Dominic Roque proposes to Bea Alonzo.
In recent months, Bea Alonzo couldn’t go anywhere without being asked if it’s true that she’s already engaged.. And she would tell those people, “Not yet—don’t jinx it!”
There’s no jinxing it now.
On a balmy afternoon last July 18 at the Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar resort, “time stood still” for Bea after seeing her boyfriend, Dominic Roque, on his knees, with a ring in his hand.
“I was there for a shoot. But little did I know that the next thing that would happen would change our lives forever. In the middle of the shoot, Mark Nicdao (photographer) kept telling me to turn around because he wanted to shoot the back side of my dress. I found it a bit odd. But when I turned around, I found Dom kneeling with a box in his hand,” she related in an Instagram post.
In her 20 years as an actress, Bea has done countless proposal scenes in film and television. But as it turned out, she has been doing it “all wrong” because “nothing beats the real thing.”
“Everything went in slow motion. And I felt different emotions all at the same time—joy, excitement, love. I started bawling,” she said. Her “ugly cry,” quipped Bea, who had been dating Dominic for more than two years.
Bea covered her face with her hands in disbelief. Bursting into tears, she cradled Dominic’s face and looked deep into his eyes, before giving him a loving embrace. “I didn’t want that moment to end. I wanted this real thing to happen forever. And right then and there, in front of people we love, we decided on forever,” she said.
In an interview a week before the proposal, Bea said that marriage is something that she and Dominic have been discussing. “It’s part of our plans … I’m 35 now and not getting any younger,” said Bea, who described Dominic as the romantic type. “Ang gusto niya, siya ang nanliligaw at ume-effort.”
Mother’s request
Bea’s mom, Mary Anne Ranollo, has been constantly teasing her about having new grandkids. “Paulit-ulit—every day!” Bea said, laughing. But for Bea, marriage has to come first.
“She already has two grandkids from my younger brother. And so she’s like, ‘Ano, kailan ka na? Gusto ko nang magkaroon ng mga mestizong apo!’” she told the Inquirer at a press conference for GMA 7’s new reality talent search “Battle of the Judges.”
“But I want to get married first before having a baby. I don’t judge those people [who do otherwise]. I’m just traditional … conservative in that way. But that’s my dream: to get married first and then build a family with blessing from the Lord,” she said.
For now, the couple is trying to make the most out of their respective careers. “We’re at a point in our relationship where he can be involved in my professional life. I tell him about my projects and ask him if he thinks they will be beneficial to my career,” she said.
“His advice matters. There are times I take them, there are times I don’t,” she said. “But that’s OK … as long as we understand each other. Of course, he’s a big part of my life.”
Needless to say, Dominic has been nothing but supportive of Bea pursuing other things outside acting, like her new stint as judge-mentor in “Battle of the Judges.”
“That’s one of the things I had planned when I moved to GMA. I wanted to try different things. I wanted to bring out a different side of me. That’s my priority. Now I’m judging, mentoring. I hope I get more opportunities to do new things in the future,” said Bea, whose job is to hone a squad of performers that will go against other squads led by fellow mentors Jose Manalo, Boy Abunda and GMA 7 executive Anne Gozon-Valdes.
Bea’s first love
Bea has already dabbled in theater through “Ang Larawan: The Concert.” Acting will always be her “first love.” But given the right opportunity, the Kapuso star said she would love to have her own talk show, write a script or host a documentary series.
“I have always dreamed of being a host. But it hasn’t happened yet because my career track was more or less singular,” pointed out Bea, who has had some practice hosting by interviewing fellow celebs for her YouTube vlog. “May mga gusto akong patunayan … I want to master one thing before trying other things.
“But thankfully, my vlog allowed me to show my real personality. I’m not all that serious in real life!” she said.
Bea also had meetings with GMA 7’s news and public affairs department for a potential documentary series. “I pitched concepts,” she said. “It’s all so very exciting … I feel privileged. It’s humbling because GMA never runs out of shows or concepts to present to me.”