Beyond the chika of weddings

“Weddings are a few of most people’s favorite things. The grander the wedding and the more prominent or powerful the wedding parties – we are all the more interested and hooked. When politicians marry, however, the event often involves two levels of union — between the families of the bride and groom, and between their political clans or allies or parties.” – MoneyPolitics report, “When politicians wed,” May 2013

NOTHING captures the imagination of people more than weddings – from royalty to showbiz personalities to politicians and actors or actresses – this Church sacrament or civil rite that promises blissful togetherness is to sure to get us interested.

The recent wedding engagement of Philippine Senator Francis Escudero and actress Heart Evangelista had the dominant and social media abuzz. Everyone, it seems, had been a part of the Chiz-Heart romance – since the 44-year-old Escudero confirmed his relationship with Evangelista, who is 15 years his junior, to the estrangement of Heart from her parents who made no secret of their distaste for Chiz.

And, like a fairy-tale romance, despite the odds, Chiz and Heart will finally wed, making their story all the more interesting for Filipinos who are, rightly or wrongly, perceived as romantics.

History is replete with stories of the weddings of politicians. In its story “When politicians wed,” PCIJ also listed some of the celebrity weddings between personalities and politicians including:

Benigno A. Aquino Jr. to Corazon Sumulong Cojuangco in 1954, which remains as one of the most famous political weddings in Philippine history

Ferdinand E. Marcos, a member of the 3rd Congress who would later become president and dictator, and Imelda R. Romualdez

Ralph G. Recto who married movie actress Vilma Santos

Robert Vincent Jude ‘Dodot’ Jaworski Jr. and movie actress Mikaela Maria Antonia ‘Mikee’ R. Cojuangco

Julio ‘Jules’ A. Ledesma IV and movie star Assunta de Rossi

Gerardo L. Roxas, son of President Manuel A. Roxas, and Judy L. Araneta, who comes from a family of hacienderos in Western Visayas

• Francis N. Pangilinan and singer Sharon G. Cuneta
• Manuel ‘Mar’ A. Roxas II and TV host Korina Sanchez
• Juan Miguel ‘Migz’ F. Zubiri and movie star Audrey Tan

READ “WHEN POLITICIANS WED” ON THE MONEYPOLITICS SITE

Escudero’s marriage to his first wife, Christine Elizabeth Flores, was annulled recently. They have two children.

The Philippine Statistics Authority reported that “marriages no longer last for life” in the Philippines. Based on statistics from the 2000 Census of Population and Housing show, the PSA reported:

Of the 57.1 million population 10 years old and over, one percent or 558,023 individuals are either divorced or separated. Forty four percent (25.1 M) are single; 45.7% (26.1M) are married; 4.1% (2.4M) are widowed while 2.4 M or 4.3% are common-law or are in live-in unions or arrangements without the benefit of a marriage ceremony.

READ “WHEN POLITICIANS WED” ON THE MONEYPOLITICS SITE