10 Things You Should Know About Marian Rivera

Marian Rivera talks back

She is the Primetime Queen of GMA7, yet day in, day out, she deals with haters, bashers, and naysayers. With her angelic face, she always plays the star on TV and in movies, yet in real life, people paint her as the kontrabida. What goes on in her head and who is she, really, behind the camera?

Here are 10 things you should know about Marian Rivera.

1 On being labeled as mataray, suplada, or maldita: “Pagod na pagod na ako marinig yan. Transparent akong tao eh. Sa showbiz pala hindi pwedeng masyadong transparent.” (I’m tired of hearing that. I’m a transparent person, but in showbiz you can’t be too transparent.)

“Sa totoo lang nagsasawa na talaga ako (I’m really getting tired of it). I used to ask myself why? What am I doing wrong?  I guess you can’t blame other people for the perception they have of me because of the issues I have been involved in,” Marian says very matter of factly. “I am tired of being labeled as maldita, “ she says in Filipino, as most of her answers were.

“I can’t please every one. As long as hindi naman kita binabastos, hindi kita tinatarayan, hindi ako nagpo-power trip sa yo, kung ayaw mo sakin, anong magagawa ko? Luluhod pa ba ako sa yo? (As long as I am not rude to you,  I’m not power tripping, if you don’t like me what can I do? Should I beg?) No. This is me. What is important is that the people I work with I am able to get along with them.”

2 She never got into any fight as a child, was a homebody growing up, and was an honor student in high school.

“I grew up as a homebody. If other kids wanted to play with me they had to go to our house. Even when I was in college my barkada had to come to the house. My lola would let us do what we wanted to do,” the actress recalls. “I don’t know where the impression that I am a rebel came from. I speak harshly because I am from Cavite. All my cousins in Cavite are boys so I guess that is why I am a bit boyish.  My lola told me that she would allow me to become an actress. But no one will ever take advantage of you.’”

She recalls being a pretty good student in school, attending St. Francis of Assisi for grade school and high school and De La Salle University Dasmariñas for college. “There was a point in high school when I was an honor student. Not in college. I had a hard time.”  On a more casual note after the interview, she poses an observation (or even frustration) on who gets admired and who gets mocked: “Yung magaling mag-English pero hindi tapos ng high school, o yung nakatapos ng college pero hindi magaling sa English? (Those who spoke good English but didn’t finish high school or those who finished college but didn’t speak good English?)”

3 On one lesson her family taught her when it comes to being involved in controversies: “No matter what is said against you, never destroy another person.”

“Hindi ganun ang pamilya ko. Lalaban kami, pero hindi to the point na maninira, (my family will flight but to the point of defaming another person),” she explains.

Marian was born in Spain, but after her parents’ separation when she was two years old, she and her mom came back to live in Cavite. “My parents got married and got divorced later on. But they never made me choose between them. I stayed with my mom but my dad came home regularly to visit me,” she shares.

Marian reveals that her parents Francisco and Amalia prefer to not read any write-up about her. “My father never wanted to know how I was doing in showbiz.” She adds that when a negative issue is thrown at her, it is her mom she turns to first. “When I get into controversies in showbiz, I talk to my mom until I feel better.”

4 Had she not been discovered to become an artista, Marian is convinced that she would still be working her first job — at the Mandaluyong Mental Hospital.

Having finished a degree in AB Psychology, Marian took her OJT in Mandaluyong Mental Hospital and worked there for four months. Her career in medicine was cut short when she was discovered by producer Tony Tuviera in a commercial.

“Oo, gusto ko dun (yes, I want that),” she says when asked if she wanted to pursue that career. “I was allowed to deal with patients, we would evaluate them, give them their medications. There are many patients I remember because once tumuntong ka dun, sasabihin mo talaga na napakaswerte mong tao (you see them there, you will realize how lucky you are).”

Marian admits to having cried many times because of overwhelming emotions in the ward. “ I was often told that when I am at the hospital I have to be strong. But I can be very emotional when I see that the patients are having a hard time sometimes I find it hard to take,” she says in a soft voice.

5 She has an obsession with butterflies and actually used to have them as pets at home.

“Anything with a butterfly makes me happy,” she says as her face lights up, and goes on to show me a butterfly chart she has saved on her phone. “It came to a point that I became obsessed with butterflies. I would cry when they died, so I asked my lola to make a cage where we could keep them. I was so obsessed that I thought of spending all my earnings on butterflies!”

She started collecting when she was still a student, and stopped just a couple of years ago. “I would prepare their food, the fruits and I would put sugar in their water.  I used to get my butterflies in Greenhills. Some were P25, other P500. They live for about a month,” she adds. At one point, she was taking care of 40 butterflies.

6 Marian Rivera in numbers:

177,000: number of followers she has on her Instagram account, “therealmarian,” her only social media account. “ I really wanted to be on Instagram. I spoke to Ate Reg (Velasquez), but she has a lot of bashers. She told me, ‘It is easy to be on Instagram! If there is something you don’t like you can block it.”

198,100: number of followers of Marian’s parody twitter account, @superstarmarian. “ I have heard a lot about her. She tweets a lot of funny things. If she uses it in a good way, why not? But on the Internet, things can sometimes be foul. Kahit si Kuya Mike (Enriquez) tinanong ako, ‘Gusto mo may gawin tayong paraan?’ Sabi ko hindi na. (Even Mike Enriquez was asking me if I wanted to find a way, I said, no, never mind.)”

15: number of movies done within her seven-year career. To be released this year are My Lady Boss and Kung Fu Divas.

45,000: total number of units sold of her two dance albums, winning a Platinum award for the first and a Gold for the second.

2: number of days she goes on a diet if needed for a pictorial or project. “After that I go back to what I used to do!” Her choice workouts include boxing, running (3k or 5k), and Muay Thai

7 Three artists she admires most in the industry: Dawn Zulueta, Vilma Santos, and Aga Muhlach.

Dawn: “She is beautiful and her personality even makes her more beautiful. She told me, ‘Pinaglihi ko sayo anak ko, gusting-gusto kita,’” she gushes.

