“Basta right timing,” she says.
“Iyon siguro kaya okey na naging comedian ako, magaling ako sa timing. So, pati sa tunay na buhay ko, napasok ko din ang timing, di ba?”
When the time for her to settle down, the hardworking actress, TV host, and overall entertainer had been working for 22 years and providing well for her family.
“Grumadweyt ako sa lahat ng responsibilidad bago ako nag-enter-frame sa another master degree,” Rufa Mae traveled to the U.S. in 2015 to restore her health and “ma-relax ang mind ko, mag-enjoy ng buhay.”
Towards the end of her vacation, she met Trevor Magallanes, a financial analyst whose late father hailed from the Philippines and his mother has Chinese roots.
It turned out that Trevor subscribed to GMA Pinoy TV back in 2007 to learn more about the Filipino language, and he ended up having a crush on Rufa Mae since he watched her in the game show, Whammy! Push Your Luck.
For her part, the sexy comedienne was hesitant at first to get into the dating scene again, but she eventually went out with him and soon realized that she has found her match in him.
A few hours before she returned to the Philippines on January 9, 2016, they became boyfriend and girlfriend. She then flew back to the U.S.
They got engaged and were given an engagement party by his mother on February 3, also of that year.
Two-and-half months later, in April, Rufa Mae came home with her fianc, and by May, she was in the family way. Rufa Mae, 38, was a radiant and pregnant bride when she exchanged marriage vows with Trevor, 30, on November 25, at the Blue Leaf Cosmopolitan events venue in Libis, Quezon City.
“More than what I expected na din, e,” she says of her dream wedding come true.
“Gusto kong ikasal, pangarap ko ’yon, pero dumating na din kasi ako sa point na nawalan na ’ko ng pangarap. Sa tanda ba naman…
’Tapos parang, wala lang, biglaan. Ang galing naman ng Diyos. Ang bait sa akin.
’Yong pangarap ko, pinaganda pa niya nang sobra.”
She’s due to give birth this month to a baby girl who will be named Alexandria Bela.
* * *
JULIA MONTES dismissed rumors that she is transferring to GMA network after the final episode of her soap titled “Doble Kara” scheduled on Feb 10 on ABS-CBN.
“Masaya po ako kung nasaan po ako ngayon. At inaalagaan po ako ng ABS-CBN and Dreamscape, nina Sir Deo, so wala pong ganun.”
Therefore the news wasn’t true. Did she have any off er from other networks?
“Yes, po! Nagulat nga po ako sa balita, e. Tsaka wala rin naman pong off er sa ibang network sa akin.
“Honestly kasi, parang never din naman sumagi sa akin from the very start. Siguro noon naisip ko na tumigil mag-showbiz, pero hindi lumipat.
“Kasi, from the very start, naramdaman ko naman na never akong napabayaan ng network, tapos from Star Magic hanggang naging Cornerstone po ako.
“Especially na Dreamscape, na lahat ng trabaho ko na under sa kanila. Pati rin po sa Star Cinema, yung mga movie na naibibigay sa akin. Napagkakatiwalaan po ako ng mga ganun, so wala, hindi po sumagi sa isip ko.”
Julia is tagged as the newest “Daytime Drama Queen”.
“Hindi po sumagi sa isip ko at sa dream ko na mangyayari po ito. Kaya nga sabi ko, sometimes talaga, kapag nagdarasal ka, overflowing talaga yung ibinibigay sa iyo ng Diyos.
“So, iyon po, unexplainable yung pakiramdam. Ang sarap lang din po sa pakiramdam dahil mas lalo po akong na-inspire na pagbutihin ko pa po kada role, kada trabaho na ginagawa ko. Kasi, para sa kanila iyan, para sa mga nagbigay sa akin nito.”
Isn’t she afraid that she might always be given daytime soap?
“Ako po, wala naman pong kaso sa akin kung mapa-umaga, mapa-hapon, mapa-gabi. Kahit po midnight, okay lang sa akin, basta po may trabaho ako at nasusuportahan po ng mga tao, natutuwa yung mga tao. Yung habang nanonood sila, nagiging part na sila ng buong kuwento.”
To prove that she not moving out of ABS, Dreamscape is cooking another teleserye for the actress.
“Meron po, abangan niyo po kapag puwede na naming i-announce kung ano po iyon. Ako, personally, nae-excite ako kasi bagong ako, hindi lang po sa role. Physically, emotionally, ang dami kong kailangang pagpreparahan para doon sa susunod.
“And yung mga makakasama ko po, it’s another dream come true na team, na buong cast. Ia-announce na lang po namin kapag fi nal na.”
Isn’t she taking a short vacation right after Doble kara?
“Actually, pag ano, dire-diretso po siya, e. Pagkatapos po ng Doble Kara, magsisimula na po kami ng mga meeting, kung ano yung mga dapat gawin. So, magdire-diretso na po.” she narrates.
