The internet is currently raving about a 80-year-old politician marrying a lawyer who is nearly 50 years his junior. But it's not about how grand and spectacular their marriage reception was (held in front of the Batangas provincial capitol), or how big politicians like the President and the First Lady of the Philippines attended their ceremony. Netizens were more into the 48-year age difference between the groom and the bride.
Eighty-year-old Batangas Governor Hermilando Mandanas just tied the knot with Attorney Angelica Chua, last May 8, 2024. Angelica is 32 years old. The two got hitched at the Minor Basilica and Parish of the Immaculate Conception in Batangas City.
The couple had a tearful exchange of vows. Overwhelmed with Gov. Hermilando's love, Angelica expressed her appreciation for her now-husband, whom she said took up the courage to become her Valentine and now, her partner for life.
"I've had my heart broken so many times, that I guarded up and raised my standards so high, so high no one was supposed to reach it, so I won't get hurt again until you came," she emotionally told her groom.
She even asked her partner to "stay as long as he can" to fulfill her wishes of "growing old" with him. "And if there's one thing I'd ask of you, it is for you to promise to stay for as long as you can, so I can grow old with you. I love you," Angelica noted.
The governor lost his first wife to an illness more than two years ago. Now, after having a whirlwind romance with Angelica, he is ready to dive into married life again. Their union is one example that love knows no boundaries. As they say, age doesn't matter.
May-December Romance Explained
While it may be phenomenal to experience a love that knows no boundaries, there is an understandable concern toward couples with huge age differences. Some may find a man dating a woman so much younger than him uncomfortable. Issues of consent, as well as economic and power imbalances, may all come into play within their relationship.
However, while societal beliefs impose that relationships of those similar in age are more likely to last, it is not always the case.
Dr. Daria J. Kuss, once explained to Cosmopolitan UK, that there are really instances where age-gap couples work better. Primarily because age isn't always an indication of maturity.
"Levels of maturity are not always tied to age and the reverse may be true in such a way that the younger partner is the more mature one," she noted. More studies also elaborated on the high relationship satisfaction among age-gap couples.
ICYDK, there are celebrity couples who have proven that age gap is a factor in their harmonious and successful marriages. Check out the list below.
6 Married Celebrity Couples With Big Age Gaps:
1. Heart Evangelista and Chiz Escudero
Heart Evangelista and Filipino Senator Chiz Escudero share a 16-year age difference. The two got married when Heart was 30 years old, while Chiz was 46 and was on his second marriage. The two admitted that there are some downsides to their age gap.
In a 2022 vlog, Chiz stated that he had thought about how their age would affect parenting if they would ever have kids. "By the time na mga 18 na 'yung anak natin...baka 71 na ako," he uttered.
On the other hand, Heart, who looks up to Chiz, professed that there are a lot of advantages as well. For her, their age does not hinder them from understanding each other. Moreover, the fashion icon strongly stated how she became more open-minded and how much she learned a lot from Chiz, and vice versa. "In our case, you got to learn from my world and I got to learn about yours. There are a lot of pros naman," Heart said.
In February 2024, Heart and Chiz celebrated their ninth year as husband and wife. They also held an intimate wedding vow renewal in Balesin.
READ MORE:
- Heart Evangelista And Chiz Escudero Open Up About Losing Another Baby
- Heart Evangelista Explains Dad's Absence At Her Wedding Vow Renewal Ceremony
2. Vicki Belo and Hayden Kho
Dr. Vicki Belo and Dr. Hayden Kho have a 24-year age gap—and their love story did not begin as smoothly as people thought. In a 2022 interview with PEP.ph, Dr. Vicki opened up about how they tried really hard to keep their relationship going despite intense criticism because of their age gap.
"We've been together 17 years, so that's a really long time. The first seven years, I think, were really bad," she recalled. She told PEP.ph how they first kept their relationship a secret. But when it was publicly revealed, most people called Hayden, a "boy toy."
But at the time, Hayden was a rising model in the industry and was also on his way to becoming a doctor. "Everybody's talking about us and calling him a boy toy. So in his mind, 'I'm successful.' But when he started dating me, parang everybody was annoying him. So, medyo nagkagulu-gulo," Dr. Vicki narrated.
The celebrity dermatologist furthered, "The reason that I kept hanging around is because I knew that he was a good man. Then he became not so good... My fear then is, 'What if I go through all this suffering? And now we're together he's good again.' Parang ang sakit naman for me, 'di ba, pinaghirapan ko na."
