Smart Parenting May 2023 Cover Story
In theory, the love story between Dimples Romana and Boyet Ahmee wasn’t expected to go the distance. Generations and worlds apart, they tied the knot in 2003 after about two years as a couple. Barely out of her teens and with a promising showbiz career to boot, Dimples was thrust with the real-life roles of wife and then mother of the first of their three kids soon after. Nine years his wife’s senior, Boyet was a corporate man raised in a traditional two-income household.
Yet look at where they are today. Celebrating a milestone 20th-year anniversary, they’re not only still together, they’re very much in love—finishing each other’s sentences, as bonded couples are wont to do, and feeling comfortable (and complete) in the presence of the other.
At this Smart Parenting interview, any public displays of affection between them are subtle but reassuring. Settling before the cameras, Dimples rests her right hand on Boyet’s side, while he leans his right arm over her left side. She looks at him with respect and admiration; he lets her take the lead, confident in the thought that whatever his wife says is what he would say as well.
One thing they have in common from the get-go? Grappling for the right word to describe what stage of parenthood they’re in. “After 20 years, we don’t even have a clue,” says Dimples with a laugh. “So you should feel good about yourselves! Because if we reached 20 years of marriage not knowing exactly what we’re doing, but the family’s okay and the kids are okay—you’re okay.”
“That’s true,” seconds Boyet.
As for their differences? They’re what make this relationship work. If marriage and motherhood haven’t stopped Dimples from achieving success as an actress of movies and TV dramas (most notably the 2018 ABS-CBN revenge soap Kadenang Ginto, where she played the glamorous suitcase-lugging meme inspiration Daniela Mondragon), it’s because Boyet allows his wife to shine.
Still, choosing to leave the security of a corporate job to look after their children didn’t make him less of a man or father; in fact, it made him a better one, as evidenced by their smart, well-adjusted achiever kids. At 19, daughter Callie is pursuing her dream of becoming a pilot by studying aviation management at Southern Cross College in Australia, which is why she was not present at the Smart Parenting cover shoot. Son Alonzo, 8, is in grade school, active in competitive sports, and appears in commercials with his mom. And Elio? The chunky baby boy who eats and sleeps all day turns 1 on June 23.
'There’s no manual for being parents. You do it along with your kids. I wouldn’t be the father that I am if I didn’t learn from my kids.' -Boyet Ahmee
“What’s unique about our family is that we have three kids of different decades,” Dimples points out. “I think we’re at that stage where we’re learning and unlearning things. Every kid is different and what worked with Ate Callie and Kuya Alonzo may not work with Elio this time.”
“I always tell our friends, ‘There’s no manual for being parents,’” adds Boyet. “You do it along with your kids. I wouldn’t be the father that I am if I didn’t learn from my kids.”
Such discoveries are the result of their constant leaps of faith—of forging ahead into the unknown, “with open-mindedness, open hearts, and opened eyes,” says Dimples, then living with and learning from the decisions they make.
For this, the Ahmees are one of Smart Parenting’s 20 Families that Inspire. The virtue of courage personified, they have proven, time and again, how embracing unpopular and unconventional choices can be the right choice too.
Here’s a secret: Having courage doesn’t necessarily mean you’re always courageous. “We start off as scared,” admits Boyet, to which Dimples adds, “I don’t think there was ever a decision in our lives where we weren’t scared. But courage is not the absence of fear. It’s fear being there but still doing what you decide to do anyway.”
Case in point: marrying young, a huge risk for the actress whose industry thrives in love teams. It certainly didn’t help that she and her husband fought constantly and often threatened to separate. But just as they were about to call it quits, “Capt. Callie” came to the rescue and kept the family intact.
“She’s our strength,” says Boyet.
“She was our glue, always bringing us together,” avers Dimples.
Allowing Callie to fly, in the literal and figurative sense, also demanded a huge amount of courage on their part. For Dimples, it meant letting go of the “training wheels” that provided stability in her marriage. For Boyet, it was facing his fears as a father setting his only daughter out into the world—then making peace with the possibility of her never coming home.
'With Boyet, it was never an issue of "I’m less masculine because I’m not working in the corporate world," "I’m not earning this much," or "I’m not the breadwinner,"' - Dimples Romana
That painful decision came with a huge pay-off that has become a source of pride for these parents. In August 2022, Callie marked her first solo flight, an event made possible by Mom and Dad’s unequivocal support, encouragement, and love. “Thank God for children who value family, hard work, dreams, and taking lots and lots of leaps of faith!” wrote Dimples on Instagram. “Keep inspiring the youth and young women like you to never stop pursuing their dreams and staying true to who they are, no matter what!!!”
“When she decided to study abroad, I just put myself in her shoes,” Boyet says, tears welling in his eyes. “I would have loved that opportunity too and I would have loved my parents to trust me. You have to let them go to grow up.”
RELATED: I Was Made To Believe I Couldnt Be A Good Mom: Dimples Recalls Being Judged As A Young Mom
His sentimental turn is understandable; after all, he’s primary parent in the home, attending to her and her brothers’ needs while Mom heads off to work. For Callie, he wore a fairy costume, and accompanied her everywhere—from swimming, figure-skating, and tennis practice, to random dates in the mall. For Alonzo, he relearned grade school lessons and helps him put on 15 pieces of clothing and gear, a process that takes at least an hour to complete, to play ice hockey.
