For Aicelle and Mark, honeymoon will have to wait longer amid pandemic

Aicelle Santos (left) and Mark Zambrano

It was around this time four years ago that Aicelle Santos started dating her now husband, broadcast journalist Mark Zambrano. And going on their much-anticipated honeymoon this month could have been a fitting way to commemorate the beginning of their romance.

Unfortunately however, the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic—which prompted travel restrictions around the world—left the newlyweds with no choice but to put their plans on hold.

“It would have been our honeymoon in a destination where we long to make more happy memories,” the singer-actress said in an Instagram post.

But for now, health and safety are of utmost priority.

“Wherever you are now—may you be staying at home or outside serving our country—I hope you’re doing well. The things we see around us and in the news are worrying. You can’t help but feel scared, sad, angry. And it’s OK to cry, get annoyed. We fight again the next day. We smile again,” she said in Filipino.

Aicelle also encouraged everyone to pray for better days ahead. “Let’s fight for our loved ones, because in doings so, we’re also fighting for everyone else,” she pointed out. “Let’s pray. God is with us. Things will get better.”

In an interview with the Inquirer, Aicelle revealed that she and Mark had intended to spend at least three weeks in Japan and enjoy the sakura or cherry blossom season.

“Mark and I both love Japanese food. And Mark hasn’t been there, surprisingly, so I wanted to take him there. And while I have visited Japan a couple of times in the past, I have yet to experience sakura festivals,” she related.

Aicelle, who’s a mainstay in the GMA 7 variety show “All-Out Sunday” and sits as a judge in the singing contest “Centerstage,” even made sure to free up her calendar before the planned vacation. “I wanted to drop everything and let go of work. I wanted it to be just him and nature,” she said.

Aside from sightseeing, the 35-year-old artist likewise volunteered that she and her husband were hoping to try for a baby while in Japan. But it looks like their firstborn, she quipped, will have to be “made in the Philippines,” instead.

“I hope God gives it to us this year. I would love to have two kids—maybe twins, God willing, so I could have them in one go!” Aicelle quipped.

Should that time come, Aicelle will have to lie low from show biz. “If it’s about starting a family or raising a child, I would like to prioritize that,” she said. “I want to be hands-on.”

Leaving show biz completely, however, is unthinkable for her. “I would love to come back, of course, because this is my passion and livelihood,” Aicelle said, adding that Mark couldn’t be more supportive of her endeavors in life—even if it meant going abroad, like she did when she joined the United Kingdom touring production of “Miss Saigon” in 2018.

“Our deal is that if one of us gets a job overseas, we go together. That’s in my prayers. If that were to happen, it would be great if we could both get jobs, so that the other isn’t just stuck at home,” she said.

Asked if there was anything she still wanted to achieve in her career, Aicelle said she could only wish for sustaina­bility. “I have been blessed enough. Everything I have achieved was a surprise. Everything I have now, I didn’t even dream of,” she related.

“I wanted to be a doctor at first. I joined a contest only because I needed the prize. I was to return to my normal life, but then all these were given to me—television, music, theater,” she added. “Now, I would willingly accept whatever will be given to me.”

Meanwhile, in his own Instagram post, Mark assured Aicelle that he’s as happy now as he was four years ago, when his “heart met its match.” “I’m glad to be beside you in all the new adventures ahead of us,” he wrote. “Thank you so much for all the love you give.”

And though the actual honeymoon would have to wait longer, Aicelle said it still feels like she and Mark are in the honeymoon stage. “I still feel kilig when I get called Mrs. Zambrano.” INQ