All in The Family

Gone for almost a decade, Rosemarie Sonora arrived first week of June from California for a long-delayed month-long vacation but was prevailed upon by her sister, Susan Roces, to stay until after Susan’s birthday on Saturday, July 28 (which also happens to be The STAR’s 21st anniversary).

While here, Rose resumes her real-life role as lola to Ashley, the six-year-old daughter of Rose’s unica hija Sheryl Cruz and John Norman Bustos, a sheriff in San Francisco where Ashley was born. Rose has two more grandchildren from her son Wowie Christopher and it’s her first time to be a “hands-on” grandma to them.

The widow of Ricky Belmonte (Jessie Cruz in real life), Rose is married to David Loomis, 66, an American divorcee (with two grown-up children from his previous marriage). The couple has moved from Antioch, California, to Watcom County in Washington State where, since two years ago, they lead a quiet life in retirement.

Fondly remembered as a Sampaguita Pictures child star in the ’50s, who played her first-starring role in Ulilang Anghel, Rose was launched with nine other promising starlets as Stars ’66 (including Gina Pareño, Shirley Moreno, Blanca Gomez and the late Loretta Marquez; and the Rodriguez brothers Ramil and Pepito, Bert Leroy Jr., and the late Dindo Fernando and Edgar Salcedo), the predecessors of the ’80s’ Regal Babies, the ’90s’ Star Circle and the New Millennium’s StarStrucks.

Baby Boomers would remember Rose as the girl Rositik caught between Pepito “Pepitik” Rodriguez and Ricky “Rikitik” Belmonte in Sampaguita’s love-triangle young romance-comedies. Two of the top tunes at that time were, maybe by coincidence, titled Rosemarie and Gina, boosting the stock of the two Stars ’66.

Thrice married in 1996, Sheryl and Norman came home with Ashley (six, a prep pupil at St. Paul’s College) in 2004. With Norman’s consent, Sheryl decided to stay and resume her interrupted acting career. The couple has been happily sustaining what Sheryl calls “a bi-continental” relationship since then.

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Rosemarie Sonora talks about life in America and how she and husband David Loomis are enjoying retirement in a cool, quiet little town

You’ve been gone for eight years. What changes have you noticed during this homecoming?

“A lot! Sometimes, I can’t tell where I am. There are so many big buildings where there used to be trees and open spaces. Even Greenhills, ibang-iba na.”

Didn’t you find it hard adjusting to life in the US? Here, you are a senorita. There, you have no maids.

“It was easy. Our parents trained us to adjust to any situation, any place. I went to Los Medanos College in Pittsburgh, California, and took up a course in cosmetology. After nine months, I got my license and started working at a styling salon of JC Penny. Then, my friends and I decided to put up our own hair salon in Antioch, until I decided to retire.”

When did you retire?

“Two years ago. David has also retired, so we decided to move to Watcom County, Washington State, where David used to be a deputy sheriff. He’s 66, a divorcee, and has two grown-up children. He’s already a grandparent like me. He’s pure American, descended from the clan of Daniel Boone. He found out about it when he traced his family tree.”

How has life been in America?

“Well, it’s fun. Watcom County is a nice place. It’s an hour away from the border between California and Canada. The weather is like that of San Francisco, cool the whole year round. There’s a hospital there with a cardiology center which is convenient for us because David is a heart patient; he has undergone angioplasty. I like it there. It’s a nice and quiet place.”

How’s your life like in Watcom County?

“I’m kept busy by many things. I’m a member of our church choir. I’m Catholic and David is a Lutheran, but we have some kind of an interfaith event where we, regardless of religion, get together and sing. I’m a volunteer of the food bank where we prepare food we donate to the shelter of the homeless.”

How and when did you meet David?

“In 1988, more than a year after I arrived in the US. He saw me in church, then he followed me. He was already divorced at that time. He befriended my friend whom he asked to introduce him to me.”

Didn’t you miss showbiz?

“Of course, I did. Showbiz is part of my life. I started acting when I was seven, cast in Sampaguita movies as the little Amalia Fuentes, the little Lolita Rodriguez, the little this and the little that. And then, I won the search launched by Sampaguita for the child who would play the title role in Ulilang Anghel. I did several other movies after that but I quit when I reached what they called the ‘awkward stage’ and came back when I was 14. A few years later, I was launched as a member of Stars ’66. Showbiz is in my blood.”

I remember that your last movie was Eddie Romero’s The King and The Emperor, with the late Vic Vargas as the king. Most of the scenes were filmed in China (at the time Bernardo Bertolluci’s The Last Emperor was also being filmed, part of it at the historic Tiananmen Square before the infamous massacre).

