Vic: Pia is the last woman in my life

Famous last words?

Yes, they were actually uttered by Vic Sotto, local showbiz’s Most Eligible Bachelor, when asked by Funfare about Pia Guanio, his girlfriend.

"She’s the last woman in my life," he said without batting an eyelash.

It’s the first time he has ever said that about a woman and there have been many of them, two of whom bore him one child each (Coney Reyes and Angela Luz; besides his ex-wife Dina Bonnevie, now happy with her own new love, a foreigner, with whom Vic has two, Danica and Oyo Boy). "Maybe it comes with age. I’ve had several relationships and I’m hoping and praying that she’ll be the last woman in my life. She’s an ideal partner, wife, friend, lover and everything."

Was Vic saying so maybe to drum up for his latest starrer, Enteng Kabisote 3: Okay Ka, Fairy Ko (The Legend Goes On and On), a joint venture between his own M-Zet TV Productions and Orly Ilacad’s OctoArts Films and one of the nine entries in the 2006 Metro Filmfest?

A spin-off of his popular TV show Okay Ka, Fairy Ko, Enteng 3 is one of local movies’ most successful franchises (Regal Films’ Mano Po is another one, now on its fifth installment also showing in the same filmfest), a perennial top grosser. The first Enteng flick, Okay Ka, Fairy Ko (The Legend), was shown in 2004; and the second, Enteng Kabisote (The Legend Continues), in 2005.

Asked if he forsaw Enteng to be successful, Vic said, "When we conceptualized the movie, we were ready for a sequel. Long-range ang planning namin. If the first one succeeded, we had a follow-up ready. Even before we finished Enteng 2, we also already had a third one ready."

Vic attributed the series’ success to its ready (read: captive) audience traced back to Okay Ka, Fairy Ko, the TV series, which lasted for 10 years.

"The kids who followed Fairy Ko are today’s yuppies, some of them now young parents," explained Vic who plays a simpleton married to a fairy (Faye, originally played by Alice Dixson, later replaced by Tweety de Leon, in the TV series; Alice later played Magenta, while Kristine Hermosa played Faye from the first to the third installments).

"They share with their kids stories about the Kabisote family and that’s a free word-of-mouth plug," he added. "In this movie, I play two Entengs, one is good and the other is bad." (The Magenta character, who holds the Medalyon ng Kabutihan, was played in the TV series by the late Charito Solis and now by G. Tongi.) All three Enteng flicks were directed by Tony Reyes.

The series grows with every installment, not only in terms of special effects but also the production cost. Asked how much Enteng 3 cost, Vic said, "As far as the budget is concerned, I just close my eyes. Pikit-mata kami ng partner kong si Orly." Meaning, far bigger than that of the first two.

Why didn’t he get Pia as his leading lady?

"Because the Faye character is already identified with Kristine."

Which brought us back to his romance with Pia to whom he dedicated Don McLean’s Birthday Song when he guested on S-Files during the weekend of her birthday.

How come he’s more open with his relationship with Pia now than he was a few months ago when word first spread about them (rendezvous in Hong Kong, etc.)?

"I never denied about it," he said. "We never denied it. It’s just that I don’t want to discuss my private life."

Pia said that, besides Vic’s sense of humor ("And his hands"), she likes his patience since she can sometimes be a brat. And what do Vic like about Pia?

"She’s a jolly person. Her attitude in life is positive. Did she say she can be a brat? I don’t think so. Nasa tamang level ang kanyang pagka-brat. But it seldom happens. I like her because she’s very loving and very caring, very level-headed. She takes good care of me."

Like what Pia said, they started as friends.

"But I had a secret crush on her from the first time I met her when she guested in my sitcom, Daddy Di Do Du. That was before she started co-hosting Eat, Bulaga! (on GMA). I was free at that time but she was committed to somebody. (Mike Jacob, brother of Christine Jacob, Vic’s former Bulaga! co-host with whom he was also romantically linked. Pia and Mike went steady for seven years. – RFL) By the time Pia joined Bulaga!, she was already free. And then, we became friends."

On Eat, Bulaga!, he and Pia are having a mock wedding. How soon will they do it for real?

"As soon as we are ready, not only in financial terms but in every way."

They have beautifully blended into each other’s families. Pia goes along with Vic’s children and their partners (Danica and Marc Pingris, and Oyo Boy and Angel Locsin) and vice-versa, with Vic sometimes spending weekends with Pia and her family at the Guanios’ vacation house in Tagaytay.

"Besides," said Vic, "I don’t want to get married in the same year as Danica. She and Marc are getting married next year. It’s bad luck if Pia and I get married the same year, di ba? Masama ang sukob sa taon."

Like most lovers, they also have their, ehem, LQ (Lovers’ Quarrel), due mostly to their lack of time together. But aren’t they together in Bulaga! and during tapings for Daddy Di Do Du?

"But that’s work. With us, work is work; we don’t mix work with pleasure. Pia has two daily shows (24 Oras, besides Bulaga!) and two Sunday shows (Pinaka for QTV and S-Files, also on GMA). But we do make time for each other. We see to it."

So far, so good; so far, so smooth.

Asked what his most memorable moment with Pia is, Vic smiled.

"Every moment that we are together."

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