Christine Bersola-Babao and Julius Babao (photo by PINGGOT ZULUETA)

Ten years ago, Julius Babao and Christine “Tintin” Bersola were celebrating a rainy New Year in Paris, admiring the flamboyant fireworks underneath the Eiffel Tower. The moment would have been incredibly romantic—the two TV personalities were alone in the City of Love, holding hands while looking at the night sky – when all of a sudden, Parisians began kissing each other. Overwhelmed by the thought of being kissed by complete strangers, the couple hid their faces using their trench coats and just laughed with each other.

Laughter, along with love, friendship, and a sense of adventure define the relationship of Julius and Tintin. In fact, Julius lovingly calls his wife “Tawa” because of her highly contagious laughter. And when they are together, the somewhat reserved demeanor of Julius dissolves and gets infected by Tintin’s bubbly personality.

They first met in 1993 when Gilbert Remulla introduced them to each other in the newsroom. Tintin remembers Julius being in a hurry at the time, so they only said hi and shook hands. “He wasn’t friendly,” comments Tintin. Little did she know that despite the nonchalant greeting, Julius managed to remember the color of the clothes she was wearing and what kind of hairstyle she sported. “She was wearing something red and her hair was up in a bun,” he recalls.

Julius might have thought that Tintin was pretty, but he didn’t think much of their introduction. He explains, “I wasn’t really scouting for a girlfriend that time because I already had a girlfriend. And she had a boyfriend as well.”

Because of the morning show however, they got to spend lots of time together. A steady friendship, veiled by mutual attraction between the two inevitably developed. People saw their chemistry and began teasing them.

Julius loved Tintin’s animated laugh and generosity, while Tintin admired his kindness and integrity. “People say that in the world of journalism, there are lots of people who are easily bribed. In Julius’ case, there were already so many attempts to bribe him but he never gave in,” she shares.

The two broadcasters didn’t go through a courtship stage, nor did they have mushy declarations of love. “Our relationship was something that just happened,” notes Julius. “We both realized that we liked each other so we told each other how we felt.” One day, he asked Tintin if he could kiss her, and she said yes.

They finally got together in 1997, and their relationship only strengthened because of their many travels abroad. “We were both hosting the morning show so we always had coverages outside the country. We were together in the Holy Land, New Zealand, Hong Kong...” Julius trails off. “We’ve been to so many places.”

“When you’re abroad, there’s nobody there to take care of you. And Julius really took care of me,” gushes Tintin. “Plus you get to know each other more when you’re out of the country. Julius discovered that humihilik pala ako, pero tinanggap pa din niya ako!” she laughs.

Whenever they travel, Julius and Tintin love to shop, visit art galleries, and go on food trips. “We both like to explore new restaurants because we both love food,” explains Julius.

In between work and travelling, Julius and Tintin began talking about marriage. And even though they were already planning their future together, the proposal still came as a complete surprise for Tintin when Julius knelt in front of her during "The Sharon Cuneta" Show and asked her to marry him.

“I was looking for a unique opportunity to propose to her,” says Julius. “To do it during the morning show would be predictable. To do it privately would not be right because our relationship was born publicly. I felt that the public should be a part of our ‘moment.’”

The public really got to be a part of their marriage for it was televised by broadcasting network ABS-CBN. Julius and Tintin got married on December 8, 2003 at San Antonio de Padua Church in Antipolo City.

Their daughter Antonia (nicknamed Anya) came two years later. The spirited young girl takes after both her parents’ looks and personalities. For fun, vigorous activities, she goes to her father for games of rocks, scissors, and papers. The two would play habulan at home and have drawing sessions afterwards. On the other hand, Anya goes to her mother for math and English lessons. They would bond over baking, and create yummy cakes, cookies, and pizza.

The Babao household would soon become livelier with the addition of Antonio Francesco, Julius and Tintin’s baby boy. Tintin is expected to give birth by the end of January, and the family couldn’t be more thrilled. “He’s an answered prayer because we prayed to have a boy this year,” relates Tintin.

Aside from marriage, parenting, and work, the power couple also adds charity work to their list of many pursuits. Art aficionado, Julius has held two fund-raising activities to give homes to over 60 families. “I believe in the mission and the principle of Gawad Kalinga,” he enthuses. “I believe that if you give people homes, their lifestyles and attitudes towards the environment and society change. They are transformed into conscientious beings and they feel a certain pride towards their homes.”

