Only 700 invited to Tintin-Julius wedding

Yes, only 700 are invited to the wedding of Tintin Bersola and Julius Babao on Dec. 8, 3:30 p.m., at the San Antonio de Padua Sub-Parish Church in Barangay Inarawan, Antipolo City – that is, if we have to base that conclusion on the number of invitations printed (all out).

The eight-page invitation, with graphic design by Riel Hilario, shows Tintin and Julius in a lyrical painting, both of them airborne and dressed in Filipiniana, he in a Katipunero-like Barong Tagalog playing the violin and she in a Maria-Clara-inspired attire holding a feathered pen and a notebook.

The invitation even has a title: Kasal. Printed on the front page are these words: For each passing moment... A new page shall be written... In our Book called Life...

Quoted on the inside front cover is this passage from The Bible (Corinthians 13:3 - 8): Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things, love never fails.

Printed in full on the second to the last page are the lyrics of the haunting love song The Way You Look Tonight which the couple played on the stereo one afternoon while they were dancing cheek-to-cheek at the cozy sala of Julius’ former bachelor’s pad, both in tears (of joy!), after Julius proposed to Tintin.

Of course, that proposal was reenacted later on national television, on Sharon Cuneta’s show, where Julius knelt before a nervous Tintin and slipped their engagement ring into her quivering finger. And then, to the strains of The Way You Look Tonight (think of Tintin and Julius dancing in tears and the song takes on an entirely different, more touching meaning), Julius asked Tintin, "Will you marry me?" (Of course, she had said "yes" months before!)

The invitation, conceptualized with great love and care, is one of a kind, very unique and very creative and very imaginative. It’s a collectors’ item, a virtual storybook that recalls how Tintin and Julius met, how they fell in love, how they became closer during their travels abroad (one of them a pilgrimage to the Holy Land), how he proposed and how they look at their future together.

Here’s the entourage:

• Principal sponsors: Sen. Noli L. De Castro Jr. and Sen. Loren B. Legarda, Atty. Ricardo V. Puno Jr. and Ms. Ma. Rosario S. Concio, Dr. Joven R. Cuanang and Mrs. Arlene S. De Castro, Mr. Jesus J. Maderazo and Ms. Carmela C. Tiangco, Mr. Mauro Malang Santos and Ms. Rosemarie Baby J. Arenas, Mr. Benedicto R. Cabrera and Mrs. Panjee T. Lopez, Mr. Ang Kiukok and Dr. Josefina S. Lim, Mr. David B. Charlton and Dr. Rosalinda A. Hortaleza, Mr. Jose Leo P. Caparas and Ms. Cecilia L. Lazaro, Mayor Angelito C. Gatlabayan and Ms. Rosalinda B. Ocampo, and Mr. Jose Mari L. Chan and Ms. Sharon C. Pangilinan

• Best man: Ricky V. Sison

• Maid of honor: Charmaigne P. Bersola

• Bridesmaids: Cheryl T. Cosim, Ma. Apple P. Tan, Marife R. Mordido, Janette H. Mc Bride and Claudine S. Lucente

• Groomsmen: Cong. Gilbert C. Remulla, Nino Angelo Lorenzo P. Bersola, Joshua B. Rosario, Ryan G. Agoncillo and Romeo C. Babao Jr.

• Flower girls: Bianca Isabelle B. Rosario, Jacqueline Chelsea M. Suratos, Sara Louise S. Garcia, Jasmine Anne S. Medina and Roxanne Margarita R. Remulla

• Ring bearer: John Justine B. Rosario

• Coin bearer: Joseph Alfred S. Medina (with Anthony Dwight Legolas P. Tan)

• Bible bearer: Charles Matthew B. Henson

• Secondary sponsors: Suzanne Mae S. Garcia and Mario V. Dumawal (candle), Rosario Julia S. Alejandrino, M.D. and Noel D. Ferrer (veil), Jayanne Z. Cagalingan and Gerick Parayno (cord)

• Lector: Arlina T. Onglao

• First reading: Korina B. Sanchez

• Second reading: Boy R. Abunda

• Offertory: Leslie V. Saulsbury and Archibald P. Medina (candles), Atty. Rosemarie M. Sicangco and Roberto V. Sicangco (chalice and host), Andres C. Estella and Aida P. Gonzales (water and wine), Ma. Lourdes B. Rosario and Board Member John B. Rosario (fruit and flowers).

Tintin is the daughter of Architect Robert T. Bersola and Ma. Concepcion P. Bersola and Julius, of Romeo G. Babao Sr. and Mrs. Azucena C. Babao.

Co-officiating and concelebrating the Holy Matrimony are Bishop Raul Q. Martirez, D.D. (Bishop Emeritus Diocese of Antique), and Fathers Ariston L. Sison Jr., Ferdinand V. Guiang, Delbert Jardinaso (OSJ), Nelson Osorio (OSJ) and Clifford Carrera (OSJ).

The honeymoon?

In bed, but of course... somewhere in Europe, or in Palawan?

Cheche Bids GMA Goodbye

Cheche Lazaro’s long-running The Probe Team will telecast the first of its two-part farewell episode(s) tonight (after Saksi) on GMA 7. Part Two will be shown next week, same time, still the same channel. The question is, will it resurface on another channel soon? Stay tuned.

On its final episode, The Probe Team will recall its colorful and award-winning 16-year journey that ended on a sour note when GMA management censored the show’s controversial episode on PAGCOR.

Meanwhile, here’s Cheche’s official statement on the issue between her group and GMA:

I have avoided further statements to media on the censorship of The Probe Team episode on the undeclared assets of PAGCOR Chairman Efraim Genuino.

It was my hope that the furor created by this one incident in 15 years of partnership would be allowed to die down and that the scheduled parting of ways would be cordial.

Unfortunately, the Nov. 3 press statement of GMA Channel 7 makes its case at the expense of the reputation of The Probe Team. GMA Channel 7 has therefore left me with no choice but to put on record the events that transpired so that our advertisers and the public may know.

Oct. 23, I sent a letter to Atty. Gozon (Chairman, president and CEO of GMA Network Inc.).

In that letter, which follows below, my intention was to let Atty. Gozon know about a series of developments, visible from our side of the fence, which formed the basis for our conclusion that it was censorship.

Among those developments were three calls made by Atty. Junjun Tupas, a member of the law firm of Atty. Gozon, to the Probe staff lobbying on behalf of PAGCOR Chairman Genuino.

Still, I wanted to let Atty. Gozon know that those developments did not make me lose my respect for him as a person and as the head of GMA 7. None of our actions was meant to be a personal affront to him at any time.

I therefore ended my Oct. 23 letter in a conciliatory tone. But Atty. Gozon’s response since then, including his Nov. 3 letter, has given me cause to regret my silence.

Atty. Gozon has been harping– in his statements to the press, in the GMA 7 newsletter– on The Probe Team’s unprofessionalism.

We maintain that we had the documents he wanted from the very start, and that the final version aired on Sept. 23 did not need to turn to additional documents.

The journalistic standards of The Probe Team have never been compromised nor have they ever been second, then or now, to GMA 7’s own.

Atty. Gozon says he is terminating the airing of The Probe Team on Nov. 25 even though our contract runs to the end of January 2004. Again unilaterally, he has also decided that GMA 7 will continue to air The Probe Team in its international channel.

We say that we are ending the long run of The Probe Team on GMA 7 with the knowledge that we served the public good without sacrificing our integrity for 16 years.

(E-mail reactions at [email protected])