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Ai-Ai de las Alas to perform with her ex-partner Miguel Vera

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Leah C. Salterio

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/life/12/17/miguel-aiai.jpg" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/life/12/17/miguel-aiai.jpg"/></figure></div>If Martin Nievera and Pops Fernandez can do it -- that is perform together onstage even after years of ending their marriage and being happily separated -- comedy queen Ai Ai de las Alas and her former partner, Miguel Vera, are soon following suit.De las Alas and Vera have agreed to share the stage together in their first full-length concert, “Ang Dating Kami,” on January 21, 2023 at the Bristol Civic Auditorium in Bellflower, California.The title is a humorous play on the couple’s previous relationship, something that they can smile about at this point, 24 years after they parted ways.De las Alas and Vera got romantically involved back in 1992 when they were under the same talent manager, the late Angie Magbanua. They were together for six years until 1998, when they ended their relationship. Their two children – Nicolo and Sophia – stayed with De las Alas in the Philippines.“I had a show in LA [Los Angeles] last September and Miguel watched,” De las Alas told ABS-CBN News. “Natuwa siya when he saw me perform. He said, ‘Parang na-miss ko ang stage at mag-perform.’“Then, inalok niya ako na mag-show kaming dalawa. First time naming magkasama sa buong show na back-to-back. Dati guesting lang. Never kaming nag show together.”The concert is scheduled for only one night, but De las Alas and Vera will perform in two shows -- 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.Vera is doing the arrangements of all the songs they will render. There will be no live band as the couple will sing with only minus one, according to De las Alas.Vera will sing his signature hit, “Nais Ko,” which De las Alas insisted he should render as a solo number.“Madami akong album that I recorded pero wala akong naging hit song,” the comedy queen said. “Talagang pantay talaga si Lord. Nag-attempt ako ng maraming beses to record songs, pero wala akong sumikat na kanta. Hindi din naman maganda ang boses ko.”For the finale, they will be joined by their children Nicolo and Sophia, and they are set to render “Love Will Keep Us Together” as a family.De las Alas was in the US for seven months, the longest that she stayed, as she already got her green card. She has decided to be an American citizen, that’s why she is not wasting her days outside the US.“Finally, nakatagal ako ng seven months sa US,” De las Alas said. “My life there is comfortable now, although I still miss the perks that we have here, like merong nagluluto for me. Merong nagda-drive.“Dati, akala ko, hindi ko kaya ‘yun. Wala kang katulong. Wala kang driver. Pero doon, masasanay ka na din kung ano ang buhay mo. I drive my own car, ‘pag pupunta ako sa Costco, ikaw ang magbibitbit ng binili mo.”Her better half, Gerald Sibayan, is awaiting his own papers, as petitioned by De las Alas. Her eldest son, Sancho, is likewise waiting for his papers to migrate for good.Her immigration lawyer, Jemela Nettles, advised them the wait will take about two years, so De las Alas and her family are not rushing things.“When I’m here, I miss the discipline there, like when you’re driving, dapat nasa isang lane ka lang,” De las Alas said. “‘Pag tatawid ka sa pedestrian, hihinto ang sasakyan kahit gaano ka katagal maglakad, hihintayin kang makatawid.“Dito tumatakbo ka sa pedestrian para makatawid kasi nandyan na ang sasakyan. Hindi sila hihinto, kaya dapat bilisan mong tumakbo. Sisigawan ka pa kapag mabagal ka.”Admittedly, De las Alas misses her days as a showbiz star. “Gusto ko may nagbo-blower ng hair ko, may nagme-make-up sa akin. Of course, sa America, sariling sikap ka lahat. Dito, pag dating ko, artista agad ako.”Her typical day there starts at 6 a.m. when she wakes up then cooks breakfast before she goes to the office. She works daily for nine hours. Before she goes home and she still needs to buy some things, she drops by Target or Walmart.She is now residing in Fremont, California near the San Francisco Bay area. “Sikat ako doon,” she smilingly said proudly. “Nare-recognize ako ng mga Filipinos anywhere. Super adjusted na kami doon.”De las Alas is merely staying in Manila for a week this time, then she will return to the US on December 19. She has other shows lined up next year. She is slated to perform even with concert king Martin Nievera to re-imagine their “The King and Ai” show.De las Alas and her hubby Sibayan recently celebrated their fifth anniversary and they renewed their vows.“Life is short,” she reasoned out. “Ngayon lang ako nagkaroon ng asawa at tumagal ng fifth year ang pagsasama namin. So looking forward ako to our tenth year. We will renew our marriage vows every five years.”Her daughter, Sophia, is staying with her. The latter graduated from college and tied the knot last August 2022 with her Korean-looking, but Filipino husband, Vincent Bautista. Thankfully, De las Alas has not experienced being discriminated as Asian in the West Coast. “Papatulan ko sila ‘pag inapi nila ako dahil Filipino ako,” she warned.

Ai-Ai de las Alas and and her former partner Miguel Vera have agreed to share the stage together in their first full-length concert, “Ang Dating Kami,” on January 21, 2023 at the Bristol Civic Auditorium in Bellflower, California.