Aiko Melendez, Onemig Bondoc finally engaged after 29 years

Aiko Melendez and Onemig Bondoc are finally engaged, rekindling a love story that began nearly three decades ago.

Onemig, 49, surprised Aiko, 50, with a marriage proposal during a visit to the grave of her late father, Jimi Melendez. 

As teenage stars, Aiko and Onemig were in a relationship in the early 90s during the height of their careers. They eventually broke up, built separate lives and continued their respective careers. 

The former “T.G.I.S.” actor documented the emotional moment in a vlog, which he later shared on YouTube. Both Aiko and Onemig also announced their engagement on social media.

In the video, Onemig could be seen chatting with Aiko and offering her comforting words. He also gave her a bouquet of flowers before suddenly getting down on one knee in front of her father’s grave.

Aiko was caught off guard by what she described as a “unique” proposal. She initially laughed out of surprise before happily saying yes.

Onemig admitted that he was nervous about popping the question, but after Aiko accepted his proposal, the former actor was filled with gratitude.

“Engage na ako. So, I’m going to be soon Mrs. Bondoc,” Aiko said, still processing what had just happened. Onemig then took a moment to speak to Aiko’s late father, former actor and politician Jimi Melendez, whose birthday is on October 31. He passed away on August 23, 1997.

“Daddy, from tito to daddy, thank you very, very much. At least dinala niyo ’yung aking love of my life dito sa mundong ito. Kung hindi po dahil sa inyo, hindi po mabubuhay si Aiko. So thank you very much from the bottom of my heart,” he said while standing in front of Jimi’s grave.                  

In the vlog, Onemig also revealed that he had already asked for the blessing of Aiko’s mother, siblings, and children before proposing.

Aiko later shared photos from their engagement on social media, along with a lengthy and heartfelt message about their relationship.

Aiko said it took their love story 29 years to “finally find its way back home.”

“Today, I am engaged to the man who has somehow been part of my story for almost three decades, Onemig Bondoc,” she wrote.

She reflected on how the two had gone their separate ways before eventually finding their way back to each other. “Our love story was never a straight line. We met, we loved, and then life happened. And maybe that was exactly how our story was supposed to unfold.”

According to Aiko, Onemig returned to her life at a time when neither of them needed saving. Instead, they came back into each other’s lives when both of their worlds were finally “calm, peaceful, and aligned.”

“And that is why I know in my heart that I am marrying this man for the right reason,” she added.

 “At this point in our lives, what matters most is how we feel when we’re together the peace, the laughter, the friendship, the comfort, and the quiet certainty that we have found our way back to where we belong,” she wrote.

She added that they have reached a point where they no longer worry about what other people might say or think, and their happiness no longer needs anyone else’s approval.

“Some love stories begin with once upon a time. Ours began 29 years ago, took a very long detour, and somehow found its way back. And now, after all these years, I get to marry the one I waited for. The timing may not have been ours. But perhaps it was always God’s.”

Aiko ended her message with a heartfelt note about their decision to choose each other after all these years.

“29 years later… I said YES. And this time, we choose each other not because we need to, but simply because we want to spend the rest of our lives together.”

The couple made their relationship official on February 14, Valentine’s Day.