‘I’m still on cloud nine’: Maine Mendoza, Arjo Atayde share more details about engagement

MANILA, Philippines – A month after their engagement, celebrity couple Maine Mendoza and Arjo Atayde opened up about how the proposal happened. 

“Been a month and it still feels surreal. Me and you, what a feeling,” Maine wrote on Sunday, August 28, alongside a five-minute video of clips from the proposal. 

Arjo disclosed that he was supposed to propose earlier, but a problem came up and he had to postpone his plan. “It was definitely something we really had to consider because it involved the family,” he said. 

Later in the video, Arjo confessed that he had been planning the proposal – and even keeping the engagement ring – for about a year. “It’s a long time in the making,” he said. Maine, who was informed that the event was just for a magazine shoot, was visibly surprised when she saw Arjo waiting for her at a platform with the words, “Will you marry me?”

 “To be honest, it hasn’t really sunk in yet,” Maine said. “Parang (It’s like) I’m still on cloud nine. Sobrang bilis ng pangyayari. It all happened so fast but we’re here now.” 

Arjo also pointed out that the day of the proposal was also the same date that Maine tweeted “Arjo cutie” in 2013. “This is the day I met her also, July 28, 2018. And now I proposed, July 28, 2022,” he said. During his proposal, Arjo also told Maine: “I’ve always been sure of you. Always, everyday.” 

Maine also opened up about how Arjo treats her. “Palagi kong sinasabi na para akong prinsesa sa kanya (I always say that he treats me like a princess). The way he loves and cares for me, parang sobra (it seems too much). And sometimes, I really ask the Lord what I have done to deserve this kind of love,” she said. 

Maine also left a sweet message for her fiancé: “I’ve always prayed to find a man who’s gonna love me for who I am and then you came. I just want to thank you for loving me the way you do. I want to thank you for being you, for loving my family, for loving my friends, and for loving me.” 

Maine and Arjo have been dating for over three years, marking their third anniversary in December 2021. They first went public with their relationship in January 2019. 

Maine rose to fame as one half of the iconic love team AlDub opposite Alden Richards, with whom she starred in films such as My Bebe Love: #KiligpaMore and Imagine You and Me. Arjo, meanwhile, is known for his award-winning performance in the series Bagman, and his role in long-running series Ang Probinsyano. He also assumed office as representative for Quezon City’s first district in June 2022. – Rappler.com