"It was love at first sight," Atty. Armando Beltran says of his affection for wife, Dra. Grace Carole Beltran. (Photo by PINGGOT ZULUETA)

 MANILA, Philippines – Serendipity is how to best describe the love story of Atty. Armando Beltran and wife, Dra. Grace Carole Beltran.

During the early '80s,  Ateneo law student Armando was accompanying his friend to the Perpetual Help Hospital in Sampaloc, Manila to court a girl. The girl happens to be a friend of then University of Sto. Tomas medical student, Grace.

For the young Armando, it was love at first sight.

“She (Dra. Grace)  immediately caught my attention and I just had to ask for her name through the people we know,” admits Atty. Armando.

Dra. Grace, for her part confesses: “A friend introduced him to me and then we became friends. He would join our group every time we would go out. We started off as plain friends.”

Even if there could probably be mutual attraction at that stage, they did not entertain the thought of being together as Armando has a girlfriend and Grace has a boyfriend at that time.

However, Atty. Armando clarifies that the spark is something that can not be contained. “Ang Hirap Magmahal Ng Syota Ng Iba was my theme song at that time,” he jokingly says. “I had a friend who is a radio DJ and I would request him to play that song and then I would call Grace and ask her to tune in so that she could hear it.”

Atty. Armando says that he used to send Dra. Grace mystery love letters as a way of expressing his affection.

“I was a secret admirer and I asked my cousin, who was also a UST student that time, to slip my letters on Grace’s car on a daily basis,” shares Atty. Armando.

“I recall receiving those mystery letters and I have to admit that I was intrigued. The letters even had medical-themed lines like ‘networking of the nerves’ and ‘I am sick of Palaciossis (in reference to Palacio, Dra. Grace’s maiden surname).’ Of course, I was flattered. Although I didn’t have any suspicions that it was my former boyfriend’s doing since he was always busy. I thought that it was a doctor since the letters came with medical jargons,” adds Dra. Grace with glee.

After a month or so, she eventually discovered that the sender of the letters was Atty. Armando when she caught his cousin placing a letter on her car. “I am familiar with his cousin and I asked her who the mysterious letter writer is, and she replied that it was just him (Armando)” says Dra. Grace.

“We really got along since we complement each other. He is soft spoken and relaxed while I usually talk fast. At first, I wasn’t really in love with him since I was with someone then but I appreciated the efforts he put,” admits Dra. Grace.

As fate would have it, Dra. Grace broke off with her then boyfriend and Atty. Armando did the same with his then girlfriend.

“Sabay pa nga kaming nakipag-break (We even broke up with them at the same time),”  adds Dra. Grace.

Atty. Armando shares that Dra. Grace was initially reluctant to take the friendship to a deeper level.

“We’re both the youngest in the family and she feared that our personalities would clash because of that. I told her that we should give it a shot. In one of our conversations, I told her that I would be a good father to our kids one day and that she would be a good wife,” says Atty. Armando.

It was the summer of 1981 when the two officially became a couple.

“Most women I had dated were  outgoing. With her, it’s different and simpler and she never smokes nor drinks,” says Atty. Armando.

To which, Dra. Grace explained: “I was not the type of person who would go out often because I was dedicated to my studies then.  In my previous relationship, it was just the typical movie or disco date whereas Armando took me to places that I’ve never been to such as museums and to Paco Park where we would always watch a concert.”

Since both were still students then, Atty. Armando and Dra. Grace always had “budget-friendly dates.”

“There was a time when we would frequent a coffee shop near the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) because of the refillable coffee and bread sticks,” recalls Dra. Grace in a giddy note. “We would just stay there for three hours, get countless refills, and would enjoy the nice view of the sunset and talk about anything under the sun,” she adds.

In January 1983, Atty. Armando and Dra. Grace announced their engagement through a formal betrothal ceremony attended by both their parents. On October 29, 1983, they tied the knot at the Paco Park with a Filipiniana theme. The couple has been blessed with three children: Mari Shaina Kristin, Kevin Astin Lorenzo, and Thomas Keano Emmanuel.                                                

“Before we got married, I assured her parents that I would let her finish medical school and wouldn’t be a hindrance to the endeavors that she would pursue,” says Atty. Armando. It was a promise that Atty. Armando fulfilled with much ardor despite the challenges they would face.

