First, I’d like to thank Mark Monta for granting my request. It was so thoughtful of him to say yes.

Face of Cebu for December isn’t a model. He doesn’t have the chiseled face, the ripped abs, the to-die-for pecs, or the smile that makes any stone-hearted woman swoon for a bit. By definition, he’s an average guy.

Known to many as Nards or Badax, he is a Bachelor of Science in Education Major in Physics and Mathematics graduate. He currently teaches in Singapore School of Cebu. In his spare time, he loves to watch tons of movies and TV shows, check out the Internet for anything cool, broaden his horizons by traveling, and dine in any restaurant worth trying. He’s amazed by the works of Isaac Asimov and Arthur Conan Doyle; he also collects Top Gear magazines.

Bernard is a geek, sometimes judged by others as aloof or a snob, but the truth is he isn’t. In fact, the word “average” doesn’t come into my mind when I talk about him. He’s more than that—he’s way beyond that.

Bernard Dacanay, 27, is my husband. But more than that, he’s my best friend, my companion to whom I’m thrilled to spend the rest of my life with.

He is the absolute teacher to me. From him, I learned that sometimes you don’t have to take life too seriously—that to be happy is always a choice you can pick anytime. One has to live each day one at a time, and extremely worrying about tomorrow is a waste of energy.

He allows me to discover so many things about myself: patience is a virtue I can live by over time. I don’t have to stick with people who don’t appreciate me or who always take me for granted. It’s important to reward myself for all the hard work.

Bernard doesn’t know how to mince words; sometimes you can’t help but be deeply hurt by his brutal honesty. But I prefer him that way. It makes me grateful to have someone who is 100 percent real.

Best of all, though I love him a lot, I revel in the fact he loves me much, much more.