Friends and lovers

By Dinna Chan Vasquez

He married a friend and found true happiness. She experienced a whirlwind courtship and has been blessed with a solid marriage.

Eight years ago, actor Aga Muhlach and former Bb. Pilipinas-Universe Charlene Gonzalez were good friends who worked on a show together. There were no sparks although they were very fond of each other.

One day, Muhlach, who was then showbiz? most eligible bachelor, looked at Gonzalez, who once dreamed of becoming a doctor, and thought, ?This is my wife.?

He proposed, she accepted and they got married.

?I cried when she accepted my proposal,? says Muhlach.

The marriage, the couple says, is one of constant togetherness.

?Our life is one big date,? says Gonzalez.

?We?re together 24 hours a day,? says her husband.

Indeed, from lovely meals cooked by Gonzalez for Muhlach and their twins Andres and Atasha at their Alabang home to fun times with their children at their rustic farm in Batangas, the couple is always together.

In fact, during the press presentation for Pond?s Age Miracle at the Rigodon Ballroom of The Peninsula Manila which the couple endorses, Muhlach reveals that the family had just come from Mataas na Kahoy.

?Our kids love it there and we like that they can enjoy simple pleasures there like playing outside,? he adds.

In a previous interview, Gonzalez revealed a desire to allow her twins to love the rustic lifestyle. She said Andres and Atasha even like to ride the tricycle while they are in Batangas.

Muhlach says he is lucky not only to have a wife like Gonzalez but because he has the luxury of being able to spend time with his family.

?That?s why everything for us is spontaneous. We like to eat, play sports and just be together. That, I think, is a gift,? he adds.

For Gonzalez, the best thing about marrying her friend is that the marriage is one long courtship.

?Aga is a romantic who says what is in his heart. He loves to surprise me in weird ways,? she says. ?The moment that we wake up at 5:30 in the morning, aside from eating, we talk a lot. I think that should be the most important factor in all relationships.?

Muhlach reiterates his strong commitment to the marriage.

?I guess, we both decided that we?re gonna make it work. And we decided really that we wanna grow old together. It?s gonna be like that. People will always have something to say, you know, bad or good.?

The couple became close on the set of ABS-CBN TV show Oki Doki Doc. It was a whirlwind courtship. He proposed to her in August 2001 and they got married in Baguio City on May 28, 2001.

?The time we were planning the wedding became the courtship period,? says Muhlach.

Pond?s brand manager Jacqueline Yuengtian says Muhlach and Gonzalez epitomize the marriage everyone aspires to have.

?We all want a marriage that does not wane and Aga and Charlene have that and Pond?s is part of be part of their love story as the brand that gives the gift of beauty,? she adds.

Pond?s Age Miracle uses new advanced CLA4, an anti-aging technology that helps reverse signs of aging, promising younger looking skin in 7 days. The technology?s breakthrough components of CLA, alpha hydroxy acids, retinol and retinol boosters actively work together and hasten the skin?s renewal system, allowing skin to repair and renew itself faster, resulting in better anti-ageing benefits skin with each use.

Len Davies, Pond?s technical management director HPC for Southeast Asia, says retinol is believed to be the most effective weapon against aging.

?Retinol boosters increase the efficacy of retinol and extends its life, which is short,? he adds.

Davies cites a study by independent research institute Synovate wherein Pond?s scored highest in giving skin instant firmness.

?The study also showed that Pond?s provided the least irritation against the other creams tested,? says Yuengtian.

She added: ?The brand?s evolution is a reflection of the times and shows Pond?s commitment to providing products for any woman?s changing needs.?