Vilma: “I admire her and want to be like her. When we worked together I never thought she would go to my room and talk to me. She talked to me and we exchanged numbers. We text each other even until now.”

Aga: “I want to work with him. I have met him a couple of times and I find him really nice.  I once saw him in New York and he said, ‘Hoy Marian, magkakamovie ba tayo?’ (Are we going to have a movie together?)”

She says she has the deepest respect for big stars who remain grounded and who are unselfish to newer artists like her. “I like working with people like that.”

8 Marian shares her five favorite destinations in the world:

1. Madrid, Spain: “ I was born there, but I did not grow up there. But it is like home. I am happy there because my dad and siblings are there.”

2. Paris, France: “One of the most romantic places in the whole world.”

3. Amanpulo, Philippines: “Just like paradise.” Despite her extremely fair complexion, she reveals she loves the sun but her skin doesn’t darken easily.

4. New York, USA: “I enjoy window shopping!

5. Tokyo, Japan: “The food is great. I eat a lot when I am there.

9 Despite Marian and boyfriend Dingdong Dantes being on countless “sexiest” lists, she reveals that their absolute favorite pastime as a couple is eating out.

“We love restaurants. We love eating five-course meals, we like taking our time. It is then that we share stories with each other,” she reveals. “Dong is not a very vocal person. But you will get to know him because of the way he acts.” She names Goose Station, Las Flores, Shangri-La hotels, and Tsukiji as some of their favorite places to eat.

On the sweetest thing she has done for Dingdong: “ I gathered all his relatives and friends to celebrate his 30th birthday.  He thought that it would be a date, just the two of us. But there was even a production number from his mommy, tita and cousins.”

On the sweetest thing Dingdong has done for her: “He has done a lot. There was a time he gave me a bouquet of flowers made of art paper. He had a wish for me written on each flower! It was not wrapped well though because it was wrapped by him.”

10 If she were to describe herself in three words, Marian says: malambing, kalog, and totoong tao (sweet, crazy in a fun way,  and real).

Marian says the biggest misconception about her is that she picks fights. “ Pero hindi ako lumalaban ng walang dahilan, (I don’t fight without reason)” she explains. “Actually I don’t really want to talk about it. I am always at the short end when it comes to people’s perception of me. ‘Ay ganyan si Marian.’” She adds, “Ang pagiging mataray o maldita…I can’t be demure all the time.

“At the end of the day ‘pag natulog ako, sino ba ako? Bakit ko kailangan magpanggap na hindi naman ako. (I don’t need to pretend who I’m not) This is who I am. This is what I can do. Unless gusto ko mag improve at ibahin sarili ko sa mas mabuting paraan, gagawin ko. Pero yung parang magpanggap ng hindi ako, hindi ko kaya. Mas pinipili ko na eto ako. (If I want to improve or change myself for the better,  I will do it, but I will not pretend. I can’t handle that. I would rather choose to be me.)”

* * *

“Actually, I am really like a child,” Marian says. (And she actually prefers to be called Yanyan.) The 28-year-old is now unfazed by accusations thrown at her, learning how to accept things more in a forgiving, childlike way than someone who just doesn’t give a damn. “Okay ang family ko, relationship okay, career okay, kailangan yata talaga may ganyan para naman balanced. Kasi pag wala, para namang ang perfect na ng lahat!”  (My family, relationship and career are okay, so maybe you need controversies for a balanced life. You can’t be perfect in everything.)

She goes on to joke that she wishes there was a phone app wherein when she reads a basher’s comment, she can push a button then she’d literally pop out of that person’s phone and say: “Hiyang hiya naman ako sayo! Ikaw na ang maganda, ikaw na ang matalino, ikaw na lahat lahat.” Everyone in the room bursts into laughter.

http://www.philstar.com/sunday-life/2013/06/23/956952/marian-rivera-talks-back 

10 Things You Should Know About the hosts of The Morning Rush

Your wake-up call x 3

Three’s company: “In terms of destiny, it’s interesting how we sort of just gravitated towards each other. We are similar, and different,” Delamar says of Chico and Gino

It is not easy to keep a partnership for 17 years, but radio royalties Chico and Delamar have gone that distance and are still at the top of their game. Add to that new generation DJ Gino and you have countless Twitter trending topics, two best-selling books, and arguably the most popular morning show on FM radio. What is it about them? Here are 10 things you should know about The Morning Rush DJs.

1 Chico and Delamar were the first ones to do an FM radio talk show in 1996. Delamar is actually the first Philippine female DJ host.

“Girls were not allowed to talk for more than two minutes then,” Del recalls when she started as a newsreader on radio. “The shows had no personality before, it was just to introduce a song then play the commercials.” Chico was the main DJ in the morning, but there came a time that he and Del would overlap on-air and get into arguments about different topics. Chico recalls, “Initially ang claim to fame namin was, we were known as yung away nang away sa umaga. Why would anyone want to listen to people fighting? But apparently they found the fights entertaining.” Though they were not allowed to banter, they got away with it for around 11 months. “Had the bosses heard us before the advertisers gave feedback, they probably would’ve asked us to stop. But by the time they heard that we sort of broke the rules by making daldal, they already heard it as praise,” Chico explains. “And the bulk of our content was coming from the listeners, it was unheard of at that time.” That was the birth of The Morning Rush on RX 93.1.

2 Gino, Chico, and Del’s craziest fan stories:

Gino and the Mystery Girl

“I was doing the graveyard shift, and at around 3 a.m. this girl comes in. We’re the only two people there. ‘Hi, what’s your name?’ But she just sat there staring. ‘Can I play you anything?’ She just smiled. At the end of my shift I walked out of the booth. She followed me down the elevator going to the lobby. I was walking down the basement to my car, she was still following me! I just made a run for it. I felt like a fish inside an aquarium and she was in the aquarium with me.”

