PINGGOT ZULUETA

We all know his story or seem to have a vague idea about it. Manila Vice-Mayor and actor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso grew up in the slums of Parola, Tondo—deprived of a childhood that was supposed to be carefree and fun. Instead, fate gave him bigger tribulations even an average adult would really feel sorry and clueless about…but only for a while.

At age 10, Isko had to resort to scavenging because his family lived poorer than a mouse. He recalls scouring the mountains of garbage at Smokey Mountain, pushing a cart and going from house-to-house to collect newspapers and bottles and reselling the “treasures” he had found to a  junk dealer in Binondo.  

“Noong una, sama-sama lang ako tapos noong kalaunan, nag-iisa na lang ako. Kapag may sunog, nauuna rin kami dyan. Kinukuha namin ‘yung mga nasunog na kaldero kasi aluminum ‘yun eh at nabebenta rin namin ‘yun,” Isko says. “Nakakaraos naman kami ng pandagdag ng gastos sa bahay.”

Seeing as how his being a scavenger proved helpful for his family, Isko continued on being so until his early high school days but stopped when he realized he couldn’t take his classmates’ teasing. “Binibiro at niloloko ako ng mga kaklase ko. With all honesty and I swear to God, tinatawag nila akong mayor. You know why? Ang Mayor Mel Lopez kasi dati may programang ‘Let’s keep Manila clean and green,’ so sort of saying na hakutin ang basura eh siyempre basurero ako…nagbibinata na ako eh kaya nahihiya at napapahiya na ako.”

What Isko did was to “promote” himself as a sidecar boy. “Mula high school hanggang maka-graduate, nagsa-sidecar ako lagi. Kahit na naghahanapbuhay ako, hindi ako natigil ng pag-aaral,” he tells. “Una, dahil hindi papayag ang nanay ko. Pangalawa,  dahil sa iniisip ko na tanging edukasyon lang ang pwedeng makatulong sa akin para makaahon ako sa kahirapan.”

True enough, Isko graduated from high school in 1992. A year after and while attending a wake, he was discovered by talent scout Wowie Roxas and convinced him to enter the entertainment industry. “Hindi na rin ako tumanggi kasi pag-aartista ‘yun eh, naisip ko yayaman ako dito,” he reveals. “Nag-audition ako sa That’s Entertainment at natanggap naman ako. Doon na nagbago ang buhay ko.”

Isko became part of German Moreno’s stable of young artists who performed in a daily variety show that Kuya Germs hosted. Later, Isko would gain a following, would start filming movies, and would become a household name in showbiz. Asked for his reaction to this sudden twist of fate, Isko laughingly answers, “Aba, siyempre kinikilig-kilig ka pa kasi artistahin ka na eh. Tuwang-tuwa rin ang nanay ko. Alam niyo naman na ang magulang kapag napabubuti ang anak eh masaya na.”

But even if Isko has good looks, the naïve and honest charm that is disarming, that didn’t impress the girls he first fancied. In high school, all the girls he courted turned him down even if he made the best effort to win their hearts. Letting a crush copy from his notes and spending his 50-cent baon for hair gel instead on snacks just to appear suave didn’t help. “Siyempre iniisip nila wala naman akong pang-date at hindi ako maporma,” Isko says. “Mahina rin akong manligaw eh. Wala eh, basted talaga!”

Love was elusive from him at first—until he met Diana Lynn ‘Dynee’ Ditan. The first time Isko laid eyes on Dynee, he was smitten. He even asked their common friend to introduce him to her. Dynee was aware of who Isko was—she knew he was a councilor at the time and was an artista. When their common friend informed her that Isko wanted to be introduced to her, her reaction was, “Ha ha, nagpapatawa ka!”

She wasn’t impressed with his good looks and status, so after their introduction, Dynee ignored him. But all throughout the night, Isko would stare at Dynee and butt in on her conversations. She got so pissed off that she decided to embarrass him in front of her friends. She told him, “Alam mo, I know you. I just saw your movie in Cinema One a few days ago. Ang baduy ng movie!” Dynee thought that was it. Isko would get mad at her and leave her be, but she was wrong. Isko simply laughed and agreed with her, “Ganoon talaga ‘yun!”

When the night ended, a lady vendor approached Dynee and gave her flowers. “Ma’am, pinabibigay po ni Sir Isko,” was what the lady said. Isko even called her up on the way home, inquiring about her safety.

The next few days, Isko would keep on calling her. He even got hold of her class schedule, and patiently waited for her on campus. His relentless pursuit only derived one reaction from Dynee: “Eww, ang baduy!” Isko counters, “Kapag in love ka, nagpapasiklab ka dapat eh. Love is your driving force to be good.”

But the magnetism between Isko and Dynee was undeniable for when he asked her out to dinner, she said yes. They went on several other dates, until Dynee began shutting him down. “I felt uneasy. I didn’t even think that he would like me,” she confesses.

One night, Isko called up Dynee and asked where she was. At the bar where Dynee was hanging out, Isko appeared incredibly drunk and was causing a scene. “Ang lakas ng boses niya, nasasapawan pa niya boses ng performer!” recalls Dynee. He was like a broken record that evening, for he repeatedly told her, “Akalain mo, ang dami namang babae diyan. Bakit ikaw pa? Sabi nga nila, karma daw kita.”

