Jundio and Rosie (Photo by NOEL PABALATE)

"Di kita type. Ayoko sa kulot.”

Rosie Chua quipped when she first saw Dionisio “Jundio” Salvador Jr., not knowing that that first encounter would lead to a happy ever after.

That time, Rosie just graduated from Ateneo de Naga. Wanting some time off before she entered the professional world of, she asked a cousin who was working in a hotel in Saipan to bring her there.

Meanwhile, Jundio visited Saipan to try his luck. He wanted to find a job as a contract worker, while trying to learn the particulars of the export and import industry. That time, his father was applying for the establishment of a gas station in the US, and Jundio was helping him in processing the papers.

One day, while they were lounging in the lobby of the hotel, one of Jundio’s friends saw Rosie’s friend who was with Rosie and other friends. Apparently, they knew each other from way back in the Philippines. And since they were all Filipinos in a foreign land, and their friends knew each other, they decided to regroup and hang out together.

During the conversation, their friends started to tease them, but both argued that they didn’t like each other. Rosie liked someone who is tall, gwapo at hindi kulot, the exact opposite of Jundio who was sporting the “nerdy” look. On the other hand, Jundio likes someone who is mapuputi na matangos ang ilong. Besides, at that time, both of them were already committed.

After that encounter, the two strangely became friends. Even when they went back to Manila, they kept in touch. In fact, they became each other’s confidante. Jundio would talk about his girlfriend, and Rosie would confide about her boyfriend. They were constantly together that their friends kept teasing them that they were already a couple.

To cease the teasing, and to pull their friends’ legs, Jundio suggested to Rosie that they should pretend they were already a couple. But it backfired because they found themselves falling in love with each other for real. Soon after, they became a couple.

But because Rosie was quite a catch, there were still some guys hanging around and courting her. That time, she was working in a bank somewhere in Buendia Avenue, Makati. It evoked a certain amount of jealousy from Jundio.

One time, after Jundio fetched Rosie from her workplace, he proposed to her. “Nung time na iyon, may guy na nanliligaw sa akin sa eighth floor. Sabi niya, ‘Bakit ba sunod nang sunod iyan sa iyo? Pakasal na tayo para wala nang manliligaw sa’yo.’ Akala ko nagbibiro lang siya. Iyon pala totoo,” shares Rosie.

The two got married through civil rites on March 3, 1990. Then, the couple went back to Saipan to work, but then she got pregnant in April. So they went back to the Philippines, and had theirchurch wedding on August 25, 1990.

Like any other couple starting a family, their life had not been easy. Although Jundio came from a well-off family, they never asked for help because they wanted to make it on their own. There was a time when they had to pawn some of their appliances just to have money to buy their basic needs.

In 1997, with only P50,000 in their savings, the couple decided to take a risk and put up a construction company. Their first client was a friend’s relative who wanted to build a house. They told their friend that they could provide the labor as long as he’d provide the materials. Soon, the business prospered. They had one client after another.

But in 2005, Jundio had a heart attack. Then, another in 2006, and the last one was in 2007. He was diagnosed with paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia, where the heart contracts because of the abnormal electrical pathway between the atria and the ventricles.

The doctor advised him to avoid too much sun exposure because that triggers the attack. Hence, he had to stop going to the construction sites. But that was not possible since construction was their bread and butter.

The couple had to think of an alternative. That time, Jundio’s father who used to be a baker, was complaining about the taste of the bread sold in the market. “Masyado daw lasang gatas. Hinahanap niya iyong lasa ng pandesal nung time niya. Doon nagsimula iyong Pan de Americana,” shares Jundio.

And little by little, Jundio started building the pugon. They started their search for the perfect bread that would suit his father’s palate. After a month of experimenting in the kitchen, they found the pot of gold.

And the clamor for that 1950s pandesal began. And the rest, as they say, was history.

After 20 years of marriage, the couple was blessed with four children: Third, 19, Charmaine Angela, 16, Michael Brian, 13, and Kenneth Kristian, 9.

