MARRIED ONLINE SIGHT UNSEEN / Meet The Couple!

This is the sequel to Pea's interview with Roy, the American who married a Filipina named Mildred online without ever meeting in person. Now out of quarantine, Roy and Mildred sit down together for the first time on camera to talk about their first physical meeting, their compatibility, family reactions, and advice for others considering the same path. The interview captures the giddy, slightly awkward energy of two people who are legally married but still discovering each other in person.

What's Covered ​

• The moment Roy got out of quarantine

  • Even leaving wasn't simple — there was confusion about whether he could leave, requiring back-and-forth negotiations and emails
  • Mildred rushed over when he messaged that he was leaving
  • They held hands for the first time walking out — Mildred says she was "shaking a bit, shrieking a bit"
  • They didn't kiss immediately — since they'd never met physically, they held hands, hugged, giggled, and stared at each other during the taxi ride
  • The first kiss happened later after they got to the room and relaxed: "it wasn't a big kiss, it was just a little kiss"
  • Mildred jokes that looking up at Roy hurts her neck (due to their height difference)

• What they've done since reuniting

  • First day: "We didn't do anything we're going to tell you about"
  • Went to the mall so Roy could see where Mildred usually shops — he wanted to know her world so that when she mentions going to the superstore, he can picture it and feel like "I'm part of the world"
  • Went shopping for clothes, took wedding photos (also needed as proof for U.S. government that they're together)
  • Visited Fort San Pedro in Cebu

• The "is it real?" moments

  • Both keep forgetting they're actually married — Roy repeatedly asks Mildred "you married me?" and she keeps being surprised by it
  • Mildred's reason for saying yes to the proposal: "There's only two answers, yes or no. So I said yeah... there's no maybe"

• Physical surprises and compatibility

  • Pea asks Mildred what surprised her about Roy; Mildred says "everything is big" — Pea runs with the innuendo ("the rumors were true about Western guys")
  • Roy describes Mildred as "a little bite size, easy to take care of"
  • Roy acknowledges the size difference was a concern — he's 6'2" and she's about 4'9" (she lied on Cherry Blossoms and said 4'11")
  • Roy compares it to the 90 Day Fiancé situation with Big Ed
  • He notes she looks very young and is very small, so he worries about perceptions in the U.S.: "I don't think anyone would raise an eyebrow" but anticipates people might ask if she's there willingly

• Family and friends' reactions

  • Mildred's family was initially confused that she was marrying someone she'd never met, but ultimately supportive: "If that's what you want, we're just here to support you"
  • Her parents actually wanted her to get married because they wanted grandchildren
  • She introduced Roy to her parents before the engagement (online)
  • Her three close friends were surprised by the speed but accepted it
  • The proposal itself was unconventional — Roy was "just making a video" and proposed during it
  • Since Roy couldn't give her a ring in person, he sent money for her to buy her own engagement ring; she put it on and said "I got the ring"

• Filipino food adventures

  • Roy's favorite so far: beef caldereta ("beef salty cow" as Mildred calls it) — reminded him of a stew
  • He's been trying lots of tropical fruits: lanzones, mangosteen, pomelo, calamansi (he loves fresh calamansi juice)
  • At the grocery store he was overwhelmed: "What's this? What's this?" about every fruit he'd never seen
  • Confused by the multiple varieties of bananas — red, yellow, green, cooking bananas
  • They joke about rambutan — Roy calls them "spiky hairy balls," Mildred says her Western friends had the same reaction

• Mildred's height lie

  • She listed herself as 4'11" on Cherry Blossoms but is actually about 4'9"
  • She confessed to Roy after they connected
  • Roy says his mom is also 4'9"

• Roy's advice for men considering this path

  • Finding someone internationally takes money but not a fortune — it's something you can save up for
  • There are women out there who have "someone just like you in their sights" — different standards of beauty and age can seem confusing, but women exist who have a taste for you
  • Be honest and upfront: "If you start off telling a lie, you have to tell that lie for the rest of your life"
  • Even during the pandemic, it can work, but expect unexpected obstacles — rules, regulations, spikes, diseases, vaccinations
  • You need a clear head, focus, and "a good person on the other side who's also willing to do the work"

• Mildred's advice for Filipinas dating Western men

  • Ask deep questions — don't be afraid to dig into important topics even if Filipino culture discourages being confrontational
  • It's not being confrontational to ask questions; you can disagree and still get along
  • Identify which questions are most important to you and don't sacrifice them
  • Roy adds context: when he asked Mildred about children, she answered directly and honestly, while other women he'd talked to dodged the question — and that was a dealbreaker for him
  • If a partner chooses not to answer the questions that matter most to you, that's a red flag

• The prenuptial agreement discussion

  • Mildred had no problem with it — she says she's open-minded and wasn't looking for Roy's properties or money
  • Pea reinforces that if you're with the right Filipina, a prenup shouldn't be a problem — she's heard from many Filipina friends who were fine with it
  • They note prenuptial agreements can be very flexible and set up in many different ways
  • Roy's perspective: in a transactional relationship, a prenup makes logical sense as part of the transaction; in a trust-based relationship, it might feel weird to bring up, but if signing the prenup "reveals a different side of you," that's something to reflect on

• Closing and follow-up info

  • Pea notes that Roy has returned to the U.S. and begun paperwork to bring Mildred to America
  • Roy and Mildred started their own YouTube channel called "Mildroi" to chronicle their immigration journey and answer viewer questions
  • Pea calls them "proof that not only are online marriages real, but love does conquer all"

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