Love is mysterious, powerful and sometimes difficult to understand. That's why when there are people in a relationship that is unusual or not in line with what society considers normal or appropriate, they are often ridiculed or criticized.
Used to be that May-December love affairs, or those in relationships with a large age gap, were a taboo or a topic not often discussed in public.
What Filipinos are used to is that lovers or couples are only close in age.
Often, when the age gap of the relationship is more than 10 years, they become vulnerable to temptation or are always gossiped about.
But as the poet Francisco “Balagtas” Baltazar wrote in 'Florante and Laura,' love is powerful and when it enters the heart of anyone it will despise everything, just follow it.
This is what happens to lovers with a large age gap. It seems that they no longer understand what others say and the desire to fight for their love dominates them more.
Nowadays, the love between two people who are very similar to each other or have a big age gap is not a big issue anymore.
Society has also changed a lot with the passage of time. People's understanding is broader and their minds are more open to things that used to seem forbidden even though there was nothing really wrong with it.
In Philippine showbiz, there are also some couples and lovers who proved that "age doesn't matter" when it comes to love.
It seems that they have even become an inspiration for other couples who, like them, have a big age gap.
They are the proof that "love knows no boundaries", even in age. And the big age gap should not be an obstacle for two people who truly love each other.
Meet showbiz couples with a big age gap in this gallery.
Vilma Santos is 10 years older than her husband, Ralph Recto.
Jules Ledesma is 22 years older than Assunta de Rossi. They got married in 2002 with a daughter named Fioere.
The age gap between Tonyboy Cojuangco and Gretchen Barretto is almost 19 years. They have one child, Dominique.
Robin Padilla is 15 years older than Mariel Rodriguez. The two met on a noontime show and have two children already.
Heart Evangelista and Chiz Escudero have a 15-year age gap. They got married on February 15, 2015.
Hayden Kho is 25 years younger than his wife Vicki Belo. They have one child, Scarlet Snow Belo.
The 29-year age gap is not an issue for Aiai Delas Alas and Gerald Sibayan
Freddie Aguilar and his wife Jovie Albao have a 44-year age gap.
The 27-year age gap between Mommy Dionisia Pacquiao and her boyfriend Michael Yamson does not hinder their love.
Actress Cherry Lou welcomed 2021 with her boyfriend and fellow actor Phytos Ramirez. The couple now have a daughter named Caly. Their age gap is 13 years.
It all started with a tweet but now musician Rico Blanco and actress Maris Racal are in a relationship with a 24-year age gap. As of this writing, Maris is 26 years old while Rico is 50.
Beauty Gonzalez is happily married to art curator Norman Crisologo, who is 15 years older than her.
Coco Martin and Julia Montes also admitted the true state of their relationship when they attended the watch party of 'Unbreak My Heart' recently. In a report, they shared that they have been dating for 12 years. The age difference between Coco and Julia is 14 years.