The interview-pictorial had to be on a Monday because that’s the relatively freer day for the family, “at around 4 p.m.,” according to Carmina Villarroel because that’s when her and Zoren Legaspi’s twin children, Cassandra (Cassy) and Maverick (Mavy) come home from school located within shouting distance from their two-storey house at a quiet subdivision in Pasig City.
“We’ll be spending our third Christmas at this house this year,” said Carmina while being made up at the den, her manager Dolor Guevarra watching by.
Zoren was upstairs, probably watching TV while waiting to be called downstairs.
Look at the pictures and it’s easy to see that they are a happy family, just like what we see in the Selecta TV commercial showing them spending a cozy weekend at home, watching TV shows over generous servings of ice-cream. (The couple is also in the Jufran Ketsup commercial.)
During the pictorial, Cassy would hug her mom while Mavy would rest his head on his dad’s lap. Of the two, it’s Cassy who, this early, is showing an inclination toward showbiz. The girl knew what poses to strike from what angle.
“We are really like that,” said Zoren.
Cassy and Mavy are going on seven, delivered by Caesarian section at a hospital in California.
”Cassy is older,” volunteered Carmina. “She would have been born ahead if I delivered the natural way. But since I was cut up, sabay silang lumabas.”
Like in the past two Christmases, the family will celebrate the traditional way.
“When we were living in a townhouse,” said Carmina, “we would spend the day with my dad (a widower). But after we moved to this house, binago namin ang tradisyon.”
“Now,” added Zoren, “we spend the noche buena together, the Legaspis and the Villarroels, here at our home.”
Who conceptualized your house (right next to that of Bong Alvarez and Almira Muhlach who have already sold it)?
Zoren: Si Mina. She briefed the architect, describing to him every detail. She even bought books on houses to get ideas. The bathroom was built exactly like the one she saw in a glossy magazine. Pati ‘yung kitchen, pina-kopya niya sa isang book.
Carmina: I wanted the house to have a high ceiling so even if it’s not so big, the house will look wide and spacious. The lot area is 500 square meters, 300 of which is occupied by the house and 200 by the garden. It has one den, three rooms on the second floor and an attic. It was Hannah Faustino who did the interiors.
Zoren: She wanted to fill up the house right away so I told her, “Hon, it’s our own house already; take your time.” Kasi she might buy some furniture only to find a better one. I told her, “Pa-unti-unti lang.”
Carmina: ‘Yung mga furniture namin hindi naman kasama sa original concept. Basta, when we saw one that we liked and it fitted one space in the house, we would buy it.
The house is big. Is it part of your preparation for a bigger family?
Carmina: Basta pag darating, darating.
(To Cassy) Congratulations. You and Mavy just won a special award (from DepEd) for being a role model. How many brothers and sisters do you want?
Cassy: Two.
(To Mavy) What about you?
Mavy: Three.
Carmina: Basta ako, gusto ko twins ulit.
Mahirap bang gumawa ng twins?
Zoren: Not really. Nasa ano ‘yon, eh... nasa style. Hahahaha!
So what is the style?
Zoren: First, siempre you have to be fit because the “style” involves a lot of shaking — you know, shake dito, shake doon. Hahahaha!
(To Carmina) Cassy and Mavy beat you in doing a commercial. You were only 12 when you did that Jollibee commercial (in which she was discovered for showbiz), right?
Carmina: I was even younger. Pero mas bata pa rin sina Cassy at Mavy.
Pareho silang dugong artista. I’m sure they will eventually join showbiz.
Carmina (to Cassy): Do you want to be an actress when you grow up?
Cassy: Yes!
Carmina: Really? But you said you wanted to be a tennis player or a doctor or a ballerina. What happened? (To Mavy) Do you want to be an actor like Tatay?
Mavy: No! I want to be a tennis player.
Carmina: Para sa akin, tapusin lang nila ang pag-aaral and they can be anything they want to be.
Zoren: Pero baka showbiz din ang ending nila. It’s in their genes, in their blood. Their Lolo (Lito Legaspi) is in showbiz, their parents are in showbiz and their uncles (Zoren’s brothers Kier and Brandon) are in showbiz. Dati-rati, I didn’t want them to be exposed to showbiz but it got to a point when Mina got so busy so we didn’t have a choice but for her to bring the kids along to the set. Ngayon, sanay na sila sa taping at shooting.
Carmina: One time, Zoren was directing (a TV show) and the set was just near our house, so binibisita namin siya. Aba, amazed na amazed ‘yung kambal sa costumes ng mga artista, so parang gusto ko na sila palaging dinadala. When they watched na the show on TV, they appreciated it even more. They would say, “Remember, Mommy, we went there, di ba?” Kapag nakikilala sila ng kapwa ko artista, they are flattered. Then I realized that it’s better that way para early on, they would know what kind of work their parents are doing at lalo nilang ma-appreciate ang trabaho namin ng Tatay nila when they grow up.
(To both Cassy and Mavy) Sino ang mas magaling in school? (They study in the same school.)
Mavy (Pointing to Cassy): Siya!
And who is more makulit?
Cassy (Pointing to Mavy): Siya!
Mavy (Pointing to Cassy): Siya!
Are Mommy and Tatay strict?
(Cassy and Mavy make no comment but look at both Carmina and Zoren.)
Zoren: Yeah. Mommy is strict, isn’t she?
Carmina: Mavy, am I strict?
Mavy: No.
Carmina: Oh, I see. Thank you!
Mavy (Pointing to Zoren): Siya, strict!
Are you bringing up Cassy and Mavy the way you were brought up?
Carmina: Yes.
Zoren: Yes. But I think our parents had a harder time raising their children. Now, aside from your own experience, you can get pointers from so many books about parenting — you know, how to deal with a child kapag nagta-tantrum. But I have my own style. No book-writer can tell you how to raise your child because as the father, siempre mas ikaw ang nakakakilala sa anak mo kaysa ang ibang tao. With me, minsan kaibigan nila ako, minsan naman kaaway nila ako; minsan coach nila ako sa tennis. When we are on the court, I’m not their Tatay, I’m their coach.
Cassy: Coach Astig!
Who’s the disciplinarian between the two of you?
Zoren: We both are.
Carmina: Parehong kami. Magka-iba nga lang ng style.
Are you the type of parents who would spare the rod and spoil the child?
Carmina: No, we are not.
Zoren: Kapag hindi tumitigil sa pagta-tantrum, medyo pinipitik ko ng bahagya sa tenga.
Carmina: Then, we explain to them kung bakit, so they will learn their lesson and not commit the same mistakes again.
When you fight, do you keep it from the children?
Zoren: Not really, kasi we never pa naman had a serious fight. Mild lang.
Carmina: We know how to handle each other. Kapag mainit ang isa, kalmado ang isa; never na nagsasabay kaming pareho na mainit ang ulo.
(To Mavy and Cassy) It’s Christmastime. What gift do you want from Mommy and Tatay?
Mavy: A tennis racket.
Cassy: Me, too!
(Asked to give each other a hug and a kiss after the Conversation, the family dissolved into a group hug while planting kisses at each other’s cheek. Hmmmm. Very Selecta!)
(E-mail reactions at rickylo@philstar.net.ph or at entphilstar@yahoo.com)