Gelli de Belen and Ariel Rivera join their sons, Joaqui (lower deck) and Julio, in the kids' bedroom in the family's home in New Manila, Quezon City. The Warhol-like art pieces on the wall, a perfect complement to the colorful room, were a gift from YES!

Having two boys is "nakakawindang," Gelli says: "Lalaki, e. 'Buti si Ariel, sanay siya dahil lima silang magkakapatid, isa lang ang babae. 'Pag nag-o-OA ako, sasabihin niya: 'Ano ka ba? Lalaki 'yan. Hayaan mo sila.'"

The Rivera pets are Yorkshire terriers: Logan (left) and his mom, Jessie, who's the baby in the family.

"Mabait 'to, e, "Gelli proudly says of Jessie. "Pag dumadating kami, nakangiti siya. Promise." We are skeptical. "Nakangiti 'yan, I swear! 'Pag bagong dating ka, nakangiti siya. Lalo na 'pag buong araw kang wala, naka-smile 'yan. Kasama namin siya sa kuwarto matulog."

(YES! August 2008 issue)

An orange chair and a gray couch dominate the renovated living room. The floor-to-ceiling mirror gives the compact room an illusion of size. The massive wooden double doors lead to the garage of the townhouse. Ariel says theirs is the only townhouse in their compound that comes with a huge door.

"Akala mo, ang laki ng bahay. Pagpasok... ay, ang Hit lang pala!" The two sets of golf clubs beside the door belong to Ariel and his brother Orven. Framed photographs of the family adorn the shelf on the wall. The S-shaped votive-holders on top of the sturdy tempered-glass coffee table were added by our stylist, along with the printed black-and-white pillowcases, and the glass vase and flowers on the left of the sofa. The rug makes the room look comfy and inviting, and also serves as the play area for the adorable Jessie and Logan.

(YES! August 2008 issue)

A six-seater glass-topped dining table is the centerpiece in the dining room. The flowers and the vases were added by our ever-dependable stylist, Gwynn Guanzon, who also hung the paintings by Noel Pascual on the bare walls.

Ariel, a former licensed architect and the brains behind the decor of the New Manila home, admits he's not knowledgeable in the "girly" aspects of home design: "I'll do the structural—okay ako diyan. 'Yang nagbibigay ng kulay sa bahay, 'yong mga paintings diyan, paintings dito, 'yong mga whatever it is—that needs a woman's touch."

(INSET) The Incredible Hulk is Julio's favorite character, so Ariel gave him a huge Hulk bust as a present. "Noong dinala ko naman dito," Ariel recalls, smiling," natakot siya. Nagulat siya! 'Ayoko niyan!'" Ariel decided to keep the bust out of sight, putting it on top of a kitchen shelf.

(YES! August 2008 issue)

The wooden cabinets are stocked mostly with Knorr products, which Gelli endorses.

(YES! August 2008 issue)

Built-in wooden cabinets store food and other condiments in this kitchen. On the left is a two-door Samsung refrigerator. Gelli usually putters around the kitchen on holidays, such as Holy Week and the Christmas season, when her helpers are on vacation.

At one time, along with her sister Janice, Gelli enrolled in a cooking course under chef Heni Sison. "Buntis ako kay Joaqui. Eight months ako, nine months, basta buntis ako kay Joaqui. Nag-session kami. Isang session, apple pie. E, di, talaga namang gawa-gawa pa akong ganyan. The next day kamo, nanganak ako. Wala. E, di, hindi natuloy 'yong mga sessions ko kay Heni Sison. Diyos ko!"

(YES! August 2008 issue)

At present, Gelli learns cooking from watching TV and by reading cookbooks. "Hilig ko manood ng mga Lifestyle Channel, 'yong mga cooking-cooking. Mahilig akong magluto from the cookbook. 'Tapos, iti-tweak ko lang nang konti." A month before the photo shoot, there was some problem with the kitchen sink. Ariel is a great handyman, and he himself repaired the sink. He says he usually fixes such minor problems in the house: "I'll do the stuff that I can. Ngayon, 'pag hindi ko na kaya, I'll call somebody else, an expert. But hands-on naman ako in terms of 'yong mga small stuff."

(YES! August 2008 issue)

Gelli credits Ariel with the townhouse's masculine look, which is apparent even in the dining area. "It's more masculine 'cause I'm not a girly-girly girl, e," she says.  "Obvious ba? Basta ako, simple lang talaga—basta meron akong bahay, meron akong TV, meron akong higaan, maayos 'yong kitchen chorva namin."

(YES! August 2008 issue)

Ariel and Gelli plan to migrate to Canada in 2015, to give their kids a Canadian education. Ariel is part owner of a construction company based in Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa, and he says that he and his wife have worked enough for them to live in Canada. By then, the kids will be in their teens. "We will live there," Ariel says. "When they graduate from college, bahala sila if they want to stay there. Nasa kanila 'yon kung ano gusto nilang gawin. Kami, if you ask me right now, we would come back here. Our only worry is the weather in Canada. Parang too cold. Parang hindi ko yata kaya ang lamig no'n."

