Mr. & Mrs. Ryan Agoncillo (and Judy Ann Santos): Still on Honeymoon Mode CONVERSATIONS With Ricky Lo The Philippine Star Updated March 20, 2011 12:00 AM

Parents to two beautiful children,  Ryan and Juday reveal their plan on how to mark their second wedding anniversary on April 28. Last year, they were not able  to celebrate because Juday got  pregnant – happily so! PHOTOS by  VER PAULINO

Two years into their marriage, Mr. & Mrs. Ryan Agoncillo (and Judy Ann “Juday” Santos) are still on honeymoon mode. Watch full video

Throughout this exclusive Conversation at the ballroom of Marriott Hotel of the sprawling Resorts World last Tuesday afternoon before the presscon proper for the Samsung Air-con they are endorsing, the couple was holding hands and exchanging meaningful glances. Had we asked them to, they would have willingly kissed.
The next day, Juday showed up at 55 Events Place (on Scout Rallos, Quezon City) for the presscon of Lactum 6+ which she, as the mother of Yohan and Lucho (who turned five-months old on March 7), is also endorsing. (Note: Check out The STAR’s Entertainment Section for more about Lactum 6+ in tomorrow’s issue.)
Still battling post-natal avoirdupois, Juday is limiting herself to doing just commercials at the moment, not wanting to let work take her away from home for long periods of time.
“Home is priority,” she said. “Rye and I want to enjoy not only each other’s company but that of the kids.”
Unable to celebrate their first wedding anniversary last year (April 28) because she got pregnant (“My doctor advised me to avoid stress especially during the first trimester”), Juday and Ryan are making up by celebrating the second with their respective families. They could go abroad but then the family has become suddenly big (“Malaking production number na,” as Juday put it) so they deem it wiser to celebrate at home.
 
How’s life so far as Mr. and Mrs. Ryan Agoncillo?

Juday: Good!
Ryan: So far.
You’re celebrating your second wedding anniversary on April 28. Happy anniversary!
Juday: Oh, you’re the first to greet us. Thank you!
How did you celebrate your first wedding anniversary last year?
Juday: Just at home. I was pregnant na so I needed bed rest. Nagpahanda si Rye ng fine-dining dinner sa bahay. We invited two chefs. There was one dinner for the family and another dinner for our close friends.
This time, how do you plan to celebrate?
 Juday: Since Lucho is here na, we cannot really make a definite plan. Big production number na when we leave home — Rye and I, Lucho and Yohan, the yaya, the nurse and others. Maybe we’ll just plan something for Yohan because she’s getting bored now that she’s on vacation.
How’s Ryan as a husband?

Do they practise family planning or any birth control? Says Ryan, ‘Control? No. Not even self-control! Hehehehe!’

Juday: Honestly, I feel so blessed that I found a partner who gives me freedom to choose — whether to stay home or go back to work and be a mom at the same time. Basta, marami akong choices and Rye is just there, supportive. The other night, I told him, “Rye, kelangan ko nang mag-diet. Samahan mo ako?’ Oo lang siya! Very supportive. “Rye, may gagawin ako. Okey lang sa’yo?” Oo lang siya, ganoon lang siya.
Do you mean that Ryan is a yes-man?
Juday: No naman. Supportive lang talaga siya. Okey lang nang okey. He’s honest naman. When he feels na may palya ako sa desisyon ko, he tells me. Technically, tatlo kaming anak niya — me, Yohan and Lucho…in the same way that I have also three children — Rye, Yohan and Lucho.
Ryan, how would you rate naman Juday as a wife and as a mother?
Ryan: Excellent! Suwerte! I remember one time, I was emceeing an event for one of MVP’s companies. Juday was then heavy with Lucho. I called MVP onstage to give a speech. As he walked to the podium, he shook my hand because he had just heard that Juday was pregnant. He told me, “Iho, you chose well!” That stuck in my head. Everytime I realize how lucky I am, I remember that MVP said that I chose well.
Juday, didn’t you go through a post-partum period?
Juday: I guess I did pero hindi lang matindi kaya hindi ko naramdaman. Maybe I went through just a mild depression especially when I was alone at home and I was tired, pero hindi ‘yung halos mamatay-matay ako sa kaiiyak. I guess it was about my weight. I think that maybe women suffer from post-partum syndrome dahil sa excess weight nila. I would tell myself, “Eh, ano kung tumaba ako. May maganda naman akong baby na nanggaling sa akin!” I’m more than lucky to have this kind of life, so okey na ‘yan, ayos na ‘yan.
I suppose you’re working hard on that, you know…What workout do you do?
Juday: Since I gave birth the natural way, I didn’t have to wait long before I started exercising after only three months. Takbo-takbo ako around the village. I’ve taken up Yoga again.
Does Ryan run with you?
Juday: Sometimes.
Ryan: One time.
What about your diet?
Juday: I’m going to try a new diet. But I won’t say what I find it effective. Nakakahiya naman sabihin baka hindi mag-work. But I hope it will. Hmmmm, it’s a well-balanced diet, actually — a little carb, some sweets. If it works, I will tell everybody so they can try it.
Is Ryan trying that kind of diet, too?
Ryan (Joking): No. Gusto kong kumasya uli sa pang-kasal ko, eh.
Oh, for your golden wedding!
Juday (Joking, too): Yeah, for our golden wedding.
Five months after giving birth, do you still breastfeed Lucho?
Juday: Mixed na. Breastfeeding and formula. I can’t produce enough milk for Lucho.
Ryan, what’s your role naman in taking care of Lucho? Do you help in preparing the feeding bottles or changing his diapers?
Ryan: Sa pag-aalaga kay Lucho, medyo hindi ako ganoon ka-involved. Ang naka-assign sa akin si Yohan.
Your decision?
Ryan: No, it just happened naturally because we have nurses who take care of Lucho and it’s them who guide Juday, and I try not to get in the way. What I do is take care of Yohan instead. Like, when Juday gives Lucho a bath, it’s my turn to also give Yohan a bath. It has gotten to a point where ako na ang nagblo-blower ng hair ni Yohan.
Juday: When Lucho was newly born, ayaw niyang hawakan.
Ryan: I can change diapers, but ‘yung No. 1 and No. 2 steps, hindi ko kaya.
I suppose your sleeping schedule was radically altered.

