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Aiko Melendez puts suitors to the test

Aiko Melendez gave her all to her first indie film, the Cinemalaya entry "Asintado"

Six years is a long time to be single. Adidwhile Aiko Melendez (whose marriage to Jomari Yllana is annulled) is not wanting in suitors, she’s wise enough to bide her time in choosing her next partner.  She’s not taking the first guy who offers her the moon and the stars.

So she’s giving each suitor who comes along the acid test. Aiko tells him outright that she won’t go to bed with him until she decides to marry him.

“It may sound strange for someone like me who has two kids (Andre, 15, and Marthena, 8),” she admits.

Criteria for a partner

But that’s the best way she can test a guy’s sincerity. Those who are only after sex never called Aiko back.  Only two have remained and passed the first acid test.

But the star of the Cinemalaya entry “Asintado” is not falling for any guy yet.

“Yung isa, months ko pa lang sila nakilala through common friends. I still want to know him more.” she explains.

Besides, these guys must pass another test.

“Very important sa akin that my next partner is religious.  And he must be a good role model to my kids.”

So she still goes on group dates until she is sure of a guy’s good intentions.

Raging hormones

The actress has learned her lesson well.  Years back,  she and Jomari were all raging hormones and didn’t know any better.  Their union had a shaky foundation.

“We didn’t have God at the center of our lives.”

Times have changed.  Aiko is a member of a Christian fellowship and wears her faith on her sleeve.

She prayed for Jomari to stop smoking and he did. Aiko and her fellow prayer warriors lay their hands on a terminally ill young person – and he got well.

Aiko’s faith is strong, she won’t mind ‘kapag hindi binigay ni God (yung lifetime partner).’  She’ll be just as happy because she has “two wonderful kids.”

“Asintado”

Acting is another thing that makes Aiko happy. Showbiz insiders say Aiko (aisde from Nora Aunor) is a contender for the 10th Cinemalaya Best Actress award for playing a brave mother in Louie Ignacio’s debut film, “Asintado.”

She was direk Louie’s only choice for the difficult role, for which Aiko had to smudge mud all over her face as part of the Taong Putik festival in Bibiclat, Nueva Ecija (where the film was shot last June).

Aiko didn’t mind getting only a pittance for her complex role, even if she had to shuttle from north to south – Nueva Ecija to Pagsanjan, Laguna – for it.

Comeback film

“I did it for the love of it.  First, it’s for Cinemalaya, a prestigious film event. I also liked the script and the story (by Ignacio).”

She’s been away from filmmaking for so long, Aiko wanted her comeback project to bring her back to the scene with a big bang. In fact, Aiko turned down five scripts before the suspense-drama project came along.

As lead of “Asintado” (also starring Jake Vargas, Gabby Eigenmann and Benjie Felipe among others), Aiko believes she found the right comeback vehicle.

The story centers around her, as the mother of two troubled boys caught in a situation where there seems to be no escape.

No tension

Dark as the story is, Aiko didn’t feel any tension on the set at all.

“Mabait si Direk Louie. And out of the box ang ginawa ko rito.  Hindi siya aral.  Sabi ni Direk, paggising mo, kung anong nararamdaman mo at the moment, yon ang ipakita mo sa harap ng cameras.”

It took the director 10 years to develop the story, after National Artist for Dance Ramon Obusan told Ignacio the festival was a visual treat and would look good on screen.  Add  generous doses of family drama and you’ve got an art film its director and Aiko are proud of.

Aiko and direk Louie agree Jake Vargas, who plays Aiko’s son, was a revelation.  He transformed the teen heartthrob most people know into a troubled young man whose fear got the better of him.

First-time producer

Up next for Aiko is another indie she herself will produce for her Ultimate Star production company.

“It will be a drama-love story that will reunite Jom (Jomari) and me on screen.”

Aiko doesn’t have a production schedule yet because she’s still saving up for her debut as producer.

“I want to help to help the industry. Nakakalungkot na we’re down to around 20 mainstream movies a month when we used to produce hundreds.”

As a certified child of the movies (her father is the late actor Jimmy Melendez), Aiko knows what she's talking about,