Former child star-turned-entrepreneur Kiray Celis was still on a high after recently getting engaged to her longtime partner Stephan Estopia.

In an exclusive interview with PUSH ABS-CBN, Kiray recalled the unforgettable moment Stephan proposed, revealing she had no idea it was coming. She thought she was simply hosting a company gathering for one of her endorsements at Misibis Bay.

“Noong nag-Misimis kami na iyon nga, host nga raw ako. May mga gut feeling na ako pero parang, ‘Hindi ‘to, baka mag-expect ka na naman, inday.’ Tapos parang, ‘Hala ito na tayo? Ay hindi ‘yan, baka mag-jinx ka na naman,” she shared during the launching of her Day-Li supplements brand.

Kiray admitted she initially expected Stephan would propose during their anniversary last December, but it turned out to be a false alarm.

“Noong December, that is our anniversary, nag-feeling ako na yayayain niya. Nag-expect ako noong December kasi sabi niya, (siya) bahala sa dinner natin, mayroon (siya) surprise. Akala ko yayayain niyan ako, ayon pala surprise (na) masahe, surprise dinner. Parang pa-uwi na kami, parang wala pa rin,” she reminisced.

On the night of the actual proposal, the actress-entrepreneur recalled that she got confused when Stephan started to get emotional as he was supposed to just receive a prize worth ₱5,000 in the previous game they had.

“‘Di ko alam, ba’t (siya) umiiyak, 5,000 lang yan?’ Parang ganun yung moment,” she shared.

She later assumed his emotions were tied to family matters, saying: “Alam ko kung ano yung pinanggagalingan ng boyfriend ko na emotional siya… parang, na-miss niya ang nanay, tatay, and complete family,” she added.

Seeing Stephan emotional moved Kiray to tears as well.

“Doon ako naiyak, kasi ayaw ko din nakikita siya umiiyak. Emotional kasi yung boyfriend ko, pero ayaw ko talaga siya nakikita umiiyak,” she added. “Pero parang, baka ito na ito, pero baka emotional lang talaga siya.”

It wasn’t until Stephan began his speech that Kiray realized what was happening.

“Pero noong tinanong niya na ako, parang, sa five years na (namin), ito na ‘yun,” she shared.

Kiray humorously shared that the value of the engagement ring crossed her mind at the exact moment he proposed.

“Tapos, sabi ko sa sarili ko, dahil mukhang pera ako, noong nag-’will you marry me?’  alam mo, sabi ko noon, kailangan, pinaka-minimum na singsing ko, isang million. Yun, yun yung nasa isip ko, kasi mukhang pera nga ako,” she relayed while laughing.

She even joked that the ring could be their emergency fund in the future, stating: “Parang, siyempre, kapag wala na kami makain, mayroon kami, may pansalba ako. Wala kami matirhan, ‘Oh, ito, ibenta na natin ito.’”

But all those thoughts disappeared when she saw Stephan on one knee, saying, “Pero alam mo, noon nakita ko na siya nakaluhod, hindi ko na inisip yung singsing. Kasi, it’s a yes for me.”

Talking further about her new special accessory, Kiray took it upon herself to do a little research as Stephan didn’t give her many details about the ring,

“Ayaw niyang sagutin, pero kayo na po ang bahala mag-research. It’s a three carat ring. Wala na akong mabigay na details pero kasi nagre-research ako, talaga naman, talagang, nilampasan niyo pa ang expectations ko. Talagang iba naman, ginalingan niya,” she proudly expressed.

Beyond that, Kiray was simply grateful to be spending the rest of her life with someone she deeply loves.

“Very thankful ako, hindi dahil sa singsing  pero napunta sa akin yung gusto kong makasama habang buhay. Yan naman talaga ang pinakamahalaga. It’s not about the ring, it’s not about the place, it’s the person.”

Kiray also shared how her mother, Meriam, has been eagerly asking her when she plans to start a family

“Matagal niya na akong kinukulit. Kailan kayo magpapakasal? Kasi nga anong tanda ko na, I’m going to be 31 this year so parang excited na siya. Kailan ba (siya) magkaka-apo? Kasi ako lang yung only girl sa amin, sa family, so excited siya.”

While there’s still no official wedding date yet, Kiray said she and Stephan are planning to hold the ceremony within the year, surrounded by family, close friends, and loved ones.