(YES! August 2008 issue)

Ariel made most of the decisions in the renovation, which went through several stages. "Hindi naman ako particular, e,"says Gelli. But she registered strong opposition when it came to the design of the staircase leading up to the bedrooms. "Gusto sana ni Ariel, wala 'yang banister. Sabi ko, hindi puwede. Dangerous talaga 'yan. 'Yong mga bata, pag nagtatakbo o nadulas, wala silang kakapitan. So, doon lang talaga, I strongly, strongly opposed him."

(YES! August 2008 issue)

The YES! team added these black-and-white reproductions of photos from our October 2006 issue, where we featured the Riveras' home in Tagaytay. We hung these in the corridor leading to the children's room.

(YES! August 2008 issue)

The white-and-brown powder room was something that Ariel added on the first floor of the house. "Nilagyan ko ng powder room dito sa 'baba. Ayoko ng may mga bisita, pupunta pa ng second floor, gagamitin 'yong banyo namin."

(YES! August 2008 issue)

The children's bedroom is decorated with action figures. A toy electric guitar and a Mac laptop are on top of the pricey double-decker bed, bought at FURNitalia furniture shop at The Fort, Taguig.

(YES! August 2008 issue)

Ariel Rivera's boys may be Canadian-Filipino citizens, but when it comes to sleeping arrangements, they are still traditionally Filipino. Joaqui and Julio often spend the night with their parents in the master bedroom. This suits Gelli just fine—"kahit masakit ang likod ko palagi," she says. Her reason: "Dalawa lang sila, e. Saka, di ba, baka paglaki nila, ayaw na nila kaming kasama."

Already, the nine-year-old Joaqui, just a few years away from adolescence, is starting to show his admiration for the pretty ladies. Says his father: "Binata na nga kumilos. I think nagkakaroon siya ng crush, pero nahihiya siyang sabihin. Pero I think alam na niya 'pag may magandang girl. Kasi sa TV, 'pag merong seksing girl, humihinto siya, e.

Gumaganito siya [pretends to peek]. 'Tapos, if you acknowledge it naman, sasabihin, 'Yuck... that's yucky!'"

(YES! August 2008 issue)

The master bedroom, like the kitchen, has built-in wooden cabinets. The room used to have mirror cabinets and sliding doors. "Pero nabasag ng dalawa kong anak," says Gelli. "Sabi ko kasi kay Ariel, e, 'wag salamin. Ang ganda naman talaga, kaya lang, ilang beses na napalitan dahil basag! Courtesy of my two boys."

(YES! August 2008 issue)

This area of the bedroom directly faces the low-slung bed. These days, Gelli and Ariel are always on the lookout for another condo or townhouse, but it takes them time to decide about purchasing property. Says Gelli: "Lagi kaming, 'E, kung maglilipat tayo ng house, we will have to get another mortgage, we will have to work hard, nang focto-fodb.'Well, siya, talagang nagwo-work. E, ako? Sis lang, di ba? 'Tapos, kailangang mag-iiba kami ng lifestyle, kasi hindi kami makaka-travel. Kasi we'll be paying for the house. So, naisip namin, 'Ano ba'ng priority natin? Bahay o mag-travel?' Aba, e, mag-travel! A house is a house is a house. Especially with me—hindi ako metikuloso at maarte. Basta meron akong tinitirhan, maganda-ganda naman, 'yong maayos lang, doon na ako. So, naisip namin, 'Sige, renovate na lang tayo.' Less gastos."

(YES! August 2008 issue)

The closet contains Ariel and Gelli's clothes, mostly Folded & Hung, a local brand of jeans, shirts, and shoes.

(YES! August 2008 issue)

Ariel is a certified golf enthusiast. He usually plays at the Tagaytay Highlands, where the Riveras own a condominium unit. He even wants to work on a golf course when the family migrates to Canada! Ariel is the first to say though that he's just a casual golfer: "I'm still no good, 'no, when you compare me to the real golfers. I'm proud to be in the top 40 among celebrities. Not because I'm more athletic, but because I get to play more. And that's the only reason. But I'm not near the best. Just in the middle of the pack. Just mediocre."

(YES! August 2008 issue)

Many of the couple's clothes are stored in this walk-in closet. Gelli favors shoe brands like Mossimo, Folded & Hung, and Wade. '"Yong iba ginarage-sale na," her maid tells us.

(YES! August 2008 issue)

If there's something that the couple is always ready to spend on, it's traveling. Says Gelli: "Mahilig talaga kami mag-travel. Actually, bata pa ako, 'yon na talaga ang pangarap ko sa buhay—mag-travel nang mag-travel."

When she was a child, she even dreamt of becoming a flight attendant. "Hindi naman gano'n kalaki ang suweldo, pero, hello? You get to travel. That's one thing I like. E, si Ariel, ganoon din. Mas marami naman kaming matututunan, di ba? Iba't ibang klaseng kultura, different places. Magiging part 'yon ng education ng mga anak ko. That's priceless. And 'yong magkakasama kaming apat 'pag nagta-travel kami, ang saya-saya."

(YES! August 2008 issue)