Marian Rivera is 'wife material,' says rumored boyfriend

“Conservative, family-oriented, down-to-earth and wife material,” this was how the rumored boyfriend of Marian Rivera, John Ervic Manalo Vijandre, described the Kapuso network’s leading actress to The FREEMAN.

This writer got the chance to talk to the guard of the Taguig Batang Global basketball squad during the finals of Liga Pilipinas held at the New Cebu Coliseum last Tuesday.

And it couldn’t be denied that, in person, he does share a striking resemblance with Dingdong Dantes, the loveteam partner of Marian.

“Hindi siya (Marian) nagbago, walang nagbago sa kanya. She still has the same attitude that she had before. She is still the same Marian that I know,” the player-turned-model told The FREEMAN.

Manila media has oft-reported of sightings of the two dating, although not a breath of confirmation has come from Marian’s camp. When pressed to confirm talks of his special relationship with Marian, he said, “Hindi namin pwedeng sabihin na kami. Basta alam ko eight years ko na siyang kilala. We still see and communicate with each other.”

The 6’2 finalist of the Be Bench talent/model search of Bench and ABS-CBN further revealed, “‘Pag may time siya, nagkikita kami, ‘pag may time ako nagkikita din kami. But ngayon, we don’t often see each other kasi sobrang busy niya, but we still have the communication. Hindi talaga nawawala.”

The 22-year-old cager detailed to this writer how he met Marian. They started out as schoolmates at St. Francis of Assisi School in Cavite. He was then in second year high school, while Marian was already in her third year when they became an item. Since then, Ervic has been close to Marian’s family.

“Lumaki kasi yan si Marian sa lola niya. Kaya kung anong ginagawa niya pinapaalam talaga niya sa lola niya. Even way back then, I would often go to her house that’s why I’ve already established closeness with her family,” Ervic said.

Interestingly, before Ervic became part of the Taguig Batang Global squad, he was a former member of the RP Youth baseball team and a member of the De La Salle University basketball Team-B and DLSU’s baseball team Green Batters during his college years. Ervic graduated from DLSU last October with a Bachelor of Arts in Philippine Studies degree, majoring in Filipino Mass Media.

Marian, on the other hand, graduated with a Psychology degree from La Salle Dasmariñas.

With Marian’s undeniable attractiveness and appeal to the opposite sex, did he not try to dissuade her from entering show business where she gets maximum exposure? “Hindi naman, kasi napaka-talented niya talaga kaya hindi ko siya pinigilan,” Ervic said.

And did he not get jealous with the successful and seemingly realistic loveteam of Marian and Dingdong that has had sent tongues wagging?

“Hindi naman, alam ko na trabaho lang ‘yon and I understand the nature of their job. Okay lang ako sa team-up nila,” he said simply.

So, what is the real score between him and Marian? “I don’t want to say anything about it. Mas mabuti kung tanungin ‘nyo na lang si Marian,” ended Ervic.(Special thanks Emmanuel Villaruel, TF sports editor, for helping arrange this exclusive interview and providing the exclusive photos.)