IT’S A LOVE STORY that began in the chaos of crime scenes, media deadlines, and long shifts in uniform. One was always ready with a mic, the other with a badge. And while neither of them saw it coming, fate had other plans.
Last May 24, 2025, former broadcast journalist Joy Fantilaga and police officer Rodel Gorzal sealed seven years of unexpected love with a wedding that mirrored exactly who they are: a mix of “OA” and “nonchalant,” just like the people they’ve always been.
The Reporter and the Cop
Joy was a field reporter for Bombo Radyo when she first met Rodel, a quiet, no-nonsense police officer assigned in Iloilo City. She was all fire and flair, the type who could chase a lead while cracking a joke. Rodel, on the other hand, was calm, steady, the kind who spoke less but always with purpose.
“I never imagined love would come while I was chasing stories,” Joy said. “But somehow, he showed up in the middle of it all. I didn’t even notice it at first.”
For Rodel, it was Joy’s passion and presence that stood out: “She could hold her ground. Brave, loud, full of life. She wasn’t someone you could forget.”
Their love didn’t begin with fireworks. It began with moments: brief interviews, chance encounters, conversations that grew deeper with time.
“Before we knew it we weren’t just falling — we had already fallen,” said Rodel.
Seven Years, One Answer
Their journey wasn’t without its share of trials: long-distance stretches, career shifts, and emotional growing pains. But through it all, they kept choosing each other.
“People evolve,” Joy said in her vows. “What worked in year one might not work in year seven. But when Rodel surprised me on November 22, 2024 with a proposal, everything shifted. I knew it was time.”
In true Joy fashion, her vows were candid, dramatic, and brimming with heart: “Thank you for loving me at my best and worst… for giving me your last name. Becoming Mrs. Gorzal is my favorite plot twist.”
Rodel’s vows, quiet but steady like him, promised everything without flair: “I promise to be your safe place and home… to grow with you, to protect you, to love you in good times and bad.”
A Wedding with Heart, History, and Humility
Their wedding day was not just a celebration of their union but also a gathering of people who had shaped and supported their journey. It was a blend of media, uniformed service, and family.
Among the principal sponsors were Roel Z. Castro, President and CEO of MORE Power and Joy’s former boss in media. Iloilo City’s Mayor Jerry P. Treñas, and his daughter Mayor-elect Raisa Treñas-Chu, and top police officials, Bacolod City Police Office director Colonel Joeresty Coronica and Iloilo City Police Office director Colonel Kim Legada, also served as principal sponsors.
The media industry was well represented with Panay News COO Daniel G. Fajardo II in attendance, joining other media colleagues. Also present were other police officers, family members, and long-time friends who had witnessed Joy and Rodel’s relationship unfold through the years.
It was a beautiful fusion of two worlds – press and police – united not by profession, but by the love story that emerged quietly between them.
‘OA and Nonchalant’ Make It to the Aisle
The ceremony was deeply personal. Joy’s vows were full of emotion, humor, and honesty, true to her OA (overacting, as she lovingly calls it) nature.
“Thank you for loving me at my best and worst… and for giving me your last name,” she said. “I will spend forever loving you, laughing with you, annoying you just a little, and growing old by your side.”
Rodel’s vows, delivered with quiet conviction, reflected his calm and loyal heart: “I promise to protect you, to shelter you, and to love you in both sunshine and storm. I will be your safe place and your home.”
Guests teared up. Some chuckled. Everyone could feel it — this wasn’t just a ceremony. It was a triumph of real love: one that had grown not in ideal conditions but in real life, with all its noise, stillness, and mess.
A Union of Opposites
Their wedding was not a spectacle, but a celebration — a reflection of who they are. Friends and family saw the merging of two distinct energies: Joy, the one who speaks her heart with colorful words, and Rodel, the one who listens deeply and loves quietly.
Together, they are a contrast that makes sense – the loud and the reserved, the expressive and the composed, the “OA” and the nonchalant. But underneath those labels is a love forged by time, tested by distance, and strengthened by faith.
And after seven years of navigating life side by side, through career shifts, missed birthdays, airport goodbyes, and long silences filled with understanding, they now begin a new chapter, not just as Joy and Rodel, but as Mr. and Mrs. Gorzal.
Because if there’s anything their story proves, it’s this: Love really does find you when you least expect it./PN