Thankfully, the doctor couple overcame every hurdle, criticism, and controversy that surrounded their relationship. They got married in 2017 and are now parents to their daughter, Scarlet Snow.
3. Pauleen Luna and Vic Sotto
Despite their 34-year age gap, Pauleen Luna and Vic Sotto managed to thrive as husband and wife. Their relationship was controversial enough because of their age. Add to that the fact that they first met when Pauleen joined Eat Bulaga's iconic contest, "Little Miss Philippines." At the time, Vic was a mainstay host already for the noontime show.
In 2020, Pauleen reflected on a question about their age gap. She took her thoughts to her Instagram account. She argued that she never felt the "gap" between them, adding that their relationship has always been "so easy." For her, Vic gives her a "certain kind of confidence and security and respect" that allows her to be a more efficient partner in their relationship.
"My husband loves me very much and gives me a certain kind of confidence and security about our relationship. But I think the thing I love most about him is the amount of respect he gives me," she wrote on IG.
Pauleen never felt that she was younger than Vic. She emphasized that instead of being wary of their age difference, she focused on how Vic respects.
"I always feel important around him. Respect plays a big role in any relationship. I know deep in my heart that it's one of the main reasons why this relationship is so easy," she concluded.
Pauleen and Vic tied the knot in 2016. They became parents to their eldest daughter, Tali, a year after their wedding. Recently, Pauleen also gave birth to their second daughter, Mochi.
READ ALSO: Vic Sotto Shrugs Off Negative Comments About Him Marrying Pauleen Luna
4. Beauty Gonzalez and Norman Crisologo
Beauty Gonzalez and Norman Crisologo started when Norman spotted her in a men's magazine. From then, their 20-year age gap did not matter at all.
In 2018, Beauty openly shared the highlights of their relationship. Not minding the difference in their ages, everything has been a learning experience for the actress. "Every day is a discovery," she told PEP.ph. More than that, she divulged that they really see eye-to-eye in a lot of things. One of which was their fascination with antique.
For Norman, he thinks their age gap is really an advantage for them. It's nicer, he says. He even added that it adds excitement or thrill to their relationship as they always encounter new things because of the generation gap.
"Kasi there are so many things that are different about us, and it helps the relationship para it doesn't get boring. It’s a different perspective. You try to think about things in a different way...To put yourself in her shoes and vice versa. It's always something new," he noted.
Beauty and Norman married in 2017 and are now parents to their daughter, Olivia.
5. Mariel Padilla and Robin Padilla
Mariel Padilla and Robin Padilla share a 15-year age difference. But it never became an issue between them. In fact, for Mariel, Robin is all she could ever ask for in a husband.
The former Kapamilya once proclaimed how their age difference allows her to see a wider perspective in life. However, it doesn't mean that it's always smooth sailing for them. "Kasi malayo ang age gap namin, we have 15 years na age difference. Sometimes kasi, iba 'yung perspective, iba 'yung upbringing, sometimes diyan ka magkakaroon ng struggle," she said.
Nonetheless, she made sure to convey that love prevails within their marriage. "Pero at the end of the day, yung love pa rin ang always nananalo. May give and take," she told PEP.ph.
She married Robin in 2010. The couple has two daughters, Isabella and Gabriella.
6. Ai-Ai delas Alas and Gerald Sibayan
At first glance, Ai-Ai delas Alas admitted that she had no plans of dating her now-husband Gerald Sibayan. They met through a mutual friend in 2014. Ai-Ai even recalled exclaiming, "Actually 'nung nagpakilala iyan sa akin, namura ko pa, e. 'Anong gagawin ko diyan ang bata-bata?' ganon," she said in a 2019 interview.
Years before they tied the knot, the comedienne recalled how Gerald came into her life unexpectedly. "Ang pag-ibig naman, wala ‘yan sa edad, e. Dumating siya sa buhay ko ng… siguro ibinigay siya sa akin kasi hindi ko naman ini-expect yun e," she recalled while in an interview with PEP.ph in 2014.
She argued that she was not in any way looking for a partner at the time. But when her now-husband came, everything changed for her. She realized how she can still meet a "good man." She added, "Pero nung dumating siya, may mga bagay pala na, ‘A, may mga mababait palang lalaki talaga.’ Or, ‘Meron pala talagang lalaking para sa iyo.'"
Ai-Ai and Gerald held their wedding ceremony in 2017. In 2022, they had a renewal of vows in Las Vegas.
