying the knot for the first time as her upcoming union with 23-year-old fiancé Gerald Sibayan is replete with so many firsts.
During her pocket press conference to promote her upcoming new film, “Bes and the Beshies,” Ai Ai revealed that this will be the first time she will have a church wedding and the first time she will tie the knot for the right reasons.
“It’s my first real and right wedding,” she told InterAksyon and other media at the event held Wednesday at Romulo’s Café in Quezon City.
“There were many hidden agendas [in my first two marriage]. I wanted to get married because there were third parties involved. But this time, it’s all out of love,” she said in mostly Filipino.
And because she’s having a church wedding for the first time, Ai Ai discovered that it’s not just a matter of going to a judge (as in the case of her civil wedding with actor-singer Miguel Vera) or going to Las Vegas to elope (as in the case of her second, short-lived marriage with businessman Jed Salang).
“There are so many requirements. There are seminars for both of us and separate seminars for just me and him,” she added.
Ai Ai also revealed that because she and Gerald are having a Catholic wedding, they are not allowed to live together. She went as far as to admit that she has remained celibate and is “preserving” herself until she and Gerald officially say their “I do’s” this coming November.
As for the pre-nuptial agreement initiated by both her mother and Gerald’s family, Ai Ai said that her lawyer has prohibited her from publicly discussing its details. She did, however, acknowledge that it’s mainly for Gerald’s benefit and peace of mind as well as to spare him from intrigues and bashers.
“For married couples, whether they’re celebrities or regular people, it (prenup) is not the basis of a lasting union. It’s only money. It’s not the essence of your love for each other,” she pointed out.
Downplaying the importance of having a prenup agreement, Ai Ai added that it’s not a guarantee that one’s money is safe once his or her marriage goes south. “It’s not true that just because you have a prenup, you ex cannot do anything to get something from you.”
Insisting that she and Gerald are very much in love, Ai Ai feels very good about the thought of spending the rest of her life with him, just as she also feels good about her new film, “Bes and the Beshies.”
The film, written by Ricky Lee and directed by Joel Lamangan, also stars Zsa Zsa Padilla, Carmi Martin and Beauty Gonzalez. It is about four friends and the struggles they encounter in their daily lives. Ai Ai plays Charla, a solo parent who is hoping to restore her relationship with her ideal husband to complete her family.
It’s a character that hits a little too close to home not just because Ai Ai has got the mother role down pat with her “Ang Tanging Ina” series. For years, the actress has been a doting single mom to her three kids in real life.
“But this is more about women empowerment. More than being a single mom, the story focuses on my lovelife and that of my three other co-stars,” she further shared.
A Cineko Productions offering in cooperation with Regal Entertainment, “Bes and the Beshies” also stars Emilio Garcia, Sanch Vito Delas Alas, Alan Paule, Nikko Natividad, Jon Lucas, Wilbert Ross, Mark Joseph Tam and Heaven Peralejo.
The film opens in cinemas nationwide on October 18. Watch the trailer here:
