Pip & Lynn: The (marital) ties that bind

More than the acting awards and the praises heaped on him as an actor, Tirso "Pip" Cruz III and his wife Lynn Ynchausti consider their 25-year togetherness as their best (conjugal) achievement ever, a feat indeed in a field where marital vows, it seems, are made to be broken. Haven’t you noticed the pieces of broken marriages littering the showbiz landscape?

Lynn and Pip celebrated their silver wedding anniversary last May 25 by renewing their vows at an exclusive dinner-ceremony officiated by Rev. Dr. Cornelio Castillo, with Susan Roces-Poe, Lipa City Mayor Vilma Santos-Recto, Sandy Andolong-de Leon, Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile, David Mercado and Christopher de Leon as witnesses (it’s a Born-again Christian affair so they were not called ninongs/ninangs).

"Our most cherished trophies are our children," Lyn told Funfare in an exclusive interview.

Living trophies, that is, three of them: Tristan Jeditiah or TJ, 24, an International Studies graduate from La Salle, now working; Elmo Jeremiah or Bodie, 20, a Computer Science graduate, also from La Salle; and Djanin, turning 18 (July 28), a Business Management junior also at La Salle.

"Do we have any ‘secret formula’ for keeping our marriage and family intact?" Lynn repeated my question. "None. Our showbiz friends have been asking us for ‘tips’ and all I could tell them is, ‘We put The Lord in everything that we do.’ People would say, ‘Panay na lang si Lord, si Lord!’ but that’s true. We put The Lord at the center of our lives."

The couple met in the late ’70s when Pip lay low for seven years, not doing any movie or TV show, after his team-up with Nora "Guy" Aunor had peaked.

"When we met, Pip’s career was down. He was playing with the Cruzes’ band. At that time, I was applying at PAL as a flight stewardess but Pip told me not to show up for my final interview, saying, ‘If you go, you’ll never see me again!’ He made me choose and I haven’t regretted my decision."

Believe it or not but the (marital) ties that bind Pip and Lynn are so strong that no amount of intrigue could break them. Well, except when the Guy & Pip loveteam was revived by Regal Films in the movie Till We Meet Again (early ’80s, directed by Elwood Perez) and the Guy & Pip fan(atics) "blamed" Lynn for breaking up the loveteam.

"Actually," clarified Lynn (who gave up modeling to be a full-time housewife), "I came into Pip’s life noong wala na sila ni Guy. I was affected by the intrigues because I didn’t know the kalakaran in showbiz yet, until Pip reassured me, ‘Basta tandaan mo lang na tayong dalawa ang magkakampi’. Guy and I have been friends since then. Sa totoo lang, I enjoy watching her and Pip together, such as in the concert they did in the US last year."

(Note: Pip is in the cast of Star Cinema/FLT Films’ Pacquiao The Movie, starring Jericho Rosales in the title role, opening today in Metro Manila. He’s also a finalist in ABC 5’s Shall We Dance. Text your votes at SWD<space> 2 and send to 2219 for Globe and Sun, and 638 for Smart. Voting is until Sunday, June 25.)

Mother Lily has four entries in 2006 MMFF

The rules have been changed a bit, so a producer can now submit as many entries as he/she wants to, subject to the approval or disapproval of the (2006) Metro Manila Film Festival screening committee.

Regal Matriarch Mother Lily has two entries each under her two companies, namely:

• Under Regal Films: Zsa Zsa Zarturnnah, directed by Joel Lamangan, and starring Zsa Zsa Padilla, Pops Fernandez, Chokoleit, Alfred Vargas and Rustom Padilla; and Gua Ai Di (Mano Po 5), directed by Jun Lana, and starring Dennis Trillo and Angel Locsin; and

• Under MaQ Films: Shake, Rattle & Roll 8, a trilogy directed by young blood Ray-an Carlos, Quark Henares and Mike Tuviera; and Super Noypi, directed by Quark Henares, and starring Mark Herras, Jennylyn Mercado and John Prats.

Will this year’s MMFF be any less controversial than last year’s?

Well, unless some loudmouth speaks again...Anyway, what’s the MMFF without the usual brouhaha?

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