Driven not by obligation, but by a deep and selfless love, Jameson Chu happily stepped up to take on the role of father to Irene Cuizon-Chu’s two beautiful daughters. As Father’s Day approaches, their inspirational love story demonstrates how being a father is not merely about having a child, but one that made the choice to love his family and make their life better, even when he did not have to.

Jameson with Irene when they were dating.

Early courtship

Jameson and Irene met at work in 2019 when they were both manning a booth in Greenbelt as property specialists for a real estate company. He was 27 years old and she was 24 years old. For some reason, Jameson said when he first saw her, “I already knew that she was the one for me.” “*Noong una pa lang*, crush *ko na siya eh* (At the very beginning, she was already my crush),” Jameson confesses. They would talk a lot, and the more he got to know her, the more his fondness for her grew. After a few weeks of getting to know each other, they finally went on their first date. Jameson recalls dining at a chicken wings place in Makati after work and watched the last full show of Avengers End Game together. It was during that first evening out that Irene revealed to him that she is actually a single mom with two daughters, then one-year-old Hestia and three-year-old Scarlet. “*Nagulat talaga ako*, (I was really surprised)” said Jameson, who described Irene as “*hindi mukhang may* two kids *na* (does not look like she has two kids).” Jameson confides that this new revelation took him aback and made him think twice about pursuing her, because “it’s such a big commitment.” He remembers deeply contemplating the prospect of this possible relationship. “*Seryoso dapat ito*, *kasi hindi biro ang may kasamang* kids *sa* relationship (I have to be serious about this, because it’s no joke when kids are involved in a relationship).” Jameson decided to go for it anyway, since “*hindi mo malalaman* (you won’t know) unless you try.” As their relationship developed, Jameson found himself becoming fonder of Irene and learning to love everything about her more and more. “*Malalaman mo kasi na mahal mo talaga ang tao kapag willing kang gawin lahat* (you will know you really love someone when you are willing to do everything) for her,” gleamed Jameson. He found himself just wanting her to always be happy and comfortable. Small things like getting milk tea together, watching horror films, and eating “samgyup (Korean grilled dish)” suddenly felt extra special as long as he was with Irene. Jameson with his chosen family

Officially together

They officially became a couple a little bit over a month after their first date, and decided to move in three months later—by August 2019. At the time, Irene’s children were living with her mom in Cavite, and the couple would visit them two to three times a week, or whenever they could catch a break at work. When asked how he felt about spending all his days off with Irene’s mom and kids instead of other activities young men would prefer to do, Jameson mentions that he never thought about it that way. “G*usto ko din kasi maging* close *sa mga* kids, (I also wanted to get close to the kids)” he said. In fact, it never felt like he was sacrificing anything, because he always wanted it and it was always worth it. After all, “*importante sila kay* (they are important to) Irene, and she’s not with them all the time.”

Living with the kids

A big turning point in their relationship was when the couple made a mutual decision for the kids to stay with them during the lockdown of March 2020. According to Jameson, Irene brought up the idea randomly, and Jameson was pretty game with it. He was really idealistic about everything. Since he said he always had fun whenever the kids were around anyway. But things didn’t go as smoothly as Jameson imagined—especially during the first few months after the transition. “It was so hard at first,” he said as the two girls, Hestia and Scarlet, then just two and four years old respectively, would wake up in the middle of the night. Jameson said he considered these all reasonable though, because they were toddlers and it was normal to ask for milk. So this adjustment wasn’t really too bad. The greatest challenge he faced was Irene’s growing impatience, “*Napansin ko, parang bigla palagi na siyang* stressed (I noticed that she was suddenly always so stressed).” Jameson assumed she would be happier with the kids around, but she appeared more irritable instead.  The couple had been living together for almost eight months already by then, so he thought he had adequate awareness of what pleased her and what irked her. But Irene’s temperamental behavior was something completely unprecedented. Irene never asked for help, so it was only when Jameson confronted her about her changes that she finally caved and disclosed how exhausted she was. Apparently, prior to the girls moving in, Jameson would simply help out around the house by washing the dishes or taking out the laundry. It was really Irene leading the household. Now that the children were with them in the home, he realized that his “assistance” to Irene’s tasks as a homemaker no longer sufficed. He thought providing for them was enough, but it was not until he actually started stepping up that he personally experienced how much Irene was doing for him and the house. “Irene was really carrying all the load,” said Jameson who said he loved her even more after taking on more domestic chores, owning up to his responsibilities, and becoming true teammates. “*Duon ko* actually *naramdaman na parang tatay na talaga ako* (that’s when I started feeling like I’m actually a dad,” he would change Hestia’s diapers, wipe her butt, and give her a bath. From preparing the kids food and milk, to cleaning up after them, “Everything a father does, *na*-experience ko na, except *siguro yun* period from *pinanganak* (everything a father does, I experienced already, except maybe the period from newborn) until one-year-old),” since Hestia was one year old when they met. Playtime for Daddy Jameson and his two little angels

The joy of being a dad

Before Irene and her kids entered his life, he said he was just carefree. He liked to sing, play basketball, and take life easy. “*Grabe ang pinagbago ko* (I changed so much),” Jameson shared about becoming more selfless and thinking beyond himself since being with the love of his life. “I wanted Irene to be comfortable, I wanted the kids to not have any problems. *Gusto ko maging* provider, *gusto ko masaya sila*, (I wanted to be a provider, I wanted them to be happy).” Jameson became more focused on excelling in life, he was so inspired. He also said that the feeling of being a father comes with “indescribable joy.” He had never felt that way before, not with his parents nor in any of his past romantic relationships. “They really touched my heart in a way *na hindi ko in*-expect *mararamdaman ko sa buong buhay ko* (that I never expected to experience ever in my life),” Jameson quipped about coming home to his happy and healthy kids who lovingly call him “Ba.” “They call me ‘Ba’, because I am their ‘Papa *Taba*’,” Jameson divulged gleefully. Especially “when they tell me “‘I love you, Ba’… it melts my heart,” says Jameson about the tremendous sense of fulfillment about being the two girls’ dad.

