Claudine & Rico
A True Romance
Yes
Ask Rico Yan, 26, how long he's been with girlfriend Claudine Barretto, 22, and he replies thoughtfully, "Four years na. Tagal na namin� tagal." The last word he says slowly for emphasis.
Claudine, on the other hand, insists that Rico's computation is not so accurate. "Sinong nagsabi na four years na kami? Siya? Excited siya!" she retorts, her tone slightly incredulous. 'Sa March pa," Claudine corrects then numbers with a thoughtfulness not unlike Rico's. Then she adds, "Grabe 'no? Parang hindi ko namalayan na magfo-four years na pala."
Their was a match made and strengthened on a movie set. Except for the little matter of celebrityhood, Claudine and Rico are similar to many other young couples in love. Their relationship has sweet moments, nice romance, and petty and not-so-petty clashes. What's refreshing is that they're not publicity starry-eyed, or gushy, about their love affair.
Boy meets girl
Claudine and Rico met in late 1995 while filming Radio Romance, The Movie. "The first day I met her was also the first time I saw her in person," he recalls. "The meeting was� I guess for her� it was a walk in the beach. Pero sa akin, intimidating. Parang, ang hirap. I was starting out. I didn't want to be at home baka ma-offend siya."
Rico's entertainment career was taking off after his exposure in commercials and hosting stints on the noontime show "'Sang Linggo Na Po Sila." Claudine had several movies already tucked under her belt and was a mainstay of the prime-time television shows "Home Along Da Riles" and "Oki Doki Doc." Radio Romance was Rico's very first movie. His uneasiness must have shown because Claudine remembers Rico being very stiff. "He was sobrang gentleman when he introduced himself to me."
Since they shared many scenes together, they often chatted during breaks in filming. Rico would share stories about his family and Claudine would do the same. Claudine describes those moments as: "Kuwentuhan nang kuwentuhan. Sobrang tagal ng waiting time, hanggang sobrang kalog pala siya." Romance did not bloom until much, much late, says Rico, because he had a girlfriend, and Claudine was herself going steady with Mark Anthony Fernandez.
RICO IS A GOOD PERSOM. HE'S A PERSON WHO MAKES ME HAPPY AND HE'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE A SPECIAL PART OF MY LIFE, KAYA SIGURO NANDITO PA RIN AKO." - CLAUDINE
Dahil Mahal na Mahal Kita
Rico and Claudine were paired anew in movies like Madrasta, Flames, The Movie, and in the soap opera "Mula Sa Puso." And then came the movie Dahil Mahal na Mahal Kita. This time, Claudine had along broken up with Mark, and Rico had ended a four-and -a-half-year relationship. He says, "I went through a trying moment in a relationship which nag-crumble.
Ako 'yung naiwan na hindi ko alam kung saan ko ilulugar ang sarili ko. I was a kinda disappointed."
"I wouldn't say on the rebound, but I was upset," Rico explains his state of mind then. "I said to myself, I wouldn't go for a relationship." Little did he know that he would break that promise, especially since he was starting to see Claudine in a different, more special way.
"A few days after, it was another shooting day of Dahil Mahal na Mahal Kita. Coincidentally, Claudine at that time was extra, extra nice to me. The following day, gano'n na naman, extra, extra effort. Sabi ko, baka ito na nga. I started courting her. I asked her out on a date. We picked up from there."
Rico says that he and Claudine ordered take-out food from the restaurant and had dinner at her condominium unit. Says Rico, "Ang gusto ko, kung puwede, mag-take-out food from a restaurant and had dinner at her condominium unit. Says Rico, "Ang gusto ko, kung puwede, mag-take out and eat forever. For me that's date is not the ambience, rather the comfort of the place and the striking conversation."
And how did dinner go? "Kuwentuhan in the process of having dinner. The conversation went very well," he smiles. The two started dating.
"Puso'y, okay ka!"
Rico was definitely attracted. "Malambing and yet hindi niya sinasadya," is how he describes Claudine's ways. "Inherent lang talaga na malambing siya. 'Yung pagiging malambing, not too many girls are like that," he says.
Rico explains his point. "There are girls kasi na if, for example, pawis 'yung likod mo, and they like you or they love you, pinupunasan 'yung likod mo. With Claudine, whether she likes you, she loves you, or you're just a friend, she'll offer to do that. Not because she's out to send the wrong signals, but because she's really like that."
Claudine, for her part, thought Rico a very nice fellow. "Thoughtful siya. Ever since naman. He's very thoughtful and sweet." During shoots and tapings, Rico would bring Claudine food. He would also make sure she got home safely by calling her or texting.
So when did the two co-workers and friends become boyfriend and girlfriend? The usually glib Rico Yan suddenly turns into a man of few words. "There was a formal proposal� Puso'y, okay ka!� NO, hindi naman gano'n, pero may formal proposal."
Claudine laughs, "It was so funny. Siya lang yata ang may alam noong time na 'yon na girlfriend na niya ako."
