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At 69, showbiz icon Boots Anson Roa-Rodrigo admitted she never thought of marrying again in 2014.

For more than four decades, Boots was married to her husband Pete Roa until he passed away in 2007.

“For a while, na-experience ko rin yun kasi seven years din akong biyuda,” the veteran actress said during the intimate media conference for the film Until She Remembers held recently.

She continued, “Yung singleness, na-experience ko naman. During that time, hindi sumagi sa isip ko na mag-aasawa ako ulit or I'll find a new love or I'll fall in love again. Wala, kasi I'm so occupied with my family, career, and other involvements.

“Kaya kapag may nagtatanong sa akin, 'Hinanap mo ba ang pagmamahal?' Sabi ko, 'Hindi,' because in my heart and through my children, the memory of my husband was kept alive dahil nandun sila. So, hindi ako naghanap ng iba.”

So when Atty. Francisco “King” Rodrigo, Jr. came into her life, the 81-year-old actress admitted she felt "kilig."

“In my case before, kahit ako, hindi ko hinahanap. Pero kapag dumating 'yan, darating. And even at my age, when our paths crossed, sa maniwala kayo at hindi, may kilig. Kaya kapag dumating 'yan, kuwento mo sa amin agad,” ani Boots.

Because of their age, Boots admitted that she and her husband have already talked about the time of their passing. In that conversation, they reached an agreement.

She shared, “When King and I got married, shortly after we got married, ganito agad ang takbo ng usapan namin, he initiated it. When talking about the inevitable, in our age, hindi ka na bibilang ng taon, you don't know when.

“Sabi ko sa kanya, 'If I go ahead, isoli mo ako kay Pete, my first husband. Dalhin mo ako doon sa columbarium where his vault is.'

“It's not for me, but for my children. Kasi, maganda siguro sa kanila na yung pagdating ng panahon ay magkasama pa rin kami ng tatay nila. Although, sabi nga nila pagdating mo doon wala ka nang kilala talaga.

“Conversely, agree agad si King. Sabi niya, 'Yeah, why not, that sounds very solid.' Siya naman, kung siya ang mauna, ibabalik ko siya sa first wife niya.

“So, ang galing lang ng agreement namin. Biglang naisip niya, 'Paano kung sabihin nila, 'Hello, no return no exchange.'' That's something that we cherish, and we will put into practice when the time comes.”

Related gallery: Celebrities who have been married more than once

'Masayang pagtanda'

Meanwhile, the Boots emphasized that instead of fearing aging, people should see it as an opportunity to make life more meaningful.

In line with this, she shared something she recently learned: ang “masayang pagtanda.”

“We always use the phrase 'aging gracefully,' pero yung masayang pagtanda, iba ang tama sa akin,” sabi ni Boots.

She continued, “Tama yun, masayang pagtanda. Ilan sa atin ang nalulungkot kapag tumatanda na tayo? Kasi, we feel na hindi na tayo kailangan, hindi na tayo relevant, hindi na tayo mapapakinabangan, hindi na tayo papansinin. We are no longer a vital part of our community. That's the greatest challenge of being old.

“Masuwerte na lang kami-- I am 81, Charo [Santos-Concio] is 70. Kami, hindi kami natakot tumanda kasi hindi lamang yung being an artista ang kinakapitan namin ni Charo. Marami kaming interests that we have pursued. Kahit siguro wala na kaming pelikula, marami pa rin kaming gagawin.

At the end, with pride, Boots said she is happy with how she has lived her life.

“In fact, when somebody asked me, 'Ano ba ang legacy mo when the time comes?' and that's inevitable. Sabi ko, it's a Latin word na serviam, meaning I serve. In our case, we didn't only serve our industry but many other agency. Kaya buo po ang buhay namin, marami kapag ipnagpapasalamat, at meron kaming pinagkatandaan,” pagtatapos niya.

Boots can be seen in Until She Remembers as Catherine, a character with Alzheimer's disease. She is joined by Charo and Barbie Forteza, who will portray a grandmother and granddaughter.

The film by Brillante Mendoza will be shown in cinemas nationwide starting Wednesday, February 25.