Tintin also shares the same ideal, and this is why she thought of celebrating their birthdays in the most selfless way. “Every year during our birthdays, Julius, Antonia, and I would donate one house for one family. We do it to make a big difference in the lives of people,” she says with a smile.

With so many blessings and happy vibes overflowing within the Babao family, it’s no wonder why they want to spread the positivity around. And the secret to their good fortune lies in how well the couple gets along.

“Julius and I believe that marriage is a union of two souls,” expresses Tintin. “Our marriage works because we’re friends first, and lovers second. We have a meeting of the minds when it comes to our finances and sexual compatibility.”

She continues, “We also uphold the same values, vision, and discipline when it comes to raising our kids. Lastly, we know we will accept and love each other still, even when the inevitable old age comes:  Complete with flaws such as warts, wrinkles, bald and gray hair, toothless mouths and all.”

On each other

He said: Si Tintin tawag ko sa kanya ay si "Tawa", kasi tawa siya ng tawa. Masarap kasama dahil masiyahin at mahilig siya manlibre. Generous kasi siya kaya palagi ako linilibre kung saan-saan.

She said: Julius is so nice, smart, and hindi siya mayabang. I’ve actually tested his kindness many times. We were caught in traffic one time around Guadalupe. The car in front of us suddenly came to a halt and nabangga kami. Julius went down the car and talked to the driver. He saw that driver was old and he had children in his back seat, so he just let the thing slide. The way he controls his temper is so admirable. If he’s good then, he’s even better now. I know that he will take good care of our family.

On travelling

He said: I would have to say that our visit to the Holy Land was our most memorable trip. Before we got married, we got blessed in Canaan. It was unforgettable for us because it was quite a spiritual experience—being in the place where Christ was born and where He lived. We have actually been to the place three times already.

She said: For our honeymoon, we discovered new places and experienced new things. We went to New York and saw Broadway plays and theatre. You really get to know your partner more when you’re alone abroad.

On household management

He said: Ang maganda kay Tintin is that she adjusts to my tastes. So kung nangbababae ako, nag-aadjust siya sa akin. (Laughs) She’s very supportive. When I’m buying furniture for our house, hindi siya nakikialam at sinusuportahan lang niya ako.

She said: Sabi nga nila, pag naging queen na ang wife sa isang tahanan, siya na magpapalit ng mga pillow cases and curtains. Magiging floral and feminine na ang theme ng house. But I never imposed my feminine tastes. If you’d see our house, it’s really very masculine and you know that Julius is the king of the house. You would only realize that there’s a woman living in the house because my bags and shoes are strewn all over the place.

On their hobbies and interests

He said: I liked painting when I was still in elementary and high school. I would draw and join competitions. I’m really inclined towards the arts. Now I have a collection of art works from contemporary artists. I also have works of the masters but I try to focus on the works of younger artists because I believe that’s really the best way to start a collection.

She said: I love to write and I actually chronicle my life through diaries. I have three planners—one is the “Thank You Planner” which I learned from Oprah. Every blessing and good thing that come to me, I write it down. Whenever I’m sad or have dreams that don’t come true, I write it down in another planner. Then I have a planner where I write about the trials I go through, the dilemmas I have to face. I also have several journals chronicling Antonia’s life, from the time I was pregnant with her to her growing up years. Now that I’m pregnant with Antonio, I have another pregnancy journal for him.

On charity work

He said: I’ve done two fund-raising activities for Gawad Kalinga, and the first one was during my 40th birthday. It was called Art 40 and the goal was to build 30 houses for 30 families in Bagong Silang, Caloocan. We auctioned artworks and the money that was generated from that auction was used to finance the village. Last year, because of Ondoy and Pepeng, artist Geraldine Javier suggested I do another auction for the victims. This time, it’s called Art 2 Heart. Despite the short notice, a miracle happened because the amount that we raised was exactly what was needed for the village. I think the art collectors who went to the auction realized the importance of helping those in need.

She said: When I was young, my mom instilled in me the value of treating everyone equally. And that made me think: Instead of throwing a party for my birthday, I thought why not help people who are in need? So every year since 2006, we would donate a house during our birthdays. Even Antonia would donate a house during her birthday. We’re also active with World Vision and Antonia is actually their youngest celebrity sponsor.