Katya Santos and her fiancé Paolo Pilar. Image: Instagram/@paopilar
Wedding bells will soon be ringing for Katya Santos, 41, as she said yes to the wedding proposal of her non-showbiz boyfriend Paolo Pilar.
Santos showed moments from when Pilar went down on one knee and popped the question at Lake Ashi in Hakone, Japan, through her Instagram page on Friday, Jan. 5.
Tala, Santos’ daughter from her previous marriage, was also with the couple during the proposal.
“It all started in 2004. They say it was love at first sight, but I truly believed it was destiny!” Santos said.
“Now I understand whatever happened in the past needed to happen,” she continued. “The universe has its own way of bringing us back together. We still headed in the same direction.”
Santos then declared her love for Pilar, whom she called her “pungay.” “I loved you once, I love you still, I always have, I always will. To forever, my pungay.”
Pilar, for his part, recalled meeting Santos in Boracay 20 years ago.
“Today in 2024, I finally asked her to be my wife with our families, friends, and the majestic Fuji-San as witnesses,” he said in the caption.
“I have loved you for 20 years and would continue to do so until my last breath. To forever, my Pungay!” he addressed the actress.
Fans and celebrities including Marvin Agustin, Melissa Ricks, Maui Taylor and Diana Zubiri sent their congratulatory greetings to the couple via the comments section.
Santos was previously married to Anton de los Reyes, a member of Mapua’s basketball coaching staff. Santos and Reyes welcomed Tala in 2013, and reportedly broke up in 2016.