Liza Dino: I love Aiza

Actress-beauty queen Liza Dino is in love. Her eyes sparkle, her voice has a lilt and the smile hardly leaves her face. 

Two days before, singer-songwriter Aiza Seguerra went down on her knees and popped the question before a cheering crowd of theater goers at Liza’s alma mater, UP (University of  the Philippines) Diliman.

Aiza proposes to girlfriend Liza

A flushed Liza was wearing the blue sapphire engagement ring Aiza gave her during the exclusive interview with this writer  in a restaurant along Tomas Morato, Quezon City.  She just came from an acting workshop with Piolo Pascual in nearby ABS-CBN (Liza plays Sam Concepcion’s mother in the upcoming soap, “Mirabela”).
 
Aiza’s 32-year-old fiancée  hardly looks harassed.  She introduces herself and orders a light dinner.  And she doesn’t mind answering rapid-fire questions while eating.

Liza admits the whole business of  being  engaged has yet to sink in.

Unexpected

“It is unexpected. I’m already happy, complete. I thought I’d end up being in a relationship (that’s all).  I have a (five-year-old) daughter.  I have a job. I can fend for myself . I’m in independent woman. People come and go in my life.”
 
But Aiza is different.  The sparks started to fly 14 years ago, when Aiza was 16; Liza, 18. 

Aiza was in high school at OB Montessori; Liza in college. They were good friends who’d  call each other up, watch a movie and hang out. Liza would fetch Aiza from school.  They’d meet at a nearby McDonalds store.

They exchanged  songs and love poems they wrote for each other.  Liza takes pride in the fact that Aiza  dedicated her very first composition  to her.
 

Liza admits both of them felt something back then, but they can’t make heads or tails about it.   After all, they were both in their teens, and it was their first crack at love.

“The reason why we are the way we are now is because when she met me, I was not jaded. I was idealistic. Walang angst. Nakita namin yon sa isa’t isa,” Liza looks back.

Big misunderstanding

But it was not meant to last – back then. Aiza and Liza had a big misunderstanding that tore them apart.

They lost touch for 13 years.  Liza went to the US and worked in a company ran by  respected chef  Wolfgang Puck, got married, bore a child.  Despite Facebook, Twitter and other forms of social media, Aiza and Liza did not pick  up where they left off.

But over a year ago, Liza decided she’s had enough of  cooking, even if it was for prestigious  clients like the Oscars and the Grammys.  Friends asked her why she’d leave a wonderful job for an unknown future in the Philippines. And Liza told them she just wanted to go back to her first love, acting.

By then, she and her husband have divorced (he now has a new partner). But they remain friends.  He gave her his blessings to return to Manila with their daughter.

As fate would have it, Aiza and Liza met again on the set of a soap. They were both single by then. 

Commitment

“I wasn’t serious about it then. It was more like, labas tayo, let’s see how it works.  We’re old enough. Ganon pala yon. Pag talagang alam mo na para sa ‘yo, you want commitment.”

Cheesy as Liza herself calls it,  she and Aiza call each other “Love.”  Liza’s daughter enjoys playing video games with her Baba (the girl's name for Aiza).  The girl’s father, who came for a visit last month, approves of Aiza.  And both their parents have given their blessings.

Liza knows she can’t please everyone, especially in a conservative country like the Philippines. But that’s okay.

Not bothered

“When you’re secure in your relationship,  you’re happy and  you’re celebrating love, hindi ka bothered.”

She and Aiza have received inspiring reactions on Instagram  from random people who say they admire the couple’s bravery.

“We get messages from people who say na mas na-express nila ang sarili nila. But I don’t’ even look at ourselves as brave. I just love her, that’s it.”

Sure, Liza still has male crushes.  She can’t help it.  But like any person in love, Liza doesn’t overstep boundaries.

Beyond sexual orientation

“I love Aiza as a person. I love her  beyond her sexual orientation. If the definition of lesbian is someone who is with a woman, so be it.”

No wedding date has been set although Aiza and Liza are already looking at wedding themes.  The couple is looking at Baguio as the setting for their union because “may minister daw doon.”

“We want to share the occasion with loved ones,” Liza adds.

Meanwhile,  the couple’s fans, followers,  Juan and  Juana de la Cruz, are watching and waiting.