She recalls la crucial moment she was having dinner with a group, which included several male friends. As fate would have it, Claudine was spotted by Rico's cousins. "But Rico knew where I was going. I told him exactly na ito 'yung location kung saan ako kakain, kung sino ang kasama ko," she clarifies.
"Tinext niya ako na 'My cousins saw you with like this, like that and some guys.' Ako naman, 'Yeah, what did they say?' Kasi iniisip ko baka sinabi ng cousins niya, "Yan ba ang dine-date mo, eh, puro lalaki ang kasama? Sabi niya, 'Wala, I know aobut it and I told them that you were my girlfriend.'"
"WHATEVER SUCCESS CLAUDINE HAS GARNERED DURING TIME TOGETHER GOES BACK TO ME. HER SUCCESS MEANS HINDI AKO NAGKULANG SA LOVE KO SA KANYA." - RICO
Claudine could not believe Rico's message, "Teka muna, girlfriend niya ako?" A few months later, Claudine wanted to make sure and so asked Rico, "Can you tell me na talaga? Can you ask me?" On March 4, 1998, Rico and Claudine officially became a couple.
To this day, Claudine can't get Rico's "ploy" out of her mind. She still gets a laugh out of it whenever she remembers. "Ayaw pa niyang aminin na gano'n ang ginawa niya. Weird talaga 'yon. Me katok. Sobra!"
Rituals
Like regular couples, Rico and Claudine have developed their own set of rituals and activities.
Every Friday night, whenever their busy schedule permits, they would buy pizza, rent a DVD, and watch it at either Rico's or Claudine's place. "We usually watch comedies and action movies," Claudine volunteers. "Pero minsan pinagbibigyan niya ako sa drama."
They also find time to cook for each other. Rico swears by Claudine's pasta dishes. "she makes 'kick-ass' pasta!" he says proudly.
When Claudine is sick, Rico cooks chicken soup for her. "Kapag taping or shooting, sasaglit lang siya during dinner break or lunch break at magluluto ng soup," says Claudine.
Zel Samson, line producer of Star Cinema's Gotta Believe In Magic, Rico's and Claudine's fifth movie together, describes how the couple is on set. "Sabay silang kumain. Si Claudine binabaunan niya ng pagkain si Rico. She prepares Rico's vitamins and makes sure that he takes them at the right time of the day. Naggigisingan kapag wake-up time. They take care of each other."
They call each other "honey." He calls her his queen, princess, darling, sweetness. "Pretty. I also call her pretty," says Rico. "She doesn't like cutie." She calls him sweetie, baby, tikoy. "Pag galit ako, Rico," Claudine says seriously.
Fights
Claudine and Rico hardly fight. Both attribute this to her patience and tolerance. "Kasi mahaba ang pasensiya ko, sobra. I hardly speak 'pag masama ang loob ko. Pero 'pag nagsalita ako, dere-derecho," reveals Claudine.
"Meron din akong mood swings. Marami din siya no'n. Bigayan lang talaga. 'Pag siya ang inaatake, quiet lang ako. 'Pag ako'ng inaatake, quiet lang siya. Hindi namin pinasasabay. May kailangang mag-give way."
According to Mitch A�asco. Claudine's friend of five years, when the two do have clashes, they're usually about "petty things like hindi nag-text or 'di sumasagot ng calls. No big fights, really."
When they have disagreements, they simply give each other space. Claudine would "hide" from Rico. "Para akong lalaki kung magalit. Hindi ako nagpapakita," says Claudine. "What's nice with Rico is that he would always find me."
"As a nice I may seem, sakit ako sa ulo ng babaing 'yan," Rico says matter-of-factly. "I'm glad she has the patience to stick with me."
The future
"It's been a roller coaster," Rico says of their time together. "It ups and downs, lefts and rights, your fights and everything. I guess it's like any other relationship." Claudine never thought that she and Rico would last this long. "Akala ko itong relationship na ito hindi magtatagal. It was more of friendship, companionship. Marunong pala siyang mag-commit," Claudine says.
"After being with Claudine, I became committal," admits Rico. "Parang before, I made a point to go out at least twice a week, go to any nightspot with a lot of chicks. Where as now, after I got into a relationship, that stopped and I'm not looking for it."
And though marriage has crossed their minds, for now trying the knot remains a hazy possibility. As Rico puts it, "I am not prepared magpakasal, pero kapag magpapakasal ako, iko-condition ko ang utak ko na kakayanin ko, no matter what. Kailangan ko ng condition na ganu'n. And wala akong gan'on." Claudine muses: "Rico would make a perfect husband and a perfect father, pero ayaw kong ma-disappoint kasi open ako sa gano'n. Ayokong ma-disappoint."
Rico is not far behind. Pledging unwavering love for Claudine, he declares earnestly: "Ang sa akin ngayon, ang thinking ko, may girlfriend ako, mamahalin ko." To both, what is important is that they have each other.
Claudine, the more reticent of the two, nevertheless sums up their romance best: "Meron kang ka-partner sa lahat 'pag masaya ka, 'pag sad ka. meron kang ka-partner."
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