Untold Pinoy Story No. 9

Beyond Sibling Rivalry

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If your siblings are married to huge celebrities and you've just lost your chance of marrying one, would you still strive to surpass their feat?

But how could you beat being married to an award-winning actress whose mother is a beautiful actress and whose father is the original Agent X-44 of Philipine movies?

Or being the wife of Mr. Pure Energy?

Or being Mr. Megastar?

Now, aren’t you glad that you're not one of the Pangilinan siblings?

Former Penthouse Live co-host and newspaper columnist Anthony Pangilinan married Maricel Laxa, an excellent actress who is the lovechild of circa 60s actress Imelda Ilanan and action star Tony Ferrer. She is also the half-sister of 1990 Miss Asia runner-up Mutya Crisostomo Laxa.

Anthony’s brother, Senator Francis Pangilinan, was a campus figure in UP Diliman. He was the chairman of the UP Student Council in 1986. He married no less than the megastar, Sharon Cuneta.

Their sister, Angeli Pangilinan, was a campus beauty and brain while she was a student at the UP School of Economics in Diliman. Angeli married Mr. Pure Energy himself, Gary Valenciano.

REWIND: In the early 80s, teenager Edgardo José Martín Santiago Valenciano or Gary V. to most of us, fell deeply in love with a teenage girl who eventually became his girlfriend. Gary’s true love, they said. And they really looked perfect together. Their friends said that they were truly meant for each other. They were the picture of pure bliss. But not for long.

Few weeks before Gary’s first major concert in 1984, a female singer became pregnant. And Gary was the alleged father. Gary did not deny it. At 19, Gary joined the growing list of unwed teenage fathers.

Gary’s former girlfriend was shocked upon hearing about Gary’s indiscretion. She felt betrayed by Gary and the female singer. Gary’s former girlfriend was devastated.

The pregnant singer who bore Gary’s child was a former Camay girl who joined the ultra exclusive league of several generations of Camay beauties from the first Camay girl Paquita Roces to her two daughters, Maritess Revilla (Ang lahat ay napapalingon… At muling napapalingon) and Rosie Revilla to actress Rosa Rosal’s daughter Toni Rose Gayda (Kutis porcelana) to concert pianist Ingrid Sala Santamaria’s daughter Crispy Santamaria to a few others. The female singer indeed looked devastatingly beautiful in her memorable Camay TV commercial. But there was a teeny weeny objection among his friends: She was too old for the teenage and vibrant Gary whose popularity was just beginning to zoom up.

Everybody knows that the female singer who became pregnant with Gary’s child was María Anna Elizabeth Nepomuceno Pangilinan. In 1985, Gary exchanged vows with the female singer who is more popularly known by her nickname: Angeli.

Angeli retired from her singing group, Music and Magic. Angeli sacrificed her flourishing singing career and left behind her fellow Music and Magic members led by jeepney driver’s daughter-turned-nurse-turned-singer Kuh Ledesma, tenor singer-turned-Music and Magic co-founder-turned-musical director Jet Montelibano and singer-turned-comedian-turned TNT-turned-bogus political asylum seeker-turned-Michael Garfinkel endorser Fe de los Reyes. Angeli decided to become a full-time wife to Gary, baby Paolo’s Mom and Gary’s talent manager.

Meanwhile, the pain of losing Gary has left Gary’s former girlfriend in deep shock. Gary and his new bride tried to comfort her but Gary’s former girlfriend was inconsolable.

PLAY: Gary Valenciano’s most inspired and most popular composition was first heard as the theme song of a Vilma Santos movie before it became the title of an Aga Muhlach-Lea Salonga film and later, the title of a Kim Chiu-Gerald Anderson TV soap opera. The haunting melody and melancholy lyrics of this beautiful song make one wonder where Gary drew the passion and longing for lost love which every line of this song clearly evokes. Listen:

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Sana maulit muli

Ang mga oras nating nakaraan

Bakit nagkaganito

Naglaho na ba ang pag-ibig mo?

Sana'y maulit muli

Sana bigyan pansin ang himig ko

Kahapon, bukas, ngayon

Tanging wala ng ibang mahal

Kung kaya kong iwanan ka

'Di na sana aasa pa

Kung kaya kong umiwas na

'Di na sana lalapit pa

Kung kaya ko sana

Ibalik ang kahapon

Sandaling 'di mapapantayan

Huwag sana nating itapon

Pagmamahal na tapat

Kung ako'y nagkamali minsan

'Di na ba mapagbibigyan

O giliw, dinggin mo ang nais ko, oooh...

Kung kaya kong iwanan ka

'Di na sana aasa pa

Kung kaya kong umiwas na

'Di na sana lalapit pa

Kung kaya ko sana

Ito ang tanging nais ko

Ang ating kahapon sana maulit muli

Kung kaya kong iwanan ka

'Di na sana aasa pa
Mahal pa rin kita

O giliw, o giliw ko, oooh...

This song was originally written by Gary in English. Ironically, the one who translated it to Tagalog was Gary’s wife, Angeli.

FAST FORWARD: Now, Gary has three grown-up children with Angeli. On the other hand, Gary’s former girlfriend is now known as Mrs. Buizon. She occasionally hosts a show on TV.

The pain has eased. Somehow. But the former lovers get to see each other regularly. They meet at her Mom’s house during important occasions: Christmas. New Year. Birthday of Mrs. Buizon’s mother. Mrs. Buizon’s birthday. Gary’s birthday. Holidays. Easter Sunday. Every Sunday, in fact.

Gary’s equally famous in-laws were witnesses to the former lovers’ meetings. But they do not mind at all.

Gary’s wife, Angeli, does not make a fuss over it.

Even the family matriarch, retired public school teacher Mommy Emma, is not bothered by it.

But the truth is, they could not prevent the former lovers from seeing each other.

Because Gary’s former girlfriend has to join her mother, siblings and in-laws during important family occasions.

And because Gary’s former girlfriend was Felichi Buizon.

And because, before she got married, Gary’s former girlfriend was known as Felichi Pangilinan.

And yes, because Felichi Pangilinan-Buizon is the younger sister of Angeli Pangilinan-Valenciano.

And none of us would probably ever know the rest of this story.

OFF

Original images from yahoo.com, digitalbits.com