Elizabeth: Last but not the least?

This time, or so Elizabeth Oropesa hopes and prays, it’s for keeps, for better or for worse, till death…

"The whole world knows that I’ve had many men before," Elizabeth told Funfare, "but it’s only now that I can say that I’m really, really, really in love. Ngayon lang ako nakaramdam ng kilig; noon, wala. I’ve never felt this kind of kilig before, not with any of the men I was involved with."

Elizabeth, 48 (last July 17), has a good reason to be so kilig (thrilled and excited). Her new husband, Joel Valdez, 26 (not 23 as earlier reported), is as goodlooking as, even better-looking than, most actors, no wonder La Oro (as Elizabeth is fondly called by friends) has gone ga-ga over him – and vice-versa – seeing to it that they ended up at the altar. They exchanged "I do’s" at a beach in Taft, Eastern Samar, Joel’s hometown, last Friday (Nov. 8).

"We wanted it to be a quiet wedding," added Elizabeth who clarified reports, short of calling her a "serial bride," that it’s her fifth marriage. "Third lang. Doon sa first, nabiyuda ako; doon naman sa second, divorced ako." She didn’t elaborate.

She has three grown-up children – Henry, a nurse, from her first marriage; Guinevieve (a.k.a. Princess) by boyfriend Mark Roces; and Gabriel, by Chinese action star Meng Fei from whom Elizabeth is divorced. She has an adopted son, Louie, now married.

Six-footer Joel, who’s half-Chinese (Cui is his real surname, with Valdez an adopted surname by his grandfather when the old man applied for naturalization), is mukhang-artista, very fit and, according to Elizabeth, "very sexy, nakaka..." He’s a Physical Therapy graduate from Fatima College and has worked in several hospitals before he became the PT of a gym at BF Homes Parañaque where he and Elizabeth first crossed paths one and a half years ago.

"At first," recalled Elizabeth who has a fondness for younger men, "I would notice him stealing glances at me sa mirror. Tingin siya nang tingin sa akin. He’s very shy. Ligaw tingin. His friends were telling me that Joel was too shy to approach and talk to me dahil poor lang daw siya. I’d find out later that he’s not really poor. In fact, their family owns three mini-supermarkets in Samar and one moviehouse. He has one brother and one sister, both married."

Joel was born in Samar but he spent his childhood both in Samar (where his father, deceased, came from) and in Masbate (where his mom, Juliet Valdez, hails from). He came to Manila to study and has since settled on his own, living in his own house in Sucat, Parañaque, and later renting a bachelor’s pad somewhere in Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City, to be near Elizabeth.

"What I like about Joel, besides his thoughtfulness and his being mature, more mature than me I guess, is that he respects me and my family. Never ’yan natulog sa bahay ko. He started sleeping in my house only after our wedding. Ako ang natutulog sa bahay niya," said the brutally-frank Elizabeth.

The ligaw-tingin, encouraged by Elizabeth, graduated to coffee dates ("Never kaming nagpunta sa disco"), kuwento-kuwento lang kami, until he mustered enough courage to visit me at home. Talagang niligawan niya ako. He soon became close to my mom (Flordeliza Freeman) and my kids. He’s a responsible man."

Luckily, Elizabeth was free when they met, and so was Joel. She had broken up with bold actor Danny Ramos (a Ginoong Filipinas finalist) and Joel with his girlfriend ("His very first and only girlfriend"). They met at the right time – and at the right place (the gym).

"He has a beautiful body," said Elizabeth. "Kitang-kita naman. Obvious naman, di ba?"

Elizabeth and her mom, along with some of the principal sponsors, flew to Tacloban City and traveled three hours on rough road to Taft for the wedding set according to the advice of a feng shui expert. Elizabeth wore a knee-length white dress designed by Fanny Serrano and Joel a Barong Tagalog also done by Fanny. It was a very typical Waray wedding highlighted by the courtship dance Curacha during which the bride and the groom dance with different partners while well-wishers pin peso bills on the bride’s dress and the groom’s barong.

"Umabot ng P120,000 ang perang ipinikit sa amin," said Elizabeth.

Dispensing with their honeymoon (kailangan pa ba?), Elizabeth buckled right down to work for the GMA soap Sana ay Ikaw na Nga and, among other movies, OctoArts Films’ Lastikman (starring Vic Sotto in the title role, with Donita Rose as love interest), and so did Joel.

"This will be my last marriage," said Elizabeth, keeping her fingers crossed, I suspect. "I think I’ve finally found the right man for me. I pray that this is ‘it’ at sana hindi ako magbago."

Funfare is wishing the same for Elizabeth who has been jokingly dubbed as "the Elizabeth Taylor of the Philippines" because of her penchant for marrying.

At 48, does she still plan to have a baby?

"Why not?" Elizabeth broke into a big laugh. "As soon as possible!"

Joel can learn a lot from her on that score, I’m sure!

Stay-in Party, Anyone?

This is an invitation to Baby Boomers – and their children.

Al Tantay and Edgar Mortiz’s Banana Pilipinas Co., Inc. is holding a "stay-in" party called Let’s Do it d’70s Way on Nov. 30 (a Saturday), from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m., featuring the bands Q&A, Ugoy-Ugoy, Labuyo and Spirit of ’67, with Ariel Ureta as host. The venue is Le Pavilion on Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City.

The event is calculated to be nostalgic, what with songs from the ’70s drawn up to keep everybody misty-eyed even as they dance – and sing – the night away.

"The ’70s will be recreated not only through songs but also through the décor and the motif," said Al who was a teener during the sizzling ’70s when the Beatles and other pop groups were the rage, bell bottoms were the fashion and curfew was the order of the day.

"Guests can come in ’70s attire," said Edgar, a true-blue Baby Boomer, "puwedeng naka-Metrocom, naka-hotpants, naka-mini, naka-clogs o naka-bell-bottom. Everybody is guaranteed to have fun. Come one, come all!"

At exactly 12 midnight of Nov. 30, siren will go off to signal "curfew time" and guests will be asked to get their "curfew passes" from a counter of the Bantay-Bata (beneficiary of the event) for a few bucks as donation.

Ariel Ureta was chosen as host because wasn’t he a prominent figure of Martial Law days (remember his famous line, "Sa ikauunlad ng bayan, bisekleta ang kailangan")?

For ticket inquiries and more information, call 891-5610 or 0918-9301945 (look for Olive Salamante).