Cristine Reyes and Marco Gumabao: ‘We’ve been talking about our future together’

When it comes to love, you don’t really know who you’re going to fall for!

That’s what exactly happened to Cristine Reyes who drew flak when she and Marco Gumabao went public with their romance last year.

Cristine was criticized after the portion of my interview with her in 2019 resurfaced on the Internet. The question had something to do with Marco. I asked Cristine whether Marco should be “jojowain (become a lover) o totropahin (become a friend).”

Her response was “Totropahin. Sobrang bata pa ni Marco. Ano ako, cougar?”

Fast-forward to the present. Cristine no longer considers Marco a “tropa” but a “jowa.”

“Kasi noong time na ‘yun, talaga namang way younger sa akin si Marco. Parang feeling ko kung tatanungin mo ko noong time na ‘yun, I think same answer pa rin pero ngayon kasi,” said Cristine whom Marco teased by adding, “kasi s’yempre tumanda na ako.”

Marco is five years younger than Cristine. Should it really matter? No!

Their love story began in January of last year, with Marco revealing that they initially went out on dates.

“We’re not official (in a relationship) yet at that time but we’re dating. Kumbaga, we’re preserving it and enjoying na kaming dalawa lang ang may alam.”

They then began posting photos of them together on their social media accounts only last April.

The couple’s respective families are equally happy for them. In fact, Cristine is very close to the actor’s family.

“We also hang out with her family,” Marco shared. “One time, we brought her mom to church and that was a very memorable experience for us because it was the first time for my mom to meet her mom.

“Sobrang click ‘yung mom ko and mom niya, nag-uusap sila na parang they had their own bubble. We were so happy just watching them. It was a very touching sight to see,” he added.

Marco also gets along fine with Cristine’s daughter Amarah. He narrated, “We’re also close and the funny thing was the first time I and Cristine met and worked with each other was in a teleserye and that time, Amarah was still a baby and she would always bring Amarah to work.”

“So, technically, I saw Amarah grow up. I always have a sweet spot for her kahit noong bata pa lang s’ya at ‘yun pala ito pala ‘yung reason,” he added.

With Cristine’s sister Ara Mina, Marco said they are friends since they got to work together several times in the past.

Cristine knows that maintaining a strong relationship requires constant communication because “it’s important and also, building trust. It can’t be built in a day (but) it should be every day.”

Trust, in any relationship, is truly important and the lack of it can lead to conflict.

Marco said that they stay loyal to each other “because we always talk about God. It’s always important to have God at the center of your relationship.”

Are Cristine and Marco already talking about marriage?

“Of course, we’ve been talking about our future together. The details, konti-konti lang, pero ‘yung mas longer (view), ‘yun ‘yung napag-uusapan namin,” replied Marco.

By the way, Cristine’s marriage to Amarah’s dad and mixed martial artist Ali Khatibi has been annulled for more than a year already. The two got married in 2016 but rumors about their separation began to circulate two years after.

“I didn’t announce it. It’s not something I should celebrate,” the actress said.