Chico and the Secret Caller

“I was still a solo jock doing the 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. slot. There was always this kid who would call up and request the same song all the time. I found it odd kasi palagi siyang hush hush. Often he’d say, ‘I have to go, my lola is here.’ At times I would get concerned, thinking, is this an abused child? Why is he so afraid of adults like he’s not supposed to use the phone? After some months I didn’t hear from him, then I got a visitor with a letter. ‘Hi, I’m the uncle.’ I asked if the boy was with him and the uncle said, ‘Actually, he passed away.’ Apparently he had been seriously ill for most of his life, and when he died they saw a letter addressed to me. He explains in the letter, he’s about 12, he is really sick and not allowed to be on the phone. He was sort of asking for permission if he could be my guardian angel when he goes to heaven. I was freaked out. To be honest I don’t know if I believed in that but the few times I escaped (death) with a close call, I couldn’t help but think, ‘What if it’s him?’”

Del and the Ex-Nun

“She was a regular listener who had taken time to write a letter saying she was an ex-nun, and she would visit us in the studio. One day, I was with a friend in a mall, and going upstairs I saw her. ‘Oh, hi! How are you?’ After the conversation we walked along and went up another floor. As we were coming up, ‘Oh, hi. It’s you again!’ And this kept happening every floor. Aside from that, one time I guested on some show with a friend. I guess she watched it, she was so angry asking, ‘Who is that? You should just be with Chico! Who does he think he is?’ I told her you can pester me but you can’t threaten my friends or I’m gonna hurt you.”

3 Gino on getting haters as the newest addition to the then 15-year partnership of Chico and Del: “I could just sit there and shut up but I wouldn’t be doing my job.”

“I would get comments like, ‘What is he doing there?’ Ang ingay niya. Well, aren’t we supposed to talk on radio? For every one hater, you get a hundred people saying you’re doing a good job,” he shares. Gino came in as the substitute DJ when Del went on maternity leave. “They had the harshest critics. You had to be smart, funny, and even if you did a good job, they would still want them back. But I dunno, it felt natural with Chico.” They all burst into laughter. Chico and Gino developed a unique chemistry, with fans calling them Chichi and Gigi, and when Del came back to work, the three of them became “The Kikay Barkada.”

4 Del (unexpectedly) became a mom despite doctors telling her that her chances were slim. At 27, she had surgery to have an ovarian cyst removed. At 37, she got pregnant.

“Five years after my surgery, I went through another surgery and the doctor said every year my chances to have kids were just going down,” Del shares. “One day, I opened a bag of Cheetos and I tasted it and it felt like heaven opened. This was the most wonderful Cheetos I’d ever tasted! And then I remember a friend who got pregnant said everything tasted better. I had no reason to suspect that I was pregnant, aside from the sex I had had. Yes, it was with a boyfriend, but we were on a break!

“There was a lot of fear. I wasn’t married, I come from a religious family — I’m a pastor’s kid. What would people say? But I knew underneath I was happy. Scared but happy.” Today, Del fully enjoys her role as mother to Cooper, and is expecting baby number two this October. She dodges the question on marriage, to which Chico quips, “Ayan ang gusto kong tanong! Sana on-air tayo!”

5 Chico on being the most popular DJs, to being tagged as laos, to again rising to be the top DJ today: “We’ve gotten to the point of ‘Let’s stop trying to please everyone, let’s just do what we do.’ Being number one, that’s one game we don’t play.”

“We’ve always just hung in there, and we have found it to be a source of pride. Through the years, nag-iba na our chief rivals, and we’re kinda still here. We don’t know exactly how it happened. There was a time na nag-iba yung direction ng Philippine radio. Our way was passé. ‘Luma na yung style niyo,’ they’d say. Ang uso was edgy, very aggressive radio. And we weren’t part of that so we became yesterday’s news. Why do something we are not good at, or we are uncomfortable with? Why don’t we do what we do, what we know how to do well, just stick to that and bahala na how the public will judge us.” Just last year, they won Best Radio Show at the Yahoo OMG awards and the #trendingradio award at the Tatt Awards, plus numerous KBP Golden Dove Awards to boot.

“As long as we enjoy what we do, I feel that there will be a place for us. The moment we don’t enjoy it or people don’t enjoy it then, it would be time to go,” Del shares.

Chico adds, “We don’t think about, ano five more years, 10 more years. We leave things very open. We never thought we’d be where life took us, we never thought we would last this long.”

6 The Kikay Barkada in numbers:

370: Total number in pesos it would cost to buy their best-selling books The Best Of The Morning Rush Top 10 (Book 1 and Book 2).

8: Total number of alarm clocks combined it takes to wake them up. Chico has two (“both advanced”), Del has one, and Gino has five (“two phones, an alarm clock, our maid, and a laptop”).

68,800: Number of followers on The Morning Rush Twitter account @rxtmr.

70: Estimated percentage of time they spend talking (advertisements included) on the show. (That’s from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m.)

3: Number of pots of coffee they usually finish within the show. “I bring the coffeemaker,” Del shares. Both Chico and Gino just started drinking coffee recently.

7 What it is like in the booth of The Morning Rush:

Most common issue of callers?

Del: “Love talaga.”

Chico: “Usually unrequited.”

Their advice?

Chico: “Deal with it. You can gloss over it but that’s really what it is.”

Longest fight without talking off-air?

Del: “Two weeks.”

Chico: “I don’t remember what it was about. Kahit gano pa kami nag-aaway, when it’s work, we work.”

Longest period of time their topic was trending on Twitter?

Gino: “Over 24 hours. Until next morning pumasok na kami, it was still trending. There was one whole month almost every day may trending topic.”

Topic you get most heated arguments in?

Del: “Kung sino yung pinaka-bitchy.”

Chico: “Anything that involves weight.”

Gino: “Or age.”

Del: “Or dating preference.”

They all burst into laughter for the nth time.

Who is the most multi-talented?

Chico: “Wala.”

Del: “Gino is a gamer, he sings.”

Chico: “I rap.”

