For me to move out of Manila is already a shocker to a lot of people,” Divine Lee, socialite-turned-celebrity famous for her humor and glibness on television, beams about the two-fold shift that followed after committing to the marriage proposalin Bali, exactly 12 months ago. “That night, I didn’t think of livingin Cebu, not even about the to move out of Manila is already a shocker to a lot of people,” Divine Lee, socialite-turned-celebrity famous for her humor and glibness on television, beams about the two-fold shift that followed after committing to the marriage proposalin Bali, exactly 12 months ago. “That night, I didn’t think of livingin Cebu, not even about the wedding. We were just happy to be engaged.” It’s pretty much clear to us now. After her wedding to Cebuano retail magnate Blake Go—heir to the chain of Prince Warehouse stores—on the first Saturday of August 2017, she’d be a charming addition to the roster of Tagalog women who are smitten by the gentleness of our island.
The huge number of guests—and to all the unreported soirees previously—is certainly a case in point that she is very much welcome to stay here for good. We gift her the shores and the azures, the Cebuano birthright that we all have been benefiting from.
“I am more excited than nervous. I am marrying someone I love. Okay na ‘yan, everything will go as planned. Kung may mali man, wala ng makakapansin. I just fit my wedding gown once. Bakit ba kami magfi-fit, ‘eh dati every week, dinadamitan ako ni Rajo, di naman kami nagfi-fit,” she rounds out why she does not fuzz about details.
“I hate going to weddings na 20 years bago makakain—ang dami-daming program, girl.”
Could she be our own Kate Middleton, too?
“It’s a royal wedding because I’m the Queen Beki,” she laughs. It’s the title that the gay circle has been calling her since leading the podcast show “Beki Nights.” While she first established a career as a runway model, Divine was drawn closer to our households when she hosted entertainment news and lifestyle platforms “Juicy!,” “Ang Latest,” “Showbiz Police,” “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Philippines” and “Animal Life TV.” Furthermore, long before the social media conquest of teeny boppers, she ruled it first, easily winning hearts with over a million active followers since 2011.
“Di ko alam paano ko pinagsama-sama ‘yun in a day, but Cebu has able to make me choose things laid-back. Cebu gave me the balance,” she continues. Just when we presume she would arrive with an entourage of yayas, Divine approaches us alone wearing a black sundress, right on time. The gale wafts through the strands of her long straight hair. It seems like a choreographed frame of her, walking calmly on the wooden plank floor leading to the Ibiza Observatory, our holding area at Mövenpick Hotel Mactan Island Cebu. She only orders the Cappuccino, nothing more. That’s what she only asks from us, in fact, since we booked this appointment two weeks ago. She happily obliges to all our requests, a true sign that she’s an industry professional.
It’s all in a day’s work for Divine, anyway. A little art, a little culture, a little irreverence.
At 35, she is at her bravest in a decadent bloom. Everyone, you see, wants to hang out with her. In what ways, though, is she a paparazzi disappointment?
We are already fired up as we throw open the doors, carte blanche.
Soon enough, she will be a new term at some local rendezvous, yet, a rejection of outmoded attitudes. She will be a sharp shock. She will be a lift, a push to an even more boundary-breaking future. And girl, there will be no crying. With Blake’s link to almost everyone in Cebu, it’s like marrying all the Cebuanos, too. That is so true. I am marrying an entire island. It’s nice because I can easily make friends kasi nga ang dami nyang kilala. He knows everyone here. Wherever we go, may ka kilala siya, di ba? At least, I don’t feel as alone. At first kasi ang dami kong mini-meet, new friends. But now, I mean, after two years, I was able to make my own circle of friends na hindi naman niya friends. I also hang out with some Manila girls who married Cebuanos. We have lunch. It’s just a small group. Of course, the lechon is the best. I think that’s why I married Blake—because of the lechon. Here, I am also planning to bring big designers from Manila and organize pop-up stores for them.
Would there be a concert at the wedding party?
