On June 29, 2019, Angel Locsin and Neil Arce announced their engagement on their respective Instagram feeds.
The photos they posted fulfilled the long-held wish of Angel's fans: for her to get engaged.
Neil first uploaded a photo showing him holding a diamond ring in his hand.
Angel was also in the picture, standing in the background.
The film producer teased in his caption: "Excuse me miss... I have a question..."
Angel then uploaded the next photo in the series with this caption: "Surprise of my life."
The photo showed her wearing the diamond ring, and Neil, seen in the background, had his fists up in the air to celebrate his triumph.
Angel confirmed in the next photo she posted: "I said YES"
WHO ELSE KNEW?
On that day, Neil had called up the Kapamilya actress Dimples Romana, Angel's closest friend, to tell her about his plan of proposing to Angel.
Dimples related how she reacted to the news at a media conference for her then afternoon hit drama Kadenang Ginto on July 5, 2019, a few days after the engagement announcement.
"'Day, umiyak ako! Parang ako yung po-propose-an," she told PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) and members of the press.
Dimples, aware that Angel and Neil were both taking their time before jumping into a serious commitment, said their engagement surprised her at first.
But, overall, she was sure they were right for each other.
The ABS-CBN talent told the press, "Kasi, as you know, marami naman akong nakilala at nakasama na naging parte ng buhay ni Gel.
"So I’m just happy that this time, it's for good, and parang he's there for her.
"And iyon ang pinakagusto ko, parang nakita niyo naman how Neil is with Gel.
"Kasi alam mo itong si Neil, sobrang alaga niyan kay Gel, super-super alaga niya.
"And si Gel naman, natutuwa ako, kasi alam mo si Gel, hindi sanay inaalagaan.
"Kasi brusko, e, di ba? She's a woman of her own, she can handle herself.
"And it's nice to have somebody like Neil na inaalagaan siya."
Countdown to wedding
Angel and Neil are set to get married soon, and it's only a matter of deciding whether it wil be this year or at a much later date when the COVID-19 pandemic blows over.
But, certainly, they are "ready" to get married, both affirmed in their interview with Rated K on June 20.
At the moment, the couple's priorities are focused on giving help to people who are struggling in these trying times.
Angel, with full support from Neil, has been among the top celebrities raising funds for COVID-19 frontliners.
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