Chiz proposes to Heart with heart-shaped heirloom ring

It felt like déjà vu.

Two Saturdays ago on national television, Dingdong Dantes fell on his knees and, buckling a bit, proposed to Marian Rivera on her eponymous dance show on GMA 7 and slipped into her dainty finger a Harry Winston ring. It was Dingdong’s way of formalizing the proposal, this time witnessed by both his and Marian’s families, after the first which was done at the Butterfly Dome in Macau in 2012 during a sweethearts’ holiday. They have set their wedding for Dec. 30 at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Cubao, Quezon City, where the Danteses usually hear Mass on Sundays, the church being a stone’s throw from their home.

Last Saturday, the same romantic scene was enacted, this time with Sen. Chiz Escudero on his knees, his eyes fixed on his girlfriend Heart Evangelista’s tear-drenched face as he slipped into her finger a heart-shaped ring said to be a family heirloom that came from Chiz’s mother, Elvie Escudero, who, together with Chiz’s twin kids Quino and Chesi, were around to give Chiz moral support. The twins are Chiz’s children with ex-wife Tintin Flores who is happy with her new love who is a member of a popular dance group. Their marriage was annulled by both the state and the church.

As in the case of Dingdong and Marian, Chiz’s proposal was long overdue, done not on national television but at the Escuderos’ house in Sorsogon and witnessed not by the whole world but, aside from Chiz’s mom and kids and his sister and her kids, only by the lovers’ close friends including Alessandra de Rossi and sweethearts Lovi Poe and Rocco Nacino.

Heart’s father (whom she last saw during his recent birthday) sent her this message: Hi Heart. Congratulations. Heard the news and I just wanted to wish you well. It seems like yesterday when you were just a little girl. Now you are all grown up, on your own and engaged. As a father, I wish you all the happiness, love and blessings in the world. Only you deserve the best. I love you very much. Dad.

Although not yet in good terms with Heart, her mom (reportedly doesn’t like Chiz for Heart), sent a message to Heart who hasn’t made it public yet. Maybe she’ll do so when she returns to her co-hosting job on Startalk on Saturday, Aug. 30.

Heart said that she would have loved to hear the proposal at the foot of Eiffel Tower during their recent extended vacation in Paris, but Chiz failed her — for a reason. Unknown to Heart, Chiz in connivance with Heart’s close friends have been planning the proposal for months and found a good timing last Saturday.

“Chiz and Heart flew to Sorsogon last Thursday for a vacation with Chiz’s folks since it was a long weekend,” said somebody privy to the “secret plan.” On Friday, without Heart’s knowledge, some of her friends started arriving in Sorsogon. Alessandra, Lovi with Rocco and some of Chiz’s friends from Manila arrived on Saturday. “The proposal happened at 8 o’clock Saturday night,” continued the eyewitness. “Heart thought that it was a simple, regular dinner at the Escudero home. Then, music started playing and one of Heart’s friends from Manila led her to the dining area where Chiz and company were waiting.

“Lovi and Rocco appeared, followed by Alessandra. Chiz walked in with his family led by his mom. As Chiz read the message from Heart’s dad, Heart melted in tears. Chiz told his son Quino to take out the heirloom ring. Chiz held it before Heart and fell on his knees, asking Heart, ‘Will you marry me?’ Of course, Heart said, ‘Yes!’” That signaled the lighting of a fireworks display that lit up the Sorsogon skies, coupled with the well-wishers’ cheering that reverberated beyond the walls of the house where Chiz grew up.

The proposal capped a two-year romance that started when Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago introduced Chiz to Heart.

Unlike in the case of Dingdong and Marian, the newly-engaged Chiz and Heart haven’t set a wedding date. The guess is that it might be held maybe on Feb. 14 (Valentine’s Day) next year, Heart’s birth date, just a year and three months before the May 2016 elections in which Chiz is reportedly running for a higher position. In an interview, Heart said in jest that she would love to be First Lady, without specifying whether of Sorsogon or of the Philippines. Your guess is as good as anybody’s.

Incidentally, did you know that it was his former wife Tintin’s singing that won Chiz’s heart during Tintin’s stint at the Sulo Hotel? Don’t look now but wouldn’t it add a dash of romance and nostalgia if Tintin sang at the wedding while Chiz and Heart walked down the aisle?

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