“Not long after doing that movie, I left na for the States, sometime in 1987. The first time I came home was in 1999.”

I’m sure you would get an offer every now and then.

“I did. In fact, I accepted one, (Star Cinema’s) Sana Maulit Muli, which was filmed in the US. I played the mother of Lea (Salonga, with Aga Muhlach as leading man).”

Are you staying in the US for good?

“Yes. All my three children are married and have their own families. Wowie is married and has two children. Patrick, the youngest, is married (to an Australian) but he has no child yet. I have a life of my own, David and I.”

How are you as a grandmother?

“I have three grandchildren, one from Sheryl and two from Wowie. Wowie and his children are here. With Ashley, I’ve been a hands-on grandmother especially when she and her parents were living in San Francisco. I was there everytime and anytime they needed me. Do I spoil my grandchildren? You bet!”

And how were you as a mother? Were you the “spare the rod and spoil the child” kind of parent?

“If I could help it, I never spanked my children. If I did, mild lang; panakot lang, but not really to hurt them. I never asked them to kneel in one corner like other parents would do. We children were brought up very gently. To scare us, our dad would roll a newspaper and pretend to hit us with it when actually he was hitting only the table or the wall.”

What do you miss most about life here?

“My sisters, my family, my friends.”

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Sheryl Cruz clears the rumors about her marriage and thanks her husband, Norman Bustos, for being understanding

You’re home for good, ‘no?

“It seems so. Norman and I, along with Ashley, came home in 2004 for a family reunion organized by Uncle Ronnie (FPJ).”

How long have you and Norman been married?

“We got married three times, first in 1996 with my mom around; we were only in jeans. It was a civil wedding. Then, after a few months, Norman and I came to the Philippines to get married, with my dad around. The following year, we got married in church in the US.”

And you decided to stay after that 2004 homecoming.

“Well, I got good offers...too good to be turned down. Yes, I did miss acting very much. I could see my contemporaries having fun doing old routine and I told Norman about it. In the States, I was doing office work as an accountant...I took up a course in marketing in a US school...and getting decent salary, it wasn’t as fulfilling as acting. Well, showbiz is in my blood and that’s it.”

So the offers started coming...

“The first was from GMA, for Mulawin where I started as a guest until I was made a regular member of the cast. I played the role of an engkantada. The network wanted to cast me in Enkantadia, the show that replaced Mulawin, but I had to beg off because I was leaving for the States. But before that, I did episodes (Ganti and Tinig) for Now & Forever, the daytime show. I’ve done a few other shows since then, including Bakekang and Sinasamba Kita which overlapped with Bakekang. And now, I’m doing Mga Mata ni Anghelita which also overlapped with Sinasamba Kita. I did a movie, too, Regal Films’ Mano Po 3: My Love.”

Are you aware of the rumors that, since you’re here, there must be something wrong with your marriage.

“Oh yes, I’m aware of the rumor. You know, Norman and I are separated only physically. Every married couple goes through a period of adjustment; every day is a learning process. Norman and I are going through a new adjustment now, separated as we are physically. May mga needs na hindi n’yo naibibigay sa isa’t-isa, like intimacy. But I’m glad that my husband understands the situation; I’m thankful to him for that.”

So, your decision to stay here has the blessing of Norman.

“Yes, of course. You know, we are not a perfect couple because there’s no such thing as a perfect couple. We do have arguments but  try to keep our relationship as smooth as we can even if we do get into rough roads every now and then.”

How often do you see each other?

“As often as we can. Norman was here last April (5) to celebrate my birthday with me. On the eve of my birthday, we had a taping for Sinasamba Kita at the Coconut Palace and I invited Norman and Ashley, together with my brother Wowie and his two children, to be there. I was doing the scene where I was supposed to be pushed into the swimming pool and Norman was joking, ‘How I wish I were the one pushing you!’ It was also the time when Norman asked for Ashley to spend a two-month vacation with him after Ashley graduated from pre-school.”

How long will this kind of set-up last?

“For the meantime, it’s going to be a bi-continental relationship, but I can’t tell for how long. I’ve asked the permission of GMA for me to go on a three-week leave. Norman and I are attending my sister-in-law’s wedding in Hawaii. Then, I’ll spend two weeks as a regular wife in San Francisco.”

How are you as a mom?

“I’m a disciplinarian. Even when I’m at work, I try constantly to monitor Ashley; I keep calling her yaya to keep me updated. Now that Ashley’s two lolas are here, my mom and Tita Susan, sa kanila ko ipinauubaya si Ashley.”

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