8 What to do when you wake up not feeling happy? “You make fun of your misery,” Del says.

“There’s that stereotype of a clown who makes everybody laugh… it’s a little ironic. You make so many people happy and you come home and you’re miserable and you feel like, wow, that’s weird,” Chico shares with a more serious tone. Gino adds, “We make you happy but who makes us happy?” They all burst into laughter again.

“Although we’re so different in age, in background, the difference is that we all have a dash of existential angst. And if you pair that with a very inquisitive mind, there’s no way to go but sadder and sadder! Which is actually what you need to entertain people! Because you can see life for what it is, it’s easy to make fun of things that are trivial or fleeting. When we start doing the show, it’s like a pause to all that questioning in your head. It’s like a jousting match trying to outwit each other or tag team and push one to the corner. It becomes a mental activity,” Del explains. Chico adds, “Some of our best shows ever, lahat kami walang tulog, puyat, malungkot, masungit!”

9 Fun facts Chico, Delamar, and Gino reveal for the first time:

Chico: “I was voted Disco King 1990 in my college organization in UP.”

Del: “For someone who doesn’t really know how to swim and is deathly afraid of the water, I have more than 110 dives under my belt.”

Gino: “I played a singing, dancing rose bush in a musical adaptation of Beauty and The Beast. Not the Disney version. I wore green tights and put on my own makeup for about two to three shows a day. I had a bushy, floral head piece.”

10 Chico, Del, and Gino admit that they don’t think they will ever leave radio.

“At the heart of it we are broadcasters. Once the radio bug bites you there really is no turning back. You may want to leave it every now and then because you want to know if you can hack it in some other field. But the truth is you will miss it,” Del shares. “Other than radio, we also like trying new things. We’ve released two books. Even if let’s say we had a chance to do TV, we would still do radio,” Chico says.

“I don’t know if we would ever want to leave radio because for us, it’s our anchor. I think what we did for radio, we would like to do somewhere else but we don’t know what that is exactly yet,” Del reveals.

* * *

The “Rushers,” as their fans call themselves, are addicted to this trio. The magic they have is tough to explain, but Del says it is because they are all very sensitive towards each other. “We know where each one is coming from, because we all see the truth of what life is… which is a barren rock of misery,” Chico says as we all burst into laughter again. Listeners love them because they remind us every morning that we should never, ever take ourselves too seriously and that it is perfectly okay to laugh at ourselves. They are proof times three that nothing beats being true to who you are.

http://www.philstar.com/sunday-life/2013/06/09/951654/your-wake-call-x-3 

10 Things You Should Know About Dawn Zulueta

A new Dawn rises

Dawn Zulueta on the power of prayer: “I prayed for children, I got it. I prayed to be financially independent, I got it. I prayed for a good husband, I got it. Career, I have.”

Hailed as the most beautiful, most fashionable and best actress time and time again, this 44-year-old still attracts screaming fans in their tweens, and even outshine beauty queens. How does someone beautiful since birth make life decisions, find love, and defy aging? Here are 10 things you should know about Dawn Zulueta.

1. She is a perfectionist, both at work and as much as possible, in her home. “It’s my wanting to be in control.”

 “I don’t like that there is a stone that is left unturned,” she says about her habit of wanting to know every little detail when it comes to her shoots. “I want to know exactly the ins and outs. I’m also a producer, and I want to be able to help solve if there is any hitch anywhere.” She says it also extends to her home, where she is all about cleanliness, organizing and labeling things. “In the cupboard, I want to see everything. Taller and heavier things at the back and the smaller ones in front!”

2. She admits to having been a “mean girl” in her younger years in school.

She attended grade school in Carilagan, moved to Assumption Antipolo, and attended high school in Colegio Sta. Rosa. “I was always a class officer. President, treasurer, palit palit lang, including muse! That was funny,” she laughs. “I would hold these caucuses with my friends, whenever there was a new student we would assess her. I was the leader of the pack, ‘Okay, is she cool?’ I was the first to approach and introduce myself, we’d try her out, then I’m the one that would ask, ‘What do you think?’ It’s kind of bad! Everyone goes through that phase.” She has one brother, whom she was very protective of. “If I heard that he got into a fight or someone bullied him, I’m there! ‘Who is heeee? Bring him oooout!’” she says with a grumble. “I was like that! Parang hindi diba? Well, I’m not like that anymore.”

Dawn did not continue on to college. If she knew back then what she now knows, would she have balanced her work and college? “Yes,” she says forcefully. During that time, she wasn’t really sure of what she wanted to get into — maybe become a fashion designer (“But back then there were no schools for that”) or a biologist (“But I wasn’t into math, show me numbers naduduling na ako”). When she was accepted in UP, she had already signed a contract with Viva Films. “I was 18, I was already independent, my concern was how to survive, how to pay the rent. If you have concerns like that, immediately you have to prioritize.”

3. She has one big regret in her career: declining doing a movie with the late, great director Lino Brocka.

“He even called me on the phone, almost parang begging, saying ‘You know, I’ll take care of you, you just have to trust me. This is the role, you are going to be a mistress and it’s Eddie Garcia who is playing the part. I understand your reservations but I know you can do the role. This is the thing. There is this kissing scene.’ Ay! Wait! Talagang I was so torn. I just could not imagine myself. I was 18. I was so prudish. I can’t believe I turned him down. I actually turned him down,” she recalls. “You know a few months later, he died, he got into that fatal accident. That is one of my regrets, that I didn’t get to work with that masterpiece of a man.”

On being a reluctant celebrity: “I only started to appreciate it when I got commendations. It was only then I started to feel, ‘Maybe there is something more to this than just the money. They see something in me that I don’t even realize. I should think about this.’”

On whether she regrets any role she took on: “Every time I look back, I think sana I paid more attention to the kinds of roles I took on. I don’t regret that I took on certain roles, but sana I thought better about how to portray it. Sana I was more interested in what I was doing.”