Juday: Only during the first month kasi tutok na tutok kami kay Lucho because he was on dextrose when we brought him home. He needed to be injected with antibiotic. Instead of staying longer at the (Asian) hospital, we decided to check out maski naka-dextrose si Lucho. Besides, I was eager to go home na, I was missing our bed, at gustong-gusto ko na magluto. I was missing everybody, including our dog.
Ryan, you’re on TV every day (Eat, Bulaga! on GMA) and on weekends (Talentadong Pinoy on TV5). How do you divide your time between work and family?
Ryan: Actually, with my schedule I’m just like an ordinary office worker. We tape Talentadong Pinoy Wednesday afternoon, and Eat, Bulaga! goes on Monday through Saturday. I usually wake up at 8 a.m. or 9 a.m. depending on how puyat I am the night before. I play with the kids for maybe half an hour and then I leave for work. Then, I’m home by 4 or 5 p.m. Except on Wednesdays when I tape, I spend all the weekdays with Juday and the kids.
How do you see to it that Yohan doesn’t get insecure with or jealous of Lucho?
Ryan: She’s an active participant in taking care of Lucho. We assigned her as Lucho’s bodyguard. She’s Baby No. 1 and Lucho is Baby No. 2, and since she’s No. 1 she has to be the protector.
Two years into your marriage, do you continue to discover things about each other?
Juday: Yeah. What they say is true — marriage is a never-ending learning process. Hindi man every day, may bago kayong nadi-discover sa isa’t-isa. Then you say, “Bakit ngayon lang ‘to lumabas?”
Like what?
Ryan: Like, the past year and a half we enjoyed together at home every night. Lately, we’ve started going out more often, kapag tulog na ang mga bata, mga 10 or 11 o’clock at night. We’re tired with the computer and we would look at each other and decide there and then, I would say, “Sweetheart, pagod na ako sa kako-computer, ilang gabi na akong hindi makatulog, labas naman tayo!”
Where do you go?
Juday: Kung saan-saan lang.
Ryan: We go to bars with friends, ganyan lang, and we go home pretty late.
Juday, you’re used to working since you were a child. Aren’t you bored with your present schedule? Don’t you miss showbiz?
Juday: Siempre nami-miss ko rin. And I’m thankful to clients (Like those behind Lactum and Samsung Air-con, their current endorsements. — RFL) and producers who give me the freedom to arrange my schedule, na ako ang magbigay ng oras, so I said, “Naku, Lord, thank you po!” They don’t pressure me to hurry up; they give me time to enjoy my kids. And that’s what I’m doing. Napaka-suwerte ko talaga!
How soon will you go back to work?
Juday: Siguro sa acting, not yet. But hopefully within this year, I might do one movie. Or a talk show which is not time-consuming, something that will not take me away from my kids for long periods of time, siguro ‘yung taping na twice or thrice a week lang na mabilis.
Okay with you, Ryan, for Juday to be a working wife/mother?
Ryan: Eh, kung doon siya masaya, okey lang.
No do’s and don’t’s?
Ryan: Siempre, she should consider the welfare of the kids. More than that, whatever makes her happy. Sabi nga nila, ang sekreto ay “happy wife, happy life.” Hayaan mo siya! Hehehehe!
How has being a parent changed you?
Juday: Sa totoo lang, selfless ka kapag parent ka na. Mas gusto mong intindihin kung ano ang dapat sa mga bata. We adjust sa time nila. This early, we are already planning kung saan mag-aaral si Yohan. You know, shall we give Yohan a celfone? Huwag muna! It’s too early. Mga ganyang concerns.
What about offers for the kids to be endorsers?
Juday: Rye and I will have to talk about it before we accept any deal. Siempre, bata ang involved, eh.
How many more kids do you want to have?
Ryan: One is enough for the meantime.
Juday: Actually, bahala na kung mabuo, thank you very much. Kung wala, it means God wants us to enjoy our two kids first.
Are you practising family planning, any birth control?
Ryan (Laughing): Control? Wala!
Juday (Gently elbowing Ryan): Ano ba?
Not even self-control?
Ryan: Not even.
Juday: Basta, bahala na si Lord! Hehehehe!