Tintin and Julius: Early Morning Romance
By Mae Astrid Tobias

They were both students at the University of the Philippines in Diliman but it was not in the campus where love blossomed. It was instead in the workplace where they became close. TV viewers have been witness to the enduring seven-year romance

between ABS-CBN hosts Tintin Bersola and Julius Babao. Last December 8, 2003, the two tied the knot in a touching ceremony at the San Antonio de Padua Church in Antipolo City.

Longtime viewers of ABS-CBN would remember that the two first appeared together in the morning show Alas-Singko Y Medya. Since then the on-screen chemistry of the two had been undeniable. People around them started to pair them off to one another.

Tintin had often remarked that their relationship was not love at first sight. " Nagkakilala kami in 1993," she reminisces. " Inintroduce kami ni Gilbert Remulla (who is now a congressman) sa newsroom. It wasn't love at first sight kasi I was with someone at that time."

"Work was what brought us together," declares Tintin.

The constant togetherness of the two plus the insistent teasing of people around them eventually bore fruit. Affections soon began to develop. But it was not easy for the couple who had their careers to think about.

Before Julius became one of ABS-CBN's top news anchors, he had to rise up the ranks. After graduating from UP, he landed a job as production assistant in one of GMA's radio stations. After two years there, he decided to transfer to the competing station and worked as a police beat reporter. Soon, Julius was assigned to anchor shows like the TV Patrol International Weekly Round-up and Web Patrol . Later, he became a stand-by anchor for the different news program of ABS-CBN, including Hoy Gising! , Balitang K , TV Patrol and Magandang Gabi Bayan . In 1996, he became part of the early morning team of Alas Singko Y Medya , where he would constantly be working with Tintin.

The TV audience was introduced to Tintin Bersola when she began endorsing products in TV commercials of PLDT, Modess, Palmolive and Purefoods. She also regularly appeared in ABS-CBN when she anchored the Star News segment of TV Patrol . She soon became a familiar face on television as she hosted and appeared in a variety of programs including Sineskwela , Tatak Pilipino and Showbiz Lingo . Given Tintin's cheerful disposition, it didn't take long for the network executives to spot her potentials. She was then assigned to do Alas Singko Y Medya to brighten up the mornings of the early viewers.

It was not always fun and romance while Tintin and Julius were together in the show. There were times of apprehension. The couple wondered if their relationship would work.

In the August 2003 issue of YES! magazine, Tintin wrote a retrospective of her six-year romance with Julius. She revealed: " Dumaan kami sa talagang long process of analyzing. Kung bibigyan ba natin ng chance o hindi? Maraming what-ifs."

The couple decided that should their relationship not work, one of them would have to leave Alas Singko Y Medya . For them, it was a risk worth taking. Tintin says, "It's worth giving everything a chance."

Tintin narrated a romantic incident in 1999 which she believes to be their "defining moment." She was in Julius's house and he asked her to sit down. Then she heard the song "The Way You Look Tonight" playing and Julius asking her to dance with him.

As they danced, tears flowed from their eyes.

The couple reenacted this scene during their guesting stint in Sharon Cuneta's TV program. This gesture was one of the most romantic things Julius ever did for her, according to Tintin.

In 2002, Tintin and Julius began their wedding preparations. Tintin took charge of every little detail of their wedding - from her wedding gown (by Rene Salud) to the catering (Josiah's). She even dubbed herself a "mad bride," with her obsession to get everything perfect for their special day. Tintin and Julius were proud to say that they shouldered every cent they spent for the ceremony.

Given their background, it was only expected that their entourage listed veritable names in the TV industry, including Senators Noli "Kabayan" de Castro Jr.and Loren Legarda, Ricardo "Dong" Puno Jr., Charo Santos-Concio, Arlene S. De Castro, Jesus Maderazo, Mel Tiangco, Cheche Lazaro, Panjee Lopez, and Sharon Cuneta-Pangilinan. Visual artists Ang Kiukok, Bencab and Mauro Malang Santos were also principal sponsors. (Julius is a serious art collector.)

Julius participated in designing the wedding invitation. The cover, made by artist Mark Justiniani, shows the couple dressed in Filipiniana, with Julius playing the violin and Tintin holding a feathered pen and a notebook. The eight-page invitation chronicles their love affair and contains the lyrics of their theme song and a passage from the Bible. Wishes and advice from their ninongs and ninangs were also included.

After the ceremonies, Tintin and Julius headed for the States for their honeymoon. They went to three cities: New York ("because it means a lot to us, we were there in 1997), Florida ("because we wanted to unleash the child in us. We went to Disneyworld.") and San Francisco (to be reunited with Julius's family and relatives.)

Tintin had since moved into the two-story house that Julius had been preparing for her in the past ten months before their wedding. Two months after the wedding, the couple say they are still in the honeymoon stage.

" Wala pa naman akong nakikitang anything drastic that will really be a culture shock to me," admits Tintin. The couple's long relationship explains this. According to Julius, "Most of the things na nalalaman namin about each other nalaman na namin noon pa, kasi we have been together for seven years. Ang kulang na lang talaga yung formal na pagpapakasal namin talaga ni Tintin."

But he is also quick to admit that as the days pass, they learn more about each other. " Syempre , in all married couples, you always discover mga things na bago sa pagsasama ninyo ."

Asked about the number of kids they plan to have, Tintin says, "Three maximum."

"We already have a name for the baby," adds Julius. "We're going to name him Anthony. If it's a girl, it could be Antoinette or Antonia. It will bear the name Anthony because he is our patron saint, St. Anthony de Padua, and he has brought us so many gifts dito sa aming relationships at sa careers namin."

When asked about their plans for Valentine's Day, Julius replies, "Every day is Valentine's Day." With their conflicting schedules (Tintin now hosts Magandang Umaga Bayan at 5:30 a.m. while Julius is an anchor of TV Patrol at 6 p.m.), the couple make it a point to spend quality time with each other at every possible moment.

"If Tintin goes to work early in the morning, she makes sure that she comes home for lunch," explains Julius. "We see each other after I do the evening newscast. We manage to make ends meet pagdating sa pagkikita naming dalawa . Of course, weekends, we make sure na kaming dalawa lang ang magkasama and spend quality time together."

Julius relates an instance that endeared Tintin to him even more. One day after their wedding Tintin surprised him by cooking adobo. "She was able to cook one good adobo for me," reveals Julius. "I think that's romantic on her part to really... hindi kasi ito nagluluto . She really made an effort to learn. I love adobo . It's my favorite food."

Hearing that, Tintin promised: "I plan every month, at least pag anniversary, I will cook adobo for you." So every 8 th of the month, expect Tintin and Julius to have adobo for dinner.

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