4. Dawn Zulueta in numbers:

29: Number of years in the industry

8: Number of awards won, including 1992 Famas Best Actress for the classic film Hihintayin Kita Sa Langit. Dawn has done 38 films, plus numerous TV shows and musicals.

7,000: Number of pesos paid as her talent fee for the Close-Up commercial that launched her showbiz career when she was 17.

31: Her waistline in inches. “I have tried all the treatments in Marie France kaya I know they work. It all depends on what your body needs, just consult with their doctors.”

17,619: Number of fans on the Facebook fan page of the official CharDawns, the nickname for her love team with Richard Gomez.

5. On the undying magic of the Richard-Dawn love team: “I suppose it really has a lot to do with the fact that we’ve had a past, and it was a serious relationship what we had before.”

She shares that after they broke up, it was around two years of no communication before they were able to be friends again. “Aside from being able to pick up a little from that past, there is also all this time that he and I have been able to evolve separately. I feel excited to work, with him particularly. Sa dami na ng pinagdaanan namin together, all the experiences we’ve had in the last 15 years, we had separate lives na, got married, had children, we are able now to collaborate and use all these experiences to enrich our characters,” she explains.

On their die-hard fans: “We started to see this new breed of fans, kasi they’re young, they are already the kids of our fans, let’s put it that way! It was really clear when we did the Walang Hanggang Pasasalamat show in Araneta. Before pa coming out onstage, we could really hear the people. And when he and I came out, just the way the crowd reacted, I turned to him and said, ‘Can you believe this?’ ‘I can’t.’ ‘I can’t either. I don’t know how this happened.’” She compares it to the fans they encountered before and adds, with a laugh, “Hindi mo na ine-expect kung gurangers ka na diba?!”

“I approach my work differently now. Unlike before ang dami kong insecurities. What are people going to think if I do this? If I say that? I was so concerned. Now I just want to be myself, there’s nothing wrong with being myself. I’m secure in that thought, and that’s the thing that I wish I learned earlier.” She declares: “I’m open na now, I have no fear.”

6. Before they got married, she actually told her husband Congressman Anton Lagdameo: “I don’t want to be a politician’s wife.”

“I remember before we got married, it was one of my considerations. I told him, ‘You better promise me you won’t enter politics.’ His uncles were already in it, baka mamaya siya na ang patakbuhin. Ayoko. I really don’t like. So yeah, he promised me. But of course we all know now that that promise is broken,” Dawn laughs. “I could not naman be selfish. I couldn’t say, ‘No, because you promised me.’ I saw that he’s perfect for the job. He is a people person, community-oriented, he really wants to help. I’m proud of his achievements. And now it’s already his third term, landslide win pa din.”

It was actually when Dawn had decided to give up on dating that she realized Anton was “the one.” “I was tired already of partying, I was tired of the single life. You’re always on the lookout, who’s my next date, who’s the prospective boyfriend. I didn’t want that anymore. I felt, if nothing na talaga, I don’t mind growing old this way. I’ll just work and work, okay lang, magpapayaman na lang ako! If there is really somebody out there for me that God has planned, then you just plop him here in front of me. I don’t want to go searching anymore I’m tired na,” she recalls. They’d been friends for some time, until one day, Anton set up Dawn to spend “alone time” with him. “I liked what I saw, we kept dating. And that was it.”

7. On exposing her kids to showbiz and politics: “I want them to get to know my work and understand it better and have an appreciation for it, same with their dad’s work.”

Colleagues in the industry attest to how Jacobo, 7, and Ayisha 3, are often spotted on set with Dawn. “As much as possible I take them around with me, if the whole week is work, they just come to my set, or even to Congress,” she shares. “The time I am not working, I am just with them. I really just try to stay with them, even if it’s just to lie down and sleep, or even if we are not talking and we are all on the iPad. Basta we are together,” she laughs.

“I’m especially proud when they have achievements. When Ayisha uses big words when she’s talking, like the other day she used the expression, ‘What the?!’ Ha? Anong ‘What the?!’ And Jacobo, he’d come home with a (soccer) trophy kasi daw naka-three strikes siya!”

8. Dawn’s five most treasured fashion items:

1- Black mink fur coat: “I really love it talaga but I can only wear it when I’m traveling. I tell Anton, ‘Can we go to the opera? Broadway? I just wanna wear this.’ He got it for me last December. I am lucky my husband loves to shop.”

2 - YSL Tributes: “They are so comfy even if they are so high, you can be on them the whole day!”

3 – Let’s-go-anywhere bags: “Right now I am loving my Loewe. I try not to have too many bags that are only for a certain outfit or occasion. I like these dump-anything-inside-and-go kinds of bags.”

4 - Large sunglasses: “I have a collection of all these bubuyog sunglasses. Especially in our weather. My dream is to find the perfect big one that is also polarized.”

5 – Jewelry: “I am really a collector. As a matter of fact, I collect it more than real estate. I’ve always believed that it’s about the only kind of investment that really grows.”

9. The four bad habits Dawn broke in the name of beauty.

1 - Baking under the sun: “I was a child of the ‘70s. We didn’t have sunblock. Back in our time, nagpapasunog talaga kami! I would bathe in beer or Coca-Cola and lie down in the hopes of getting roasted. Bad talaga yun! People think nagpa-glutathione ako. No, I just really stay out of the sun. Now, just from the door to the car, nagtataklob pa ako.”

2 - Not paying attention to skin types: “For many years in my adolescent years, I suffered through acne. Not only my face, my chest, my back. I used to wonder why, until about 15 years ago when I met this derma friend of mine, she said, ‘i-skin test kita.’ I discovered after, I was allergic to perfume! And here I was with my pabango (she motions spraying all around) Yun lang pala. Just find out what you are allergic to, don’t be tempted to buy all these expensive things.”

3 - Lack of sleep: “Sleeping for me is important talaga. But sometimes with our work you cannot help it. I really need eight hours.”

