Altar-ready Arjo Atayde asks Maine Mendoza’s hand in ‘pamamanhikan’

By Jennifer T. Santos

The parents and family of Quezon City congressman and actor Juan Carlos “Arjo” Atayde and actress Nicomaine “Maine” Mendoza are the happiest families these days.

The happiness showed evidently as the celebrity couple performed the Filipino tradition “pamamanhikan” ahead of their wedding this year at the Casa Mendoza in Quezon City last June 25.

Both sides of the family were in full attendance during what they described as momentous event.

Aside from veteran actress Sylvia Sanchez, her husband Art with children Ria, Gela and Xavi were present. Mendoza’s parents Teodoro “Teddy” and Mary Ann, her siblings as well as the couple’s grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews were also present.

Arjo’s actress mother readily shared photos of the pamamanhikan held last weekend on her Instagram account, indicating her excitement about the future of her son and future daughter in law.

Earlier, Sylvia said she was already looking forward to having her “apo” or grandchild.

In Sylvia’s Instagram caption, she aptly described the photos “The Ataydes & Mendozas will soon merge as one family.”

Arjo’s actress sister Ria shared her mother’s post in a Story on her own Instagram account and quipped, “Would it be a proper introduction if we weren’t the entire Barangay Atayde? A first for our little barangay.”

Among those earliest to congratulate the two families were host-actress Melai Cantiveros-Francisco and screenwriter Darla Sauler.

Arjo, 35. and Maine, 28, were engaged last July, four years after they first met (and exactly nine years after Maine’s viral “Arjo cutie” tweet), but have remained mum about a specific wedding date this year.

“Oh, I will definitely enjoy [married life] first. We’ll see… Diyos na bahala,” Arjo previously told the media, including Philstar.com during the premiere of his “Cattleya Killer” series when asked if his initial plan to have three kids was still on his mind. “Definitely we’re looking forward to enjoying each other’s company.”

In one photo were Sylvia and her husband Art Atayde on the right, while Maine’s parents Mary Ann and Teodoro Mendoza were on the left, with the couple sandwiched in between.

Two other photos, all of which took place at the Mendoza residence, saw the six joined by other relatives, including Arjo’s sister Ria. Sylvia also posted a video of her arriving at the Mendoza house where she was greeted by Maine.