Jacky Alcoriza

Short Bio Jacky and Gerlie met each other through the singles ministry of the Couples for Christ, a Catholic family-renewal organization. They got married on May 17, 2015 and have two children – the eldest (Jesse) who is already in heaven and currently the youngest (Therese Giannamaria) who is now one year old.

Gerlie is a contributing writer for the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines’ official publication (the CBCP Monitor) and a program consultant for the Archdiocese-owned St. Francis de Sales radio stations.

Jacky is a work-at-home dad and a contributing writer for Family Is a Gift online magazine. They are actively serving in Couples for Christ and the Ministry for Family and Life of the Archdiocese of Lipa. They live in Batangas City, Philippines.

Long Bio Here's our story.

Jacky: We met each other through the singles ministry of the Couples for Christ, a Catholic family-renewal organization.

Gerlie: We had already been good friends for three years before Jacky decided to pursue me – that was after I moved on from my past relationship of five years (thanks to our Lord for hearing Jacky’s prayer to grant me a brand new heart) and after his deliberate period of discernment, seeking the will of God and the vocation to which He was calling him to respond (priesthood or married life). When he had finished 40 days of prayer and intermittent fasting – spending most of those days attending Holy Mass and time of quiet moments before the Blessed Sacrament – Jacky professed his intention of courting me on July 27, 2014 with his so-called “four-liner romantic reveal/love declaration,” a rosary and a courtship prayer card. On the Feast of St. Therese of the Child Jesus, October 1, 2014, I gave my yes to him as his first, last and only girlfriend.

Jacky: A week after that, I made an informal proposal to tell her that we’re going to get married the following year. I made my formal proposal on February of 2015 followed by “pamamanhikan” (a Filipino custom and pre-wedding tradition by which a man, together with his family, pays a visit to the home of his intended bride (fiancée) to formally seek the blessing of her parents before getting married). We got married on May 17, 2015. We have two children – our eldest (Jesse) who is already in heaven and currently our youngest (Therese Giannamaria) who is now one year old.

Jacky & Gerlie: We were both born and raised Catholic. We are striving by God’s grace and mercy to practice and live out our Catholic faith.

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Gerlie used to be a college instructor and student publication adviser at a local university for five years before she became a writer of reality show programs (X-Factor, Pilipinas Got Talent & The Voice). Then she worked for a private foundation (the corporate social responsibility arm of a holdings company). A year into their marriage, they decided that it was best for her to stop working and focused on their goal of conceiving a child. Five months later, they were able to conceive their first baby but sadly had a miscarriage two months into pregnancy (December 1, 2016). Then she got pregnant again the following year. Currently, Gerlie is a contributing writer for the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines’ official publication (the CBCP Monitor) and a program consultant for the Archdiocese-owned St. Francis de Sales radio stations.

Jacky is a work-at-home dad, a remote independent contractor wearing many hats, juggling his zany trials of home-based work and first-time fatherhood while trying to slay dragons, keep fit and stay sane. Most of the time, he's keeping his one hand on the laptop and the other hand rocking the cradle. Jacky is also a contributing writer for Family Is a Gift online magazine. Together with his wife, they are hands-on parents to their daughter, Therese Giannamaria, a.k.a. baby Gimgim (born on November 22, 2018). They are actively serving in Couples for Christ and the Ministry for Family and Life of the Archdiocese of Lipa. They live in Batangas City, Philippines.