4 - Sleeping on her side: “Never sleep like this! (she motions her hands on the side of her cheek) Your lines will become deeper! How do you do it? You have a pillow wedged here (she points to the front) and wedged here (points to the back) That way you will never slide too much burying your face in the pillow. I have a hundred pillows on my bed!”

10. Dawn admits to having gotten pretty much everything she wanted in life: “I’m very positive kasi when I think about my dreams. When I think about what I want, I can really see it in the future.”

“I prayed for children, I got it. I prayed to be financially independent, I got it. I prayed for a good husband, I got it. Career, I have. There are other things I am praying for, but I know I am going to get it later on. Even if it doesn’t look like it is doable, I believe in it,” she says. She does reveal one thing she really wanted but didn’t get: “When I was younger, there was this guy that I really had the biggest, biggest crush on. I prayed so hard sana he’s the one I’m going to marry. But I didn’t marry him. I would’ve still been happier now than if I had gotten my wish!”

Other things she wishes for? “I envision that my children go to Ivy League schools, or maybe in Europe, and that I will be traveling when I am older to visit them. And I have a home somewhere in Europe, it’s a dream talaga for me!”

* * *

“How does it feel? I’ll give you a hint of what it feels like,” she gets close when asked what 44 feels like, as opposed to when she first hit the peak of her career in her 20s. “Honestly, you know what, I still feel like I’m 24. Here (points to her mind) and here (points to her heart). When I was in my 20s I used to look at 40s as so old. But now I realize, this is what it feels like pala. There really is no difference! You’re just coughing a bit more, you have back pains, but that’s all. As long as I take care of my body I think I’ll enjoy myself ‘til I’m 70 or 80.”

http://www.philstar.com/sunday-life/2013/05/26/946198/new-dawn-rises 

10 Things You Should Know About Anthony Taberna

On the air with the fearless Anthony Taberna

Anthony Taberna once pretended to be a seminarian to get a scoop — ‘the mother lf all tapes’ — the Garci tapes in 2005.

Known for breaking down the biggest national issues on morning TV and for his hilarious, hard-hitting commentary on AM radio, “Ka Tunying” has an undeniable, unconventional charm. Making the most serious issues easy (and fun) for all of us to understand, what makes him the new generation’s news idol? Here are 10 things you should know about Anthony Taberna.

1. His teacher had to pick him up from the rice fields just so he could enroll for his senior year in high school.

“Hindi na po ako mag-aaral kasi wala naman po akong pambayad,” he answered when his teacher Mrs. Castillo asked him why he hadn’t enrolled, with the school year having already started. “Nagbibilad ako ng palay sa tapat ng bahay nun! During that time kasi, na-stroke na yung tatay ko. Yung nanay ko wala namang hanapbuhay, at wala namang grumaduate sa aming magkakapatid (he is the fourth of seven siblings). At least ako nakatapos ng third year,” he says. The next day, his teacher came back and told him that the principal of General Jesus Academy, Noemi Villanueva, decided to pay for all of Anthony’s tuition and miscellaneous fees just to ensure he would finish school. “Naka-graduate ako with honors. Sa high school, nasa top 10 ako lagi. Yabang ko nun eh, nasa elementary public school ako, valedictorian,” he says with a laugh.

He went on to take up mass communications in New Era College, with his sister paying for his first semester, and a scholarship (“May nadiskubre ako, may Presidential decree pala si Marcos, for every 500 students, may iilan na dapat ma-libre sa isang private institution kung qualified, nag-qualify ako”) for the remaining semesters. He was accepted to take on a part-time job in both Jollibee and DZEC radio, and he decided to choose radio (“Related naman sa kurso ko”) in 1992.

2. He did not believe that the offer for him to be on TV was real.

“Hindi ako naniwala na matatanggap ako. Pinag-audition kami ni Gerry (Baja, his radio partner for 13 years and still going strong), pareho kaming nasisilaw-silaw sa mga ilaw, patingin-tingin lang sa camera. Eh siguro mas pogi ako kay Gerry kaya ako kinuha,” he laughs. It was 2005 when he took his first on-cam job for the morning show of ABS-CBN, and has consistently been the main anchor since 2006. “Nalungkot ako kasi gusto ko sana magkasama kami, dahil malaking parte ng success ko sa radyo ay dahil kay Gerry.”

“Alam mo ba hanggang ngayon nai-intimidate ako sa artista? Pag nakasalubong ko, nahihiya akong batiin. Nung bagong salta ako, nanibago ako kasi napapanood ko lang kayo sa TV eh! Natakot ako baka iba yung treatment sakin. Pero okay naman pala, mabait naman pala!”

3. Contrary to what some people think, Anthony is not a lawyer. At 38, however, it is still his dream to become one.

“Nag-cover kasi ako ng Supreme Court for radio. SC, DOJ, Ombudsman, Sandiganbayan, Manila courts, araw-araw walang paltos nagbabasa ako ng desisyon ng Supreme Court. Mahilig pa ako magbasa ng John Grisham books, lahat ng libro niya nabasa ko. Actually hindi ko napapansin, unconsciously, nagpo-programa ako sa radyo biglang may binabanggit ako na provision sa batas,” he explains about his “lawyer” persona. He wanted to take up law way back in 1998, but discovered he still had unfinished units in college. “Hahanapan ko ng oras ’to, gusto ko maging lawyer someday.”

4. The worst death threat he received was a bomb (that exploded in the wrong house). “Palagay ko sa dami ng galit sa akin, hindi ko mahuhulaan kung sino,” he says with a laugh.

Death threats to him usually come through letters, e-mail or text messages, but there haven’t been that many recently. “Nung April 2010, may nag-invite sa akin sa Tacloban so sinama ko si misis. Sabado yun. Pagbalik namin ng Linggo, meron daw akong kapitbahay na nilagyan ng improvised explosive device yung gate. Nasira yung gate, dalawang kotse, natamaan pati taxi sa labas. Kinahapunan bumalik yung pulis at sabi, ‘Sir, kayo ho target nung bomba. Pareho yung description ng bahay ninyo at nung target,’” he reveals for the first time. Anthony says that the bomb exploded around 4:30 on a Sunday morning and it is at that time, every Sunday, that his wife Rossel leave for church. “It’s either tanga lang talaga yung nautusan o isinalba talaga ako ng langit,” he says.

