MANILA, Philippines -- Television host and movie actress Kris Aquino and her cager husband James Yap appeared as a couple on the mend in their first public appearance since the birth of their son two weeks ago.

The two held hands as they walked to the function room of a Quezon City hotel on Thursday evening, where Regal Films matriarch Mother Lily Monteverde threw an endorsement party for Kris' elder brother, Tarlac Representative Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III, who is running for senator.

Seated at the presidential table, Kris and James whispered to and smiled at each other. The Purefoods cager leaned to his wife's side when they read a prayer especially written for Noynoy by their mother, former president Corazon Aquino.

The couple's body language on Thursday was the exact opposite of Kris birthday celebration on her ABS-CBN talk show "The Buzz" last February, where she gave James the cold shoulder. At that time, news of James' alleged tryst with beauty clinic attendant Hope Centeno had begun to circulate.

Hope claimed she had sexual relations with James in the facial cubicle of the clinic of beauty doctor to the stars Vicki Belo, but the basketball player denied this, claiming the attendant was obsessed with him.

"Three nights ko lang nasabi sa kanya na, alam mo, nalo-love na kita ulit [It was only three nights ago that I told him that I started to love him again]," a tearful Kris said in an ABS-CBN interview.

Interviewed during the Thursday evening affair, Kris told reporters as he looked at James: "I asked him to join me right now. We went here to show Mother Lilly how much we appreciate what she has done for Noynoy."

"This is the last hurrah, and I haven't been to any of [Noynoy's] campaigns," Kris added.

Kris left at the middle of the party saying she had to breastfeed James Jr. She has an elder son, Joshua, by movie actor Philip Salvador.