Isko was so furious with her rejection that he told her, “I hate you, I hate you, I hate you…because I love you!” Even when they were headed home, Isko kept droning on about karma and how he hates her because he loves her. “Nainis ako, ang ingay niya! Kaya hinalikan ko siya para tumigil na siya,” says Dynee.

The following day, an elated Isko assumed they were already a couple. But Dynee still refused him, insisting she only kissed him because she “wanted to find out if he was a good kisser.”

Undeterred, Isko still continued with his courtship until Dynee realized and accepted the fact that she was in love with him too. “Effective ang kabaduyan niya!” laughs Dynee.

They were only dating for a month when a joke changed the course of the couple’s life. “I wanted to make sure if he was serious, so biniro ko siya. I asked him what he wanted as a birthday gift,” says Dynee. Isko asked for nothing, but Dynee persisted. “Sabi ko sa kanya, gusto mo, pakasal tayo? It was a joke, a dare.”

Isko immediately called his staff and had their marriage arranged. “Malay ko ba na siya yun tipo ng taong hindi mo mabibiro,” Dynee divulges. They agreed on getting married on December 8, had their rings sized and engraved, and even booked a suite for their wedding. There was only one problem: Dynee’s parents didn’t approve of Isko.

Because of this, they planned on getting married in secret, and everything was all set when Dynee’s mother discovered their plans and refused to let Dynee out on December 8. She called Isko, asking him to cancel the wedding because she was barred from leaving their house.

But Isko was adamant on pushing through with the wedding. He waited for her until 2 a.m., and because Dynee was a no-show, Isko got drunk and cried.

They met the following day at Café Adriatico. He asked her, “Gusto mo ba talaga magpakasal?” When Dynee answered yes, Isko just said, “Sige. One of these days, isu-surprise nalang kita.”

And surprise her he did. During the second week of January in 2000, he picked her up from school. Dynee had no clue she was going to get married that day. She was even wearing white sneakers and a plain T-shirt paired with jeans. Dynee even recalls Isko picking her up at exactly 1 o’ clock. They went to Café Havana, and Isko told her, “Mamayang 3 pupunta na dito ang magpapakasal sa atin.”

And so, on January 10, 2000 at the second floor of Cafe Havana, the young couple got married.

They have been married for almost a decade and were blessed with four children—Patrick, Frances, Joaquin, and Franco. The family understands Isko’s busy schedule so spending time with the Vice-Mayor is extremely precious to them.

“He doesn’t have holidays kasi ‘yung trabaho niya walang pinipiling araw,” relates Dynee. “Kaya ‘pag Sunday, bawal siya tumanggap ng trabaho. ‘Pag tumanggap siya ng trabaho, aawayin ko siya plus ‘yung nag-imbita sa kanya.”

On first impressions

He said: Noong nakita ko siya sa opening ng isang restaurant, nagandahan ako sa kanya. Feeling ko ‘yun na! Kaya sabi ko sa kaibigan ko, ipakilala niya ako sa kanya. Nakakatawa lang, naging mutual ‘yung understanding namin.

She said: Akala ko kasi pinagti-tripan nila ako. Hindi rin ako masyadong fanatic sa mga celebrity not unless si Sharon Cuneta siya. Kaya deadma lang ako noong nagpakilala siya.

On parenting

He said: I try to offset things for my kids. May mga oras kasi na ‘yung time ko sa kanila, nailalaan ko sa mga Manileño kasi I’m dedicated to the office and to being a public servant. Kaya naman I try my best to be a good provider to my kids and initiate love at home. Pinapagalitan ko naman ‘yung mga bata kapag may ginawa silang mali. Lagi ko ring pinapaala sa kanila ‘yung mabuting pakikisama sa kapwa at ‘yung pagpapakumbaba (Isko has an artwork of a boy pushing a cart in their home to remind him and his kids of where he came from).

She said: Being a housewife is really my job and my priority. I’m more the disciplinarian, and he’s the spoiler. Ako ang batas sa bahay; kaya kung ano ang sinabi ko, ‘yun ang masusunod.

On each other

He said: She talks very sensibly. She’s a very nice and responsible woman. And when I met her, sabi ko, ‘Sige, I’ll stop here.’ Naramdaman ko kasi rin na gusto kong may mapuntahan naman lahat ng mga pinaghirapan ko.

She said: He’s very responsible. Matanda na kasi ang isip niya. He’s so serious na hindi mo siya pwedeng mabiro. How often can you meet a guy who is so determined? And he likes kids, gustung-gusto niya magka-baby.

On family bonding

He said: We go out every Sunday. Minsan may Sunday na puro toys lang ang bibilhin namin para sa mga bata, next Sunday naman puro damit. We also like going on out-of-town trips, swim, and play. 

She said: The whole family’s addicted to Café World (of Facebook)! Lahat kami, we’d stay in one room, may kanya-kanyang laptop and computer, and magkukulitan na kami. Minsan tatawag pa ‘yung anak ko kay Isko, sasabihin niya, “Papa, my pizza will be done by 2 p.m., but I’m already asleep by that time. Could you do it for me when you get home?”