On The Secret Of A Lasting Relationship:

He said: We cherish today and tomorrow. Every day is a new day. We tend to live today. Hindi namin masyadong tsini-cherish iyong nakaraan. Mas tsini-cherish namin iyong ngayon at bukas. Mas excited ako sa kung anong mangyayari bukas kesa sa nakaraan. Parang today is better than yesterday. Look forward bukas. Nakapalano na iyong bukas namin. May retirement plan na kami. Sinulat na namin kung ano’ng gagawin namin. Sinubukan ko i-cherish iyong nakaraan, pero nalulungkot ako. Gusto kong balikan pero hindi. Binago namin, chini-cherish namin iyong future.

She said: Ang mag-asawa dapat hindi natutulog ng magkaaway. Ang mga lalaki, palalamigin muna, di muna pag-uusapan, at ipagpapaliban muna. Ang mga babae, gusto pag-usapan. Kapag di pinag-usapan, uulit lang ng uulit. Pag tinulugan ang away, pagkagising kinabukasan, akala mo okay na pero nandun pa rin iyon. Natatanim iyon. Saka pag nag-aaway kayo, leave the kids out. Sa kotse kami nagsisigawan. Tapos pagdating namin sa bahay, may puno kami sa bahay, doon kami nag-aaway. Paglagpas namin sa puno, kailangan tapos na iyon away namin. Never nila kaming narinig na nagsigawan. Kung sa loob ng bahay kami nagkaroon ng away, hihilahin ko siya sa banyo at doon kami mag-aaway.

On Raising Their Four Children:

He said: Apat ang anak namin, and we found out iba’t iba iyong ugali nila. We call it language of love. Isang anak namin, gusto laging niyayakap. Iyong isa, ayaw niya ng niyayakap pero gusto pinupuri. Iyon pangatlo, gusto laging may pasalubong. Tapos iyong last, gusto iyon pakikinggan lang siya. Pero ang challenge doon, minsan nagpapalit-palit ng ugali. Kailangan flexible ka. Mahirap maging magulang.

She said: We believe in “bad cop, good cop.” Ako iyong disciplinarian, siya iyong mang-aalo. Kapag ako iyong galit, siya iyong mag-e-explain kung bakit ko pinagalitan iyong bata. May paddle ako na maliit, pamalo sa pwet, na may nakasulat na “Why we do it? Because we love you.” Pero dapat sa pwet lang or sa kamay, hindi pwede sa ibang parte ng katawan. Saka hindi masyadong malakas, iyong tama lang para maramdaman nila. Tapos after, you have to talk to them para i-explain bakit sila napalo. Meron din kaming “time out.” Kapag may ginawa silang bad, they have to go to their room, nakaupo lang sila sa bed, tapos nakabukas iyong pinto. Nandoon lang sila for a time to make them realize kung ano ang nagawa nila.

On Money Matters:

He said: We believe in delayed gratification. Hindi dahil meron ka ngayon, kailangang gastusin na agad. Iyon din tinuturo namin sa mga empleyado namin. Ang mga empleyado namin, kasosyo ang tingin namin. Thirty percent ng total gross income napupunta sa kanila. Binigyan namin sila ng ATM for savings, pero hawak ng secretary iyon. Hindi sila basta-basta makakapag-withdraw, kailangan may letter sila na nag-e-explain kung para saan gagamitin. Ngayon, nakakaipon na sila. Pag nawala iyong excitement, wala na. Kailangan you have something to look forward to. Kahit 20 years na kami, may mga bago pa din akong natutunan sa kanya. May bago pa rin akong nalalaman sa kanya.

She said: Wag sayangin ang pera. Kailangan magtabi. Kung may baon na P10, kailangan may matitirang P2. Kailangang turuan ang mga bata na mag-ipon. Ginagawa namin, may kanya-kanya silang alkansya. Pagdating ng December, bibilangin namin kung magkano ang naipon nila at dodoblehin namin kung magkano man iyon. Kaya nasasanay silang mag-ipon. Ang pera nawawala. Ngayon meron ka, bukas wala na.