MANILA – With her February 15, 2015 wedding date now less than four months away, actress-painter Heart Evangelista has a lot to look forward to; despite the likelihood that her parents will be absent on the day she ties the knot with Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero.
Heart revealed on the talk show “Basta Every Day, Happy” that although her parents, Rey and Cecile Ongpauco, have given her and Escudero their blessing to wed, they still have no intentions of attending the ceremony to be held at Balesin Island Club.
“Although ibinigay nila ‘yung blessing na magpakasal, hindi raw talaga nila kayang makitang magpakasal ako, Pero, the good news, pinayagan nila lahat ng mga kapatid ko [na pumunta]. (Although they have given their blessing to be married, they really cannot bear to see me get married. But the good news is that they have allowed all my siblings to attend), ” she said.
“Magkikita na lang kami pagdating ko sa Manila, pero sa kasal… Okay na siguro, kung nahihirapan sila. Ako lang naman siguro makakaintindi no’n, so okay lang sa akin. Video nalang ipapakita ko(I will just see them when I return to Manila, but at the wedding ceremony…I suppose it’s ok, if it is difficult for them. I will be the only one to be preoccupied about their absence anyway, so that’s ok with me. I will just show them the video),” she added.
Last year, Evangelista’s parents publicly expressed their disapproval of 29-year-old Heart’s relationship with Escudero, who is 15 years her senior. At a press conference in March 2013, the Ongpauco couple called on Escudero to leave their daughter and accused him of being a disrespectful alcoholic.
Heart stood her ground, and chose to live apart from her family in order to continue her relationship with Escudero. She was not on speaking terms with her father until July 2013, and with her mother until only recently; patching things up with her in May 2014.
Heart admitted, however, that despite being on speaking terms again with both her parents, they have yet to fully accept Escudero as her fiancé and soon-to-be-husband.
Still, Heart remains hopeful about things to come.
“[I’m looking forward to] the everyday life lang. Finally, relaxed na kayo. Wala kayong pag-aawayan, dahil lahat nalang pinag-aawayan niyo dati (The time that you have nothing left to fight about, because you’ve already fought about everything inb the past.). Siguro ngayon, mag-se-settle na kami (Maybe now, this will all finally settle.). The consistency of a life together is what I look forward to,” she said.