Wala, wala namang concert. But I know some friends who are singers are going to perform. Di ko masasabi kung sino, kasi even with me, I don’t know kung ano ang gagawin nila. They didn’t tell me. Kaya technically, this wedding, it’s like a big surprise.
You have 650 guests on your wedding day.
It’s crazy. But the truth is—they call me “bride-dedma” or “chill-zilla.” I’m really not doing anything. I’m just lucky I have friends in fashion, events, everywhere na sila na ang mag-aayos. Like Rajo Laurel, I just fit my wedding gown once. Bakit ba kamimagfi-fit, eh dati every week, dinadamitan ako ni Rajo, di naman kami nagfi-fit. Most of the time nga, I just saw my dresses an hour before. It’s just the same. When I came to his shop, sakto—wala ng kailangang i-alter. When it comes to events, si Javi (Pardo), the fiancé of Tim Yap, is my wedding planner. He has done a lot of celebrity weddings, too.
Are you surprised that you are not very controlling with the wedding details?
This is really my character, relax lang ako. Even during my civil wedding (last May), I was just watching “SOCO.” I was dedma lang. I am very chill. People think I’m very controlling because I have a resting bitch face. I look masungit, di ba? Kasi, if you’re in anindustry that requires a lot of waiting, you’d really become patient. Fashion requires a lot of waiting; hosting requires a lot of waiting. I got used to doing other things. Kaya ako naka pag-masters din, habang naghihintay, eh di, nagaral na ako. You do something with your time. I’m really easy to deal with. Deadma na with the demands, papahirapan mo pa sila, parepareho lang tayo nag tatrabaho. I’m just excited to see everyone. Sa kasal na ito, ang daming pre-parties: We spent five days in Balisin with 80 of our friends, we had our civil wedding. I guess the church wedding is just the culmination of these parties. I am more excited than nervous. I am marrying someone I love. Okay na yan, everything will go as planned. Kung may mali man, wala ng makakapansin.
Were you very specific with your preferences?
I told my friends, guys I hate going to weddings na 20 years bago makakain — ang dami daming program, girl. Kung sinong gustong may gagawin, gawin mo na basta pakainin mo lang ang mga tao. Then we will just party. I’m friends with Mars Miranda (a Manila-based DJ), and I told him, pagkatapos kumain ng mga tao, mag-play ka na. I know my friends are preparing something, but they don’t want to bring me to meetings. Sila sila na lang. wala akong preferences kahit sa music. Basta siguradohin nyo lang may lechon, lechon lang talaga. I trust my friends siguro naman kilala na nila ako what I like. I feel din if you control those artists, baka di pa nila magawa yung best nila, di ba? Tim (Yap) is hosting the reception. He has been my friend for so long.
How do you feel about being a wife?
It’s a major step. Kasi in Manila, labas nang labas at gimik lang nang gimik. But now for me to move out of Manila, that’s really a shocker to a lot of people. Biglang umalis, no paalam. The second part is, I really like kids. I put big importance to family. That’s what people don’t see, yun nga I was single for a very long time, wala naman talaga akong bagets (children). But I’m excited to raise my own family with him.
How many kids do you want?
We are eight in the family, so at least, kalahati man lang. Four would be good. Blake has three brothers. We like the full house na magulo. I would not know about my parenting style, but we have dogs and we treat them like babies. But I think I’m more of the disciplinarian. I would find out once the baby comes.
Where would the honeymoon be?
Wala na kaming honeymoon. I resume back to work on August 7.
Will you be working for Prince Warehouse soon?
No. We can’t be each other’s bosses, kung di, away lang yun. We share the same office in Mandaue now, but we are still working on separate businesses. I will soon have an upcoming show, but we will be taping it this November. I can’t divulge it yet. I can still do shows but only pre-taped shows na. I can no longer do live.
DIVINE LOVE
Jul Oliva customized a strapless, high-slit gown inspired
by the pitcher plant for Divine Lee for this exclusive
photo shoot.
Blake comes from a private family while you are a showbiz personality. Would it not be a problem?
