Ice Seguerra and partner Liza Diño said they have made peace with the fact that they may not have a baby born between them via in vitro fertilization (IVF).
The proud LGBT couple recently sat down with INQUIRER Entertainment and Bandera for an exclusive interview, as they shared their thoughts about their aspiration to have a child of their own.
Seguerra matter-of-factly disclosed that their age is a factor in no longer pursuing it, saying in jest that at her current age of 42, it might be hard for her to run after a growing child.
“Matanda na kami. If we were younger then siguro dapat nagawa na namin noon. Ngayon, the way things are going, and with our plans also, at sa edad ko rin — I’m 42 na e — hindi ko na ma-imagine,” he said.
“I’m good. I’m actually good with it. I think I have accepted already,” he further said when Diño posed the question of how he felt about it. “Kasi parang feeling ko when I see friends with younger [kids], nakikita ko yung sakit ng ulo, parang, I can’t. Amara’s good, okay nako sa kanya!”
Amara is Diño’s daughter with a previous partner.
READ: Ice Seguerra, Liza Diño take first step at having baby via IVF
For her part, Diño admitted that for a long time, she was feeling the guilt of not being able to make it happen because she did not prioritize it years earlier.
“Feeling ko ako may kasalanan non kung bakit hindi namin nagawa. Kasi pangarap ni Mommy Caring (Seguerra’s mom) yon, and she already passed away at hindi namin nagawa. I don’t really believe in regrets, but… it’s one of those things that I still cary with me, na parang, nagka anak sana kami had I fixed my priority, or if I had made time man lang,” she said.
In December 2014, a few days after their wedding in California where same-sex marriage is legal, the couple first announced their plans of having a kid through IVF.
The plan finally got going in January 2019 when Seguerra finally underwent egg harvesting process at a private hospital. With sperm from a donor, Diño was supposed to then carry the fertilized eggs as surrogate.
They were able to harvest “three good eggs,” which up to now are kept in culture incubators.
The couple later on decided to shelve their baby project amid their many responsibilities that time, with Diño as chairperson of the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), and Seguerra with his own endeavors.
It was also around that time when the coronavirus pandemic exploded and put the world at a stand-still.
Diño said that she is happy to find out that Seguerra, too, has moved on from this sad episode in their lives. At least now, she said, they were able to laugh about it as it was such a sensitive topic for both of them.
“Everytime he would open up the topic, he feels like I’m dismissing it. Pero pag ako naman nag o-open up, siguro nasaktan ko na sya about that discussion, he would deflect yung mga bagay-bagay. It’s good to hear from him now that it’s part of the past,” she continued.
Seguerra chimed in with a joke. “So now nagbebenta na kami ng tatlong itlog ngayon. Ito po ay good quality, very talented, hindi nga lang matangkad… Buy 2, get one free!”