Of the reversal of traditional roles between husband and wife, Boyet says, “Having a dual-income family these days makes it hard to look after the kids. I think it’s fortunate that Dimps’ work is the kind that allows us to tag along.”
“With Boyet, it was never an issue of ‘I’m less masculine because I’m not working in the corporate world,’ ‘I’m not earning this much,’ or ‘I’m not the breadwinner,’” expounds Dimples. “Boyet’s always been very mindful of the kids. He’s also street-smart. Callie learned to paint her own bicycle and knows how to change tires and use tools because of him.”
“I don’t disregard [the setup of] traditional families,” he says. “It might work for them, but this works for us.”
Looking after the kids certainly hasn’t stopped him from exploring his entrepreneurial side. He and Dimples are owners and co-owners of a slew of thriving ventures. Their most recent business is Ukiyo, a hospitality management advisory and brand consultancy, and the Ahmees partner with Arthur Gindap, Marco Victoria, and Atty. Butch Suarez.
As business people, the Ahmees can be trusting to a fault. “We sort of learn the hard way, but we also move on from that,” says Dimples. “The courage comes from making mistakes and knowing what to do next time. In reality, people will not always share the same moral compass as you and your family, so it’s all about what makes you sleep better at night. For Boyet and I, it’s about earning from an honest living.”
'I also tell my children that money is equivalent to the time that a person is away from you. It makes you lose time for your family. So at the end of the day, you’re going to have to decide how much time you’re willing to give up being with your family to have that money.' -Dimples Romana
Sound investments have afforded them with certain luxuries, like having the resources for their kids’ extra-curricular activities. For Dimples, sports, the arts, and other non-academic pursuits are a proactive way to get to know you children better. “You subject them to different kinds of situations—discipline, dealing with other people, doing well or not doing well in class, flattery—and how they respond to them. If you are an attentive parent you would see what your child is like in the details.”
Money also gives them a more-than-comfortable life, one that involves acquiring nice things and going on trips beyond the usual Disneyland. How many Filipino boys can say they’ve been to Patagonia, Argentina, or Machu Picchu?
As newlyweds, Dimples and Boyet couldn’t afford a bed, much less a home. In their early years, they slept on the floor and gladly accepted a secondhand living room set and fridge from Boyet’s parents. Boyet’s folks also generously bought them their first home when the young couple couldn’t afford one.
Yet even as their money situation improved, the two haven’t forgotten that they once had nothing. They slowly paid Boyet’s parents for their home and whatever bills they initially shouldered because “that’s how you grow,” says Boyet, and “we wanted to respect the other siblings,” says Dimples. By settling their debts and handling their money judiciously, the couple hope to impart to their kids this valuable lesson from one of their family and parenting mentors, Bo Sanchez.
“Money should not be treated and worshiped like a God or master. It should be a servant,” says Dimples. “God knows we wouldn’t be able to date in nice places if we didn’t have money, and we couldn’t put Callie in a good school.
“But I also tell my children that money is equivalent to the time that a person is away from you. It makes you lose time for your family. So at the end of the day, you’re going to have to decide how much time you’re willing to give up being with your family to have that money. We teach our kids to live simply. Enjoy once in a while, but live simply.”
'... if ever you forget [who you are], just look into Callie’s eyes, Alonzo’s eyes, and Elio’s eyes when they’re looking at you, because that’s exactly who you are.” -Dimples to Boyet
It’s a sobering reminder that the cheeky Alonzo is still trying to wrap his head around. “When I tell him ‘Money doesn’t grow on trees,’ he says, ‘But what is money made of? Paper! And where does paper come from? Trees!’” relates Boyet with a laugh. “I tell him, ‘Go to sleep!’”
Consider him a work in progress much like his parents. After 20 years of marriage, the learning never ends for these two, and with every new experience that awaits them, Dimples and Boyet plan to face it together—scared, but with courage, love, respect, humor, and open eyes, an open mind, and an open heart.
RELATED: 'He's Always Present,' Dimples Romana Lauds Husband Boyet Ahmee For Being An Amazing Dad
“My love, good job! ‘Di ka nagkamali,” quips Boyet when asked to give a messages to Dimples’ younger self. “Seriously, all your decisions from an early age? You’re doing everything right. Stay God-fearing, always follow the values of your Papa Bong, and you will go a long way. And I’m always going to be here for you.”
“Boyet has always been my confidant, and in our relationship, he’s always the one to give advice. But if there was one advice I would give, it would be to never underestimate himself, and to always look at himself the way I look at him,” says Dimples with a smile, her eyes misting. “And if ever you forget, just look into Callie’s eyes, Alonzo’s eyes, and Elio’s eyes when they’re looking at you, because that’s exactly who you are.”
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Photography by Ronan Capili
Styling by Debra Bernales
Hair and makeup by Muriel Vega Perez and Team MVP
Produced by Ronna Capili Bonifacio
Assisted by Judy Santiago Aladin and Riyalyn Grace Pasimio
Video Producer: Cherrie Julian
Videographer: Jez Villapando
Video editor: Olan Pingco, Jr.
Art direction: Maria Stephanie Ocampo
Social media by Romae Zen Arganda
Growth Lead: Mika Presillas
Publisher: Iza Santos-Cuyos
