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Jomari Yllana, Abby Viduya rekindle romance after nearly 3 decades

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Leah C. Salterio

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt=" Photo from Leah C. Salterio" src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/life/11/06/jomari-yllana.jpg"/><figcaption>Photo from Leah C. Salterio</figcaption></figure></div>First love never dies. Trite, but definitely true.Actors Jomari Yllana and Abby Viduya became sweethearts when they were merely 15 years old. They were already in showbiz at that time. “Made in Hong Kong kami,” Ylanna told ABS-CBN News. “We were there with the other Gwapings [Mark Anthony Fernandez, Eric Fructuoso] for Bench and Regal Films for the promo of our movie, ‘Gwapings’.” However, the romance then of Yllana and Viduya was short-lived. They became sweethearts for less than a year and eventually went their separate ways.Now both 45, Ylanna and Viduya never imagined they would reconnect and even fall in love again. Thanks to social media, they reconnected and discovered each other again more than two decades later.“In the middle of this pandemic, you appreciate each other, no matter what,” Yllana maintained. “I have my own imperfections, si Abby ganu’n din. Pero everything seems perfect ‘pag magkasama kami.&quot;“Very, very stressful ngayong panahon ng pandemic. I look at the imperfections of my partner. I came to a solution na ang imperfections ko at imperfections niya become perfect when we’re together. It makes us stronger as a couple.”Yllana considers himself fortunate now that he can synchronize his love life and even his profession. When he joined politics in 2016, his first term as Parañaque councilor, the actor gave up showbiz and concentrated in public service.“‘Pag nagtugma at binigay sa ‘yo ang career at love life, napaka-swerte mo na,” Yllana offered. “Napaka-swerte ko dahil mayroon na akong makulay na lovelife, meron pang makulay na propesyon.”When he became part of the Gwapings, everything became larger than life for Yllana. At the time they became part of the weekly sitcom, “Palibhasa, Lalake” on ABS-CBN.“Naalala ko lahat ng mga set visits namin, lahat ng press conferences, TV guesting, premiere nights, campus tours. When you were just a teenager then, everything became so overwhelming lahat ng pinagdaanan namin noon.&quot;“Kami ni Abby short-lived ang relationship namin. I made it big in my serious movies, she made it big in her solo movies. We were never paired with each other, but we were on top of our game. Maraming nangyari sa buhay namin.”They simply picked up from where they left off. “Mas mature na kami today,” Yllana said. “Mas mature na ang relationship namin. Hindi namin makalimutan lahat ng pinagdaanan namin in the past.”They talked about the times they were not together all these years. Makulay na love life at makulay na profession. Makulay ang buhay niya, makulay ang buhay ko. Leading lady siya ng Gwapings noon.”Yllana never once thought he and Viduya would get back together again. When she turned her back from showbiz, she settled in Canada, where she had three kids, although she never got married.“Never in a million years did I think magkakabalikan kami,” Viduya disclosed. “For the longest time, Jom and I didn’t have communication.”They started talking to each other again in 2015. “The beauty of social media, we had our connection again,” Viduya granted.“We found each other again. We started talking through Messenger. I think that was the time he was preparing to run for public office.“We started our online communication. I asked him why public office, when he’s an actor. Hindi ko naisip that he would enter politics. He told me, ‘I think it’s time for me to serve the people and make a change.’ Sabi ko, ‘Wow.’ That was a mature Jomari Yllana.”The biggest influence for Yllana to run, the biggest decision maker, was his mom, who convinced him to enter politics. Viduya revealed their love for each other was always there through the years. “Hindi nawala ‘yun,” she said. “Jom has always been in my heart kahit marami na kaming pinagdaanan.“When we separated, bata pa talaga kami noon. Nagtatago pa kami sa Hong Kong noon. The relationship that we have now, it’s so nice to be back with him.“With Jom, he understands everything. The way he loves me, I feel protected and understood. We respect each other.”Returning to the Philippines to be with Yllana was a major decision that took Viduya six months to finally do back in 2019. “I know I have to do it for myself,” she admitted. “It was a really hard decision to make, but it was not a decision I regret.”Now that she’s back in Manila, Viduya also decided to resurrect her acting career as she recently signed up with Viva Artists Agency (VAA) and there are projects now lined up for her.For his part, Yllana has Andre, his 22-year-old actor-son with Aiko Melendez. He also has two children with his erstwhile live-in partner, Joy Reyes.Yllana and Viduya reconnected through social media as good friends back in 2015. “Two years ago, in 2019, we both decided that she should come for a visit,” Yllana recalled.“I told her, ‘Uwi ka naman ng Pilipinas para makita mo ang Pilipinas ulit at maiba naman ang environment mo,” the actor-politician told Viduya. “Then, when she came, we both agreed to give it a try and give it a shot.”So, do they have plans of tying the knot? “Napag-uusapan namin ‘yan,” Yllana said. “Pero wala pa talagang plano. Malapit na kaming mag-half century. We are of the same age.“Ang pinaplano namin sa buhay are no longer for ourselves. Para sa mga apo na namin. Ang gusto namin mailagay sa tahimik ang relasyon namin. Something that we never thought noong kabataan namin, napag-uusapan na ngayon.”So, is Yllana ready to have another kid? “Kung si Bossing [Vic Sotto] kaya pa, kaya ko pa din,” he smilingly said.Although he turned his back away from showbiz when public service beckoned, showbiz will always have a special place in Yllana’s heart.“Marami akong narating na mga pangarap, marami akong narating sa buhay dahil sa showbiz. Never ko siyang iiwan or tatalikuran. Meron tayong never ending support pagdating sa industriya ng showbiz.”He does not deny that he misses showbiz and acting in front of the cameras. Nasa situation ako ngayon where I am just a fan at nanonood ng Netflix or HBO. Ako ‘yung behind the scenes na sumusuporta at tumatangkilik.”Yet, he just cannot simply do both things at the same time. “Growing up, wala sa sistema ko or pinag-aralan ko ang mundo ng public service and governance,’ Yllana said. “This is a choice na hindi ako ma-distract sa ibang bagay.“Sa artista, kung ang call time mo 7 a.m., dadating ka sa set an hour before to prepare. Matatapos ka, ibang petsa na. Ganu’n ang mundo ng showbiz. I did that for 25 years. So 25 years din akong puyat.&quot;“Nanibago ako when I started working on a desk. Mayroon akong office. Hindi ko kayang i-manage ang time. Kailangan talaga mayroon akong priority. Kung ano ang position na pinanghahawakan ko ngayon, ayokong isipin na mababang position or mataas.&quot;“Ang public service sa akin, mababa or mataas na position, it involves one hundred percent commitment and sacrifice. Kahit barangay captain, mabigat na position. It involves a lot of work and a hundred percent commitment. Hindi ko siya mapagsabay at kailangan ko lang talaga na mag-prioritize.”

Now both 45, Jomari Ylanna and Abby Viduya never imagined they would reconnect and even fall in love again. 