"I didn’t like him," admits Kristine Hermosa, 18. "I thought he wasn’t my type."
"The feeling was mutual," agrees Jericho "Echo" Rosales, 22. "Ayoko rin sa kanya. I thought she was much too young and too immature."
She was barely 16 and he, turning 20 when they were first thrown into constant company as members of the cast of the ABS-CBN soap Munting Paraiso. Both of them belonged to Star Circle Batch 4 but they hardly gravitated toward each other. She was then romantically linked to somebody else (was that you, Marvin Agustin?) and he, to Angelika dela Cruz.
And then they were cast as a romantic pair in the now-top-rated ABS-CBN soap Pangako Sa’yo and in the Star Cinema youth-oriented movie Trip (directed by Gilbert Perez of Kahit Isang Saglit fame, from a screenplay by Enrico Santos who originally called it Ang Huling El Bimbo, intended for the prematurely-retired Jao Mapa and Claudine Barretto).
Before the launching of Pangako came the "breaking news" that Echo was about to be an "unwed father" but it hardly fazed Kristine who was then already getting closer to Echo – and vice-versa – and neither did it affect the ratings of Pangako.
"We started being friends," recalled Echo. "In-between takes, we’d talk about everything and anything, and we soon discovered that we had many things in common, including our being maka-pamilya."
Now, are they or aren’t they? Going steady, that is.
They might be, and they might not be – yet.
But it’s safe to say that, barring any hitch, they’re on the way there.
Sound bites from Echo: "Recently, I jumped for joy. I rushed to an ukay-ukay store and dug up a suit that once belonged to Martin (Nievera). I put it on, dropped by a flower shop, bought a bunch of roses and, on my knees, offered it to Kristine. And then I cried – for joy!"
Yes, Kristine has given Echo "a chance" on the condition that Echo must change some of his ways (unrevealed).
Meanwhile, how compatible are they?
Let’s put Echo and Kristine to a "compatibility" test (see if their answers jibe) and find out how they fare – or if they’ll click as sweethearts.
What is your most treasured possession?
Kristine: My cell phone. I’m helpless without it.
Jericho: It’s not something material. What I value most is my career, my craft.
Biggest fear.
Kristine: Losing my family.
Jericho: Losing my sight. There are a lot more things I want to see. I have a phobia for losing my sight, I don’t know why. I love to scuba-dive and when I’m underwater, lumalabas ang phobia kong ’yan.
Person you admire most.
Kristine: My Mom (Mai Hermosa). She has survived all sorts of trials; marami siyang pinagdaanang hirap.
Jericho: My Nanay Coney (Reyes’) wisdom... Nanay Coney is my mom in the ABS-CBN Saturday afternoon soap Munting Paraiso... My mom’s (Rosario Paclibar) unconditional and undying love for me.
What do you like most about yourself?
Kristine: My being sincere. Yes, I am a sincere person.
Jericho: Madali akong matuto, madali akong pagsabihan. I love doing nice things. I have simple desires; I easily appreciate even the smallest things. Show me a beach at masaya na ako. I’m easy to please.
And what don’t you like most about yourself?
Kristine: ’Yung pagiging totoong tao ko. And my being too trusting. That’s why some people take advantage of me.
Jericho: My being a worrier. When I drink two cups of coffee, I worry na baka mag-palpitate ako.
Your main goal in life?
Kristine: To finish my studies. I only reached third year high school. I really hope to continue my studies and finish a college course.
Jericho: To give my family a good and comfortable life. When I pray, I ask God to use me to do good things for other people. To have more good roles.
Do you believe in God?
Kristine: Of course, I do! God is great! God is good. God is my best friend.
Jericho: God is Pure Love.
Thoughts on love.
Kristine: I take love seriously, that’s why I’m careful about falling in love. Am I in love at the moment? I can’t say yes or no for sure. Mahirap nang magsalita, e.
Jericho: Love is the most wonderful thing that can ever happen to a person. It’s the most powerful feeling.
What can’t you live without?
Kristine: As I’ve said, my cell phone. It’s very helpful during emergencies. It connects me to the rest of the world. In-between takes, I play with it on the set.
Jericho: Happiness. I’m a basically happy person. I try to be happy all the time. What sense is there to life and living if you’re not happy?
If you were a tree, what would you be?
