Heart, Chiz: Our family just got bigger

MANILA, Philippines — Actress Heart Evangelista and Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero’s family just “got a little bigger” as they are expecting their first baby.

Barely nine months from now, Chiz will be a father for the third time as his wife, Heart, confirmed on her Instagram account yesterday, on the eve of Mother’s Day, that she’s finally pregnant.

The much-awaited announcement was accompanied by a picture of the couple showing Heart holding a Dior baby dress that left no hint about the baby’s gender. The picture was taken at the sala of Heart’s multi-million-peso house in New Manila which, Chiz has been saying all along, was built from Heart’s earnings alone.

“It’s her house,” he would say, but those in the know suspect that Chiz contributed to the construction. They lived separately while the house was being built, Heart in her condo unit also in the same area and Chiz in his bachelor’s pad nearby.

“We do sleepovers,” Chiz admitted in an interview with The STAR.

Chiz has fraternal twin-kids, Chesi and Quino, with his ex-wife theater actress Christine Flores, born almost 11 years ago in October, which is Chiz’s birth month. They ended their 10-year marriage in 2010, announced only (exclusively in The STAR) in 2011. The kids are staying with Chiz and Christine visits them regularly.

Heart is due to give birth in February next year when she and Chiz celebrate their third wedding anniversary. Their wedding was solemnized last Feb. 15, 2015, at the exclusive Balesin Island in Quezon province.

Motherhood won’t actually be something new to Heart since she has been a good stepmom to Chiz’s twins.

“You see,” Heart has been saying in interviews, “I’m having a lot of practice already.”

Also in interviews, Heart said she wanted to have two kids while Chiz insisted that he wanted five. With the arrival of his third child, Chiz needs just two more to match the number of kids that he wished for.

The guess is that the couple deliberately delayed having a child prior to the expiration of Heart’s endorsement contracts. She has also been busy with shows in GMA-7, her home studio. But she begged off from more shows after her last one, “My Korean Jagiya,” because she was dead-set on having a baby. It’s not known if she and Chiz were into family planning.

Since his term as senator is ending, Chiz will have ample time to attend to his pregnant wife.

“No,” Chiz admitted in an interview with The STAR, “I am not running for any other position in 2019. I am planning to join the private sector.”

Heart also denied rumors that she might run for either mayor of Sorsogon City or for congresswoman of Sorsogon, which Chiz represented in the House before he became a senator.

In her Instagram account, Heart posted this message: “The greatest blessing all in God’s perfect timing! Our beautiful family just got a little bigger. We can’t wait to meet you, little one.” – With Paolo Romero