Tying the knot

  Jameson has always wanted to eventually marry Irene. But because they already had a routine going on and life at home was happy and peaceful, he didn’t feel the urgency to proceed with it. Things transpired rapidly after they attended a church service at Victory Church in November 2022, which was when Jameson felt a strong calling to do what is right in the eyes of the Lord. The organization’s lead pastor, Pastor Jeff, spoke to them about the importance of having a God-centered relationship. “Living outside of marriage is still a sin, and that marriage brings blessings,” Jameson remembered. He was decisive and quickly drew up wedding plans in coordination with Irene, “we were able to fix the venue, the giveaways, the invitations,” they did not encounter any issues with the planning and coordination. Jameson was even able to squeeze in a surprise proposal a week before their ceremony, just because he wanted her to still feel the traditional excitement of being proposed to. “She was my fiancé for only a week!” he joked. The couple officially tied the knot by December 18, 2022 with an intimate wedding witnessed by only fifty close family and friends; Hestia was the ring bearer and Scarlet served as their flower girl. “I wanted Irene to get the wedding she deserved, I wanted her to feel assured,” said Jameson. He also felt God’s blessings pouring in immediately after the wedding. “I got promoted at work, Irene was able to make a sale!” with both of them still in real estate. They felt light and blissful to honor God through their union. Jameson chooses to spend his holidays with Irene and their two girls.

A happy family

In response to the question about possibly having children of his own in the future, Jameson shares that he considers Hestia and Scarlet as his own already. But, definitely, Jameson remarks that “we do plan to have a baby maybe in two years’ time, Hestia is already asking for a baby sibling.” Jameson proclaims that he would not want to change anything about his life today. While being a stepfather is not easy, he is proud to have earned the love and trust of the kids by being honest and sincere with them. “If they feel your love, they will eventually love you back,” Jameson says about his patience paying off.  His advice to other step parents is to have open communication with their spouses about raising their children so that they operate in one direction. At the end of the day, it’s about love and acceptance. “This is my family now, and I do my best everyday so they grow up feeling loved by a father-figure,” says Jameson of his two girls. Furthermore, it’s “my love for Irene that made me take the leap, and taking the leap was my best decision ever.”

Irene’s father’s day message for Jameson

Irene describes Jameson as the father and husband-material that she never expected. She narrates his improvements proudly, “*Sobrang wala sa personality ni* Jameson *noon yun mag-alaga ng mga* kids, makipaglaro sa *kanila at buhatin sila kapag napapagod na sa* mall. *Sa una talaga mahirap, pero nakayanan niya*! (It’s not in Jameson’s personality to take care of kids, play with them, or even carry them when they are tired at the mall. At first it was really difficult, but he was able to overcome it!)” She shares her father’s day greeting: “Hi Jameson! Thank you. Thank you for the unconditional love *na binibigay mo lagi sa amin ng mga* kids, *sa pagtanggap mo sa kanila and pag*-treat *mo sa kanila* like your own, *sa* never-ending patience *mo sa aming tatlo lalo kapag may mga ‘toyo’ kami. Sabi ko nga sa* wedding vow *ko sa iyo na ‘hindi ko alam kung bakit* deserve *ko yung mga nangyayari sa akin*’ *pero siguro si* Lord *talaga gumagawa ng way sa lahat, kung ano at sino ang makakabuti para sa atin.”* “*Hindi man naging* okay *ang* past *ko*, *pero* never *mong pinaramdam na may kulang sa akin at tinanggap mo yun lahat* without judging me. I*kaw yung nag*-save *sa akin sa madilim kong* past and *nagpatunay na hindi lahat ng lalake pare-pareho*. *Tingin ko kasi dati wala nang tatanggap pa sa amin ng mga bata at tinanggap ko na din na baka* ‘forever’ *na akong* single mom. *Salamat dahil isa ka sa dahilan kung bakit mas i*nspired *akong tuparin yung mga pangarap ko, na kaya ko pala magawa yung mga bagay na takot akong gawin noon, salamat sa* never-ending support *mo sa akin sa lahat ng bagay, as in lahat halos ng gusto ko at alam mong ikakasaya ko talagang naka-support ka palagi sakin. Minsan naiisip ko kung* selfish *na ba ako kasi parang lagi nalang ako ang inuuna mo kaysa sa sarili mo. Napaka*-selfless mong tao, *lahat gagawin mo or ibibigay mo mapasaya lang kami ng mga bata, kahit ikaw ang wala. Kulang pa yung* thousands of ‘Thank You’s’ *para malaman mo kung gaano ako ka*-grateful *sa iyo. Maraming* blessings *ang dumating sa buhay ko simula ng maging tayo.”* “*Sana masaya ka sa araw na ito.* Know that we love you so so so so much! You deserve to be called a father. We are always here for you and we’re so proud of you. I love you! Happy Father’s Day!”