Kristine (Eyes lighting up): A Christmas Tree! It’s bright, trimmed with all the colors, and it’s nice to look at. It also emits a beautiful sound, mga Christmas sound.
Jericho: A coconut tree. I aim high, I think I’m strong.
Food.
Kristine: Seafood, especially crab.
Jericho: A fish. Or a crab. Not easy to eat pero sulit ka, di ba? A fish has bones and it takes a while to crack a crab’s shell, di ba?
Car.
Kristine: Sports car. If ever I get my driver’s license, the first car I want to drive is a sports car.
Jericho: A train. Hindi lang basta car. A train serves a lot of people in one trip. I’d be Bicol Express. (Jericho is a Bicolano. – RFL)
A song.
Kristine: A love song. A romantic song.
Jericho: A love song, like I’ll Be.
A movie.
Kristine: A romantic movie. Actually, any kind of movie because I love watching all kinds of movies. The last one I saw was American’s Sweethearts.
Jericho: Cartoon, an animation, parang Spider Man. I’m a kid at heart. At saka, animated ang isip ko, e. My all-time favorite movie is Matrix. It’s futuristic, well-made and action-packed. And the over-all theme is love.
A book.
Kristine: A religious book. The Bible. But what I’m reading these days is the Harry Potter series. I can hardly wait to watch the movie version (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, first of the series).
Jericho: A dictionary. Everything is there, everything that you want to know.
A hero.
Kristine: I want to have my own identity. Later on, I want to do something "heroic" so people my age will consider me their hero.
Jericho: Lapu-Lapu. Matapang siya, di ba? Hero ba siya?
A cartoon character.
Kristine: Snow White. Ang saya siguro if there are seven dwarfs protecting you and keeping you company, di ba?
Jericho: Spider Man. He’s the cartoon character I really identify with.
A city.
Kristine: City of Angels – Los Angeles! I haven’t been there but it’s a city that I really want to visit. I’ve been reading and hearing a lot about it.
Jericho: Vigan. It’s old, classic. I’m fond of old things, mga antiques.
A piece of jewelry.
Kristine: A ring. It’s endless because it’s round.
Jericho: What’s the cheapest ba? A watch. Or a ring.
A part of the house.
Kristine: My room. I feel free inside my room. I can do anything in my room, pati pag-i-emote.
Jericho: A door. The door provides security, doesn’t it?
A flower.
Kristine: Tulip. Nakasara siya kaya intriguing. Parang shy, di ba?
Jericho: A rose. That’s the flower you give to the one you love, isn’t it?
A saint.
Kristine: St. Michael. He’s the protector saint, di ba?
Jericho: St. Michael The Archangel.
Perfume.
Kristine: Green Tea. Armani White. Fifth Avenue. Gusto ko ’yung subdued ang fragrance.
Jericho: Isemiyaki. Cool Water. ’Yung fresh ang scent.
Fruit.
Kristine: Mango, ripe or green.
Jericho: Citrus forever ako – orange.
If you were to change any part of your body, what would it be?
Kristine: None! I’m happy with every part of my body.
Jericho: ‘Yung mga pangit na ugali ko, such as my being a worrier. But I won’t change any part of my body. Masaya ako sa katawan ko.
If you were President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, what’s the first problem that you would solve?
Kristine: The garbage problem!
Jericho: Utilize the country. Take the population in the city. Di ba over-crowded tayo sa city when there are hectares and hectares of unused lands? Why not make use of those idle lands para ma-spread ang population?
If you were the richest person in the world, what would you do with your money?
Kristine: I’d share it with the poor.
Jericho: I will build schools to upgrade our people’s educational level. I will build factories to provide jobs for the people. I’ll feed the poor and the hungry.
If you had one free day, how would you spend it?
Kristine: I’d pamper myself. I’d go to the mall, I’d go to the gym – I’d enjoy myself! But one day is not enough. Puede bang one week?
Jericho: One day is not enough! I’d spend it at home and tinker with my camera, my computer... I’d fix my clothes, aayusin ko ang cabinet ko. I have a camera and a computer but until now, hindi ko pa sila nagagamit.
If you were not yourself, who would you rather be?
Kristine: I don’t want to be anyone else but myself.
Jericho: Anybody, preferably a simple person. Or a farmer. I want to find out how he looks at life, if he has the same problems as I have.