“My parents went through a financial crisis because of a failed investment and shortly after, my mother was swindled,” lamented Dra. Grace. “That’s the time when we both had to work even if we get support from her parents occasionally,” adds Atty. Armando. The couple says that while these challenges were not easy to take, they supported each other through thick and thin. “Actually, during those hard times, we joined Couples for Christ and eventually, we got back on our feet once more,” relates Dra. Grace.

In 1992, Atty. Armando worked as a director for a private cargo company. His income was good enough so he helped finance Dra. Grace’s study at the University of London where she studied dermatology and the science for Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs).

“I got a scholarship grant for my tuition fee then but for the rest of the expenses I had to incur while living in London, it was him who provided,” Dra. Grace says, casting a loving glance at her husband. While busy with her studies, Atty. Armando never fails to call her up to constantly to check on how she is doing and to give her the chance to talk to their children.

Upon graduation from London, Dra. Grace settled back in Manila and held clinics in different hospitals around the metro. Atty. Armando felt that his wife needed his physical presence so he opted to become a freelance immigrations and customs lawyer so that he would have time to help his wife.

“I would carry her bags and help her out in various clerical tasks that she needed assistance with since we couldn’t afford a secretary then,” says Atty. Armando.

“I was an insurance doctor then and we would take the LRT to go from one clinic to another. The pay, admittedly, was not good enough at first,” says Dra. Grace. “There was a time when I would be her driver and bodyguard, we worked together to the point that I even knew some of her patients already,” adds Atty. Armando.

The couple’s hard work paid off when Dra. Grace got herself a “big break.”

“I was treating a patient one time and as it turns out, she is a secretary of a famous celebrity and she asked me if I’m available to guest on radio shows,” says Dra. Grace.

Dra. Grace had her first brush with media when she became a guest at a radio health program and soon enough, she found herself writing regular health and wellness stories for different publications.

Through the years, she has become a credible and easily accessible resource person the press and people could count on for information about medical inquiries.

Toxic is how this couple would describe their schedules.

But the Beltrans put a very high regard on family time.

“One of the routines we make sure of is helping the kids get ready for school in the morning. We would have breakfast together and we would bring the kids to school,” says Atty. Armando.  “Every time we would have a petty fight, we made sure that we wouldn’t show it to the kids during breakfast,” adds Dra. Grace. “We always bond together over food and watching TV. My husband also always asks our kids how they spent their day. He’s a cool dad to them.”

While their children showed academic excellence, the couple says that they never pressured them to become geniuses.

Instead, both Atty. Armando and Dra. Grace always set a good example of perseverance and made sure that open communication is the household norm. It worked, as they admit that the three children have always been responsible in life. “You have to trust them,” says Atty. Armando. “When you do, they would even be the ones who will go to you and open up with stories of sorts,” adds Dra. Grace.

Of course, the couple says that it is not just about being parents to their three kids that bind them together. For more than two decades, Atty. Armando and Dra. Grace have continuously enjoyed each other’s company to keep their love going on.

“Always find time for your partner and do things together. It also pays to be honest to each other,” says Dra. Grace.

“As one gets older, one realizes that your wife or better half will always be your constant partner in everything. That’s why I find time for my wife. You should respect your partner and learn how to cool off when both of you are angry at the same time,” says Atty. Armando.

Nowadays, Dra. Grace has lessened her work duties so that she can have more time with her family. She holds clinics at two private hospitals in the Metro Manila area and finds time to join medical missions as part of her advocacy.

Atty. Armando manages the family businesses and is also a consultant to some organizations that may need his assistance.

On a lighter note, Atty. Armando shares that “my wife's therapy, is talking...” To which Dra. Grace replies, “When you do not let me talk for a day, I would definitely be sad.”