In Dimples Romana’s latest vlog post dated October 16, she and her husband Boyet have been thinking of how to thank their household help, Ate V (short for Vilma), who has been with them for 17 years. The video started off with the couple sitting in their car, “We’re very excited today. We are going to do a house tour of our newest property. Excited kami i-share sa inyo ngayon.” This episode is special because their special guest is their Ate V who helps in deciding their house-and-lot purchases.
With Dimples being out of the house most of the time for tapings, Ate V has stepped up to help take care of their family. Boyet also added that, when Ate V joined them, their daughter Cali was just five months old then. “Bihira na makasama sa bahay na we treat as a family,” she shares about Ate V who really cares for their family and whom the family can trust. Dimples also adds, “Rule namin sa bahay, bawal magsinungaling, kahit white lies. Si Ate V, never nagsinungaling.”
The couple also admitted that they went through tough times to the point that they only got to pay Ate V her salary after seven months. Dimples even shared that she advised Ate V to go home since they didn’t have enough money to pay her then. “Ok lang, nandito lang ako,” replied Ate V.
The video then moved on to show Ate V (who Dimples convinced by paying her a talent fee of P6,000), her first participation in the couple’s vlog. “Ako pala si Vilma, nagtratrabaho ako bilang kasambahay nila Dimples. Sobrang bait nila sa akin. Sa tagal ko sa kanila, wala akong masabi sa kanila. Super bait ng mag-asawa sa akin,” confirming how smooth their 17-year relationship has been. She continues by saying she also dreams of having her own house, “kahit papano, aalis ako sa kanila, may matuluyan ako.”
The vlog shifted to the couple and Ate V going down to check the house. Checking each part of the house and starting downstairs, Ate V already liked how it looked like—giving funny side comments on how “cute” the kitchen was and that it was just the right size for her. Even the first room on the second floor, she found it enough for her to live in, “kasyang kasya ako dito. Pang akin ata ito.”
Little did she know that the family was really going to give the house and lot to her. When she opened the second room, she saw a standee of herself with foil letter balloons which spelled out “Oo, para sa yo ito” taped on the wall. Ate V started crying, “Para sa akin ba yan? Hala! Hindi ko inaasahan. Nagulat lang ako Dimps.” Dimples started crying as well, “Gusto ko happy ka Ate V.”
The couple was then interviewed after the surprise, explaining that they’ve always said ‘thank you’ to their Ate V, but it wasn’t enough. “Hindi biro yun 17 years na kasama natin siya,” says Dimples who, being the eldest, treated Ate V as her older sister who really took care of her whole family. “Masaya ako na naibalik namin sa kanya lahat ng pagmamahal na binigay nya sa amin all these years.”