On coming face to face with personalities he has bashed on radio: “Ako kasi malinis naman lagi ang konsensya ko pag may tinira ako. Babatiin ko pa din sila. May isang incident na yung tinira ko, babatiin ko, tinabig pa yung kamay ko. Sabi, ‘Ikaw naman, napaka-unfair mo.’ Isang incident lang naman yun, pulitiko. Yung iba, civil naman.”

5. His most memorable radio moment was being the first to break the news of the “Garci tape.”

“Tandang-tanda ko. June 6, 2005. One ng hapon nung inere namin; nilabas ni (then President Gloria Arroyo’s Press Secretary Ignacio) Bunye yung dalawang tape,” he says of the audio evidence of alleged cheating in the 2004 presidential election. “Alam kong may iba pang may hawak ng kopya nun, pero walang nangahas mag-ere nun kundi ako. Pinagpaalam ko yun sa station manager namin, si Angelo Palmones.” When he asked why he trusted the source of the tape, he says, “Mahabang proseso eh, matagal ko nang source yun. Marami na siyang binigay na storya sa akin na hindi pumalpak.” He shares that it was actually a government official who triggered his urge to air the controversial tape. “Earlier that day, nung 7:30 a.m. na Dos Por Dos, in-interview namin si National Security Adviser Bert Gonzales. Alam ko nang may tape nun, at alam ko na ang laman ng tape. Sabi niya, ‘kung meron kayong tape eh di ilabas ninyo.’ Inisip ko parang ang yabang naman ng taong ito kung makapag-dare. Nilabas ko nga.”

The story takes a comedic turn: Anthony shares how he traced the story to “the mother of all tapes” that everyone was following on the news. “Nung nag-presscon si Samuel Ong ng hapon, alam ko dinala siya sa San Carlos Seminary. Lahat ng media bawal pumasok. Ako lang ang nasa loob nun. Dumaan ako sa guwardiya, naka-polo na blue, may salamin, may hawak akong maliit na clutch bag. Naglalakad ako, binati ako, ‘Brother!’ ‘O, brother,” binati ko din at dere-derecho ako sa loob. Tapos yung mga nakakasalubong ko na seminarista, binabati din ako ng ‘brother!’ he says with his trademark naughty laugh.

Another memorable story was the 2005 Morales vs. Pacquiao fight. “Di pa uso pay-per-view nun. Hindi ako pinayagan ng opisina maging official reporter, hindi daw masasagot eroplano ko, so dumiskarte ako. Ringside ako, at ang usapan namin ni boss Angelo, per round magre-report lang ako ng summary. Pero ang ending, tinapos ko all 12 rounds daldal lang ako ng daldal! May mga nagsabi naiyak sila sa coverage ko, talo si Pacquiao nun, dumugo ang mukha niya. Nung pinakinggan ko yung recording, naiyak nga ako! Grabe pala yung passion ko sa coverage ko, parang pinsang buo ko si Quinito Henson sa pinagsasasabi ko,” he says laughing.

6. As a journalist, he is extremely opinionated about political personalities, but during election time, he is part of a bloc vote as an Iglesia ni Cristo faithful.

How does he reconcile being passionate about whom he likes and dislikes, while at the same time being told who to vote for? “In fairness sa Iglesia, sa leadership, hindi nila ako inaawat sa komentaryo ko, pabor man o kontra sa sinumang sinusuportahan nila. Klaro kasi sa isip ko at sa kanila din, na yung pagboto ng Iglesia as one, doctrinal yun para sa amin. Bago pa ka pumasok at ma-baptize, tinuturo na yung 25 lessons ng Iglesia. Ang pinaka-papel ko lang sa pagboto ko tuwing araw ng eleksyon, ang paniniwala ko, sundin kung ano ang desisyon ng church leadership,” he explains. “Ang totoo, maraming sinusuportahan ang Iglesia na personally hindi ko gusto. Hindi ko talaga gusto pero binoboto ko. Halibawa si Gloria, nung nagpasya ang Iglesia na iboto si Gloria nung 2004, napakahirap sundin para sa akin. Sa loob loob ko, bakit ko iboboto tong tao na to eh alam ko naman maraming atraso sa bayan to, at personally, tingin ko, mali yung paraan ng pagkakaupo niya sa pwesto. Si P-Noy, binoto ko, kahit na naniniwala ako na hindi siya handa nung umpisa, may mga senador din akong binoboto na hindi ko din gusto. Pero lagi at lagi nananaig sa akin, bakit pa ako nag-relihiyon kung hindi ko din rerespetuhin yung pasya ng namamahala ng Iglesia, niloloko ko lang sarili ko kung kunyari sumusunod ako pero hindi naman.” Both he and his wife have been Iglesia ni Cristo since birth.

7. As tough as Anthony may seem, there are three people who never fail to make his heart soften: his daughters Zoey and Helga, and wife Rossel.

“Kapag tumatawag sa akin, ‘Daddy, umuwi ka na,’ tapos sasabihin ko may work pa ako, magkwe-kwento sila ng, ‘Yung classmate ko nga eh, ang nag-fetch sa kanya yung daddy niya,’ Naku po,” he says with his voice starting to crack. “Pagka narinig ko yung mga ganung klaseng pasakalye, minsan nagpapaalam ako sa boss ko, tatakas lang ako susunduin ko yung mga bata. Di ba tayo pagod na pagod lagi madaling araw hanggang gabi nagta-trabaho? Akala ko dati lokohan lang yung sinasabing nakakapagpaalis ng pagod ang mga bata. Totoo pala.”

Weekends are sacred to the Taberna family, doing their kids’ projects together (“Hindi nila tinatapos lahat, gusto nila may participation ako lagi”), going to the mall, watching movies (“Nagsi-sine, kasi may atraso din ako sa oras sa misis ko”), going to Church (“Nagtuturo ako sa mga bata sa church every Sunday”), and when possible, taking the kids to go swimming.