What’s good is Blake gets along with my friends. I have more gay friends than babae friends. Mas showbiz pa ‘yun sa akin, ako nga ‘yung mas private. Ako, I only share what I want to share. Si Blake, over sharing–share lahat. He’s more of a public person than I am. In a group, I like assessing people first, si Blake chika lang siya. Blake is just friendly. That’s why he knows everyone in Cebu.
What were your first thoughts when you said yes to the engagement?
We got engaged in Bali in someone else’s wedding, buti na lang Blake asked permission from the bride. Inisip ko, Oh my God, why are you doing this here, because it’s kaka-hiya with the bride. But it’s after naman her wedding. That night, I didn’t think of living in Cebu, not even about the wedding. We were just happy to be engaged.
What were the changes you had to make?
Few weeks after, when we got back to Cebu, we kind of talked about the living arrangements kasi I was just going back and forth to Cebu and Manila all the time for two years na ha. So we’ve decided that if we are going to get married, I guess I really have to move na fully to Cebu. Eh, parang in those two years—at first it was hard because my family and friends are in Manila—I already like the feel of Cebu. It’s so relaxed, so chill, ang lapit ng beach, ang lapit ng mountains. You know in Manila, pupunta lang kami ng beach, dalawang linggo na ‘yung pinagpaplanohan. Dito, tatawid lang ako ng isang tulay, nandito na ako. Pwede akong mag lunch sa beach tapos balik na agad sa city. I like nature din talaga. Dito lang ako nakakatulog ng eight hours. Sa Manila, imposibleng eight hours, swerte kana sa four.
What was your first impression of Blake?
We’ve been together for two years. But I know him since college. He was actually my classmate although di ko siya pinapansin kasi ang ingay-ingay niya, alam mo yun? They were the noisy ones at the back of the classroom. I was enrolled at Thames in preparation for my Master’s (in United Kingdom), and I was also studying in Ateneo (de Manila). Girl, I can’t afford to fail. I can’t be friends with anyone or else, I’ll never graduate. Looking at them, they were the loud ones—ay hindi ko sila kakaibiganin baka di ako maka-graduate. We really never spoke to each other in college.
And how did the romance begin to spark?
Nagkataon in Boracay, two years ago, my friend Ronald Singson, who happens to be his business partner in events, asked me to go to his event. So since I was in Boracay already, I said yes. Pero pagdating ko dun, wala naman si Ronald, nakakaloka, di ba?Si Blake lang ang nandun. He entertained me. Since then, makulit na siya, nanliligaw na siya. He would go to Manila to see me… he would try kahit na I was frequently traveling.
Take us through the courtship stage.
Actually, he knows I’m his hardest conquest because he could never catch me; I’m always out of the country or somewhere else. It’s good nga na tiempohan niya na I was studying my Masters in UK (Master’s in Business Administration) at Durham University in London. It’s a rustic school, like a castle—some of the Harry Potter scenes were shot there. He followed me on my last year. Sa Manila, hindi niya ako ma tiempohan; I was always working. Sinasamahan niya ako sa school sa UK. He got a hotel near my apartment, wala na mang choice. Lumipad na nga para sayo, ‘eh di samahan mo na everyday. That’s how we really got to know each other.
What do you like about this shift?
There was a time in Manila that I was hosting four or five events everyday, everything sabay-sabay. I was doing “Juicy,” live everyday. Di ko alam paano ko pinag sama sama in a day. So Cebu has able to make me choose things, laid back. Cebu gave me the balance.
And the personal adjustments.
I think I have to learn Bisaya. I can now understand. Di na ako pwede ibenta, girl! It’s hard for me to speak it. I think the reason why, alam ko kasi the Cebuanos can understand if I talk in English, so okay lang ako sumagot ng English. Whenever someone is talking in Bisaya, I can understand na. I have friends who are born and raised in Cebu who have a hard time talking to me in Tagalog. It’s just the language barrier naman. We are all Filipinos—wala naming kakaiba sa habits natin. ‘Yun lang.