"He’s hot," exclaims Pia Guanio, "and I like him that way because I’m hot, too. Who wants her man to be cold?"
What follows are superlatives, which are forgivable because they come from a woman who has found her match, notwithstanding the 25-plus-years age gap between them. (Pia is only slightly older than Danica, the elder of Vic’s two children – the other is Oyo Boy – with ex-wife Dina Bonnevie.)
"Besides his sense of humor, what I like about him is his patience. He’s patient with me. I’m quite a brat, you know. He knows how to handle me when I’m in a nasty mood.
"Is he a womanizer? I don’t think so. I don’t believe what they say about him. So women are the ones who get attracted to him and not the other way around? I do hope so. It means he’s hot and, as I’ve said, I want my man to be hot. I can’t be with a womanizer because I grew up with a father and a brother who are not.
"Is he faithful? I think so – because I am. I’m a one-man woman and I expect him to be a one-woman man, and he is."
Okay, okay.
Is it true that Vic also showered her with expensive gifts, such as expensive jewelry and a BMW?
"No, it’s not true. The BMW I’m driving I bought with my hard-earned money. I’ve been brought up in such a way that I don’t accept (expensive) gifts from a boyfriend. Food, okay lang. My parents, especially my mom, would frown on me if I accept a gift as expensive as a BMW from Vic. She has been constantly reminding me against it."
Did Vic, according to speculation, cause Pia’s break-up with Mike Jacob, her boyfriend of seven years? (What a small world! Mike is the brother of Christine Jacob, now a happy Mrs. Paco Sandejas, who was linked to Vic during their Eat, Bulaga! days.)
"Of course, not! Mike and I simply grew apart. Our relationship simply fizzled out."
She and Vic simply "grew into each other" on the set of the GMA noontime show Eat, Bulaga! of which they are among the hosts.
"We’ve been working for a long time," says Pia, "and things simply happened. There was no magic moment, no courtship at all. When people ask when our ‘anniversary’ is, we don’t even know when. I was there when he needed somebody to listen to him and he was there for me when I needed a shoulder to cry on. We started as friends. Lasting relationships start with deep friendship, don’t they?"
Their romance, long the subject of a guessing game, was confirmed when Pia celebrated her birthday on Oct. 26 and Vic sang Don McLean’s Birthday Song to her on S-Files, the first time he ever did that to a girl (despite the dozens linked to him).
Pia is 5’7" tall, weighs 115 lbs., measures 35-25-25, and wears small-size shirt and size-8 shoes.
What’s your schedule like?
"I have two daily shows, Eat, Bulaga! and 24 Oras (on GMA), Monday through Friday; one on Saturday (still Bulaga!); and two on Sundays, Pinaka (on QTV 11) and S-Files (GMA)."
No time for working out?
"I try to go to the gym in-between my two daily shows, three workouts a week if time permits, one Pilates class in the morning and about two hours in the gym (one hour for jogging and another hour for weight-training). I’m hyper-active and my metabolism is fast so I can eat anything I want."
And what do you eat?
"I’m a food-tripper. Once upon a time I stayed away from red meat but the steak is just sooo good...! The cheese, hmmm!"
What about sleep? How much do you get?
"Not enough. I get only an average of six hours. Do I get headaches from lack of sleep? No, I don’t. I get headaches when I don’t get my double-espresso in the morning. I think it’s caffeine-withdrawal. Not a good thing. But I can’t get rid of my double-espresso. My favorite coffee is Nescafé. That’s how I get energized."
And how much water do you take every day?
"A lot. More than eight glasses."
What vitamins and/or minerals do you take?
"Enervon-C every day! You know, ako ang taong happy!"
Are you clean-living?
"Absolutely!"
Do you smoke?
"Never!"
Do you take, or have you tried, drugs?
"No!"
Do you smoke?
"If ever I do, I just puff from someone."
Do you drink?
"On occasion. If there’s a party or something to celebrate."
Are you hypochondriac?
"No, I’m just health-conscious. I don’t want to feel aches and pains, so I try to maintain my body in tip-top condition, if I can. Unless necessary, I don’t take antibiotics. My mom prohibits it. I don’t want my body to develop any dependence on them, especially not pain-killers. I simply sleep it off or drink lots of water."
Are you like most women, afraid to go under the sun (bad for the skin, or so they say)?
"No, I’m not. They say it speeds up the aging process. But you know, I used to be a sun goddess. I was always under the sun. But now that I’m busy, I can’t do it because I’m inside the studio most of the time."
How do you cope with stress?
"I take deep breaths. Breathe in, counting one to four; and then breathe out, counting one to four. Or I go to the gym."
What part of your body do you think needs some improvement?
"I’m pretty happy with my body. I have no problem fitting into clothes; I’m happy and thankful that I don’t have any health problems, that I’m always energetic even if I have so many things to do."
What part of your body is most vulnerable?
"My back. It aches when I’m working too much."
What part is your favorite?
"I guess my legs."
And what part of your body is Vic’s favorite?
"I think he likes my arms a lot. He pinches my arms all the time."
What part naman of Vic’s body is your favorite?
"His hands. They look so cute!"
What else do you like about him, besides his sense of humor?
"He’s very loving. Even if I’m really angry or pikon, he’s always able to calm me down. He won’t put up with me, especially when I’m in a bad mood."
Do you meditate?
"I should go into that. One of these days, I will go to a yoga class."
How do you unwind?
"Whenever I get a chance, I go to Tagaytay with my parents. We have a house there. Even just a day there is rejuvenating. No cellphones. No nothing. Just breathing easily or reading or listening to music (on my iPod) or shooting the breeze with my parents."
What stuff do you read?
"Well, different things. Christian books. I also read my friend Linton Palanca’s book which has been shelved forever. It’s about eating, traveling and all that."
What about music?
"I’m a big music fan. I listen to everything, from classical to rock, everything, depending on my mood."
Do you and Vic have a theme song?
(Breaking into a song) "Sing, sing a song; sing out loud, sing out strong...La, la, la, la, la..."
What’s your favorite sleeping wear?
"Tiny shorts. I spray myself with baby cologne. I’m a light sleeper these days."
I heard that you’re a pillow person.
"Yes, I am. I sleep with several pillows. Three soft pillows under my head and three big ones at my back. I have a tiny, thin pillow since I was a baby. I call it Bantot. I also have a long one."
What’s the last thing that you do before you go to sleep?
"I talk to my Father – in heaven. God the Father. I tell Him what happened during the day, what I did wrong, what I want to do better, that I hope I please Him and that He’s proud of what I did and what I do."
And the first thing that you do when you wake up?
"Same. I say ‘thank you’ to Him for giving me another day."
Are you vain?
"Only when it comes to my fitness."
Name three men you think have nice bodies.
"Outside of my boyfriend? Yes, I can name those who look like him – George Clooney, Ben Affleck and Dermot Mulroney (Julia Roberts’ true love in My Best Friend’s Wedding)."
And three women...
"Jessica Alba. Jessica Simpson. Brooke Burkes."
Using only body language, how would you make a guy know that you like/admire him?
"I will flash him a 100-watt smile!"