8. Three people he has not interviewed that he would like to interview, and the one question he would ask them.

1. President Noynoy Aquino: “Hindi ko pa siya nai-interview since naging Presidente siya. Itatanong ko kung galit ba siya sa akin.”

2. Celebrity Kris Aquino: “Kung tototohanin ba niya yung ayaw na niya magtrabaho, na magre-resign na siya? At tungkol sa pulitika, kung magpre-Presidente din ba siya. Palagay ko, ako ha, ang opinyon ko, mas magiging magaling na Presidente si Kris kay P-Noy.”

3. Senatorial candidate Nancy Binay: “Hindi kaya napapasubo lang siya sa pinasukan niya? Tingin ko hindi niya gusto eh, ramdam ko.”

He believes the country’s biggest problem is corruption. And how to solve the problem? “Cultural revolution na ang kailangan dito. Kapag sinimulan ng Presidente, at totoong gusto niya, magagawa niya. Leadership by example andiyan na eh, kailangan pa niya hatawin ng todo. Imagine nakaka-three years na si P-Noy, meron siyang 60 percent approval rating? Saan ka naman kukuha pa ng ganun? Kung baga ito nang pinakamagandang pagkakataon para hatawin niya lahat.”

9. Anthony Taberna in numbers:

21: Number of years in the industry. He started out as a news writer in 1992 for DZEC, became a reporter, then a producer, before he became a news anchor.

5: Number of years he and wife Rossel (who is 10 years younger than him) have been married.

6: Number of major awards he has won for TV and radio broadcasting, including Best Newscaster at the PMPC Star Awards in 2011.

30: Units of insulin he injects himself with daily, with a diabetes level of 170 (the highest normal level is 110).

2: Number of libel cases filed against him. “Na-abswelto at na-dismiss na yung mga kaso.”

10. On where he gets his fearlessness: “Kapag nakikita ko yung mali, o mga bagay na sa tingin ko ay mali, hindi ko yata kayang magsawalang kibo.”

“Takot ako lagi, especially nung nagka-asawa at mga anak na ako. Paano na sila kung madidisgrasya ako? Pero ang bilin kasi ng magulang ko, lalo na ng tatay ko, ang mali ay mali. Ang tama ay tama. Ipinapaliwanag ko lagi yan sa misis ko, lalo na pag sobrang natatakot siya. Naniniwala pa rin kasi ako na sa pamamagitan ng maliliit na tinig ng mga taong nabibigyan ng tsansang magsalita, gaya ko, may pag-asa pa rin ang bansang ito. Kapag naging maayos, mga anak ko rin at ang henerasyon nila ang makikinabang sa mas maayos na lipunan at mas malinis na gobyerno.”

* * *

I personally look up to Tunying and in fact, so many people who found out I would be interviewing him told me to tell him na “idol” nila siya. Even actor John Lloyd Cruz (who is idolized by millions) once revealed that his idol among news personalities is Tunying. What is it about him, despite being naughty, green-minded at times, and seemingly happy-go-lucky, that makes him admirable? In the words of his wife Rossel, when asked what trait she loves most about him, she says: “God-fearing. And you know pag God-fearing ang isang tao everything follows. Kampante ako that he will be a good boy all the time!”

http://www.philstar.com/sunday-life/2013/05/12/940945/air-fearless-anthony-taberna 

10 Things You Should Know About Marlon Stockinger

Marlon Stockinger: From racing karts in Cavite to winning in Monaco

Driven: Mario Stockinger quit school to pursue racing fulltime. “So I told my parents, ‘I know it’s a risk but give me a chance to really commit myself to it.’”

Before you easily dismiss him as just another good-looking half-Filipino celebrity, know that he is the first Filipino to be taken in as a junior driver for a Formula One team. After winning the GP3 series of 2012 in Monaco, he is now one step away from being the first-ever Filipino racing driver in the prestigious F1. Here are 10 things you should know about Marlon Stockinger.

1. Marlon grew up on the streets of Malate playing patintero and tumbang preso.

He was born and raised in Malate, Manila, finished high school in the British International School, then moved to Europe when he was around 16 years old. “We lived in an apartment building on Syquia. We usually just ran up and down the stairs then played out on the streets. We’d come home really dirty and my mom would be so angry,” Marlon fondly recalls. He also spent a lot of time with his grandparents on his mother’s side in La Huerta, Parañaque. “In the beginning we really didn’t have much. It’d be me, my sister, my tito all in one bed. It’s not like we had separate rooms. We didn’t have hot running water, we’d have to heat water up first before taking a shower. It was really simple. I had so much fun growing up and being in that environment taught me a lot.”

He currently lives in Switzerland, but divides his time between the Czech Republic where his team is based, and London where F1 is based. Plus, he comes home to Manila around 10 times a year.

2. He placed sixth in the first karting race he joined when he was 10 years old, and remembers proudly placing his glass trophy on top of their TV set at home.

“I was nine years old. My father had started racing in go-karts and I honestly didn’t know anything about the sport. I went, he just put me in a really small go-kart that I didn’t even own. I didn’t even do one lap, it was straight lang, I didn’t even do any corners. I stopped, I looked at him and I said, ‘I wanna race.’ That was it,” Marlon recalls. “It just has this stereotype that it’s elitist, it’s unpopular, because people can’t relate, but I truly believe it’s more popular and has more of a following than what most people think.

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“I came home with my first trophy, I was happy,” he recalls of his first Philippine Karting Championship experience. Every day, I looked at it and I was like, ‘Yeah, I got that!’ It wasn’t like a win or anything, but it just felt really cool that you could take these home after a race.” Marlon says he enjoyed karting not just because it was a hobby he shared with his dad, but also because it’s where he got a taste of “independence.” “To be out there on your own in your little go-kart, you just get to do your own thing. No one is telling you