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Manila Bulletin devider Opinion devider Winners, losers

Winners, losers

Published Dec 4, 2023 10:03 pm

MEDIUM RARE

Jullie Y. Daza

Breaking up is so hard to do... But when it comes to the KathNiel split of the century, the hard-to-do part seems harder on their fans than on the lovers.  When even BBM’s presidential legal counsel and former President Duterte’s “most intelligent mind in the room,” a certain Juan Ponce Enrile, could not but express his shock and dismay over the breakup, we have to admit that a national disaster has just happened.


Kathryn Bernardo, 27, and Daniel Padilla, 28, survived the seven-year itch but not an 11-year relationship. They were a couple for 17 years or for more than half their ages. They were in their teens when they fell in love and stayed together through the thick and thin of married life; their uncoupling was headline stuff along with other bad news. As JPE put it, the shock was as great as when he found out that Samson and Delilah had called it quits.   


According to Marites, there was no third party involved. ABS-CBN asked their fans to respect the pair’s decision and refrain from muddling the facts with fake news.


Still, this story with a sad ending touches the romantic in each of us, so let me share another love story. Lourdes Chua was 25 and Benny Pe Lim was 24 when they met and it was boom! love at first sight. Last Nov. 25, Lourdes, or Nene, turned 80 and Benny’s eyes still sparkled and twinkled when he talked about her. At her birthday bash at the Westin Hotel, Benny confessed (to me) how it was love at first sight on his part. The love grew, he said, not only because she’d returned his affection, but “she supported me all the way, I had nothing in the beginning, she helped me and she saved me.”


He reciprocated her sacrifices as the children came one by one; they have five. Now, as a successful businessman with a fondness for top-of-the-line British cars, he shows his endless love by spoiling her with what Harry Winston considers “a girl’s best friend.” At her party, Nene was decked out in a cloud of pink bling-blings. As Benny puts it, “Some guys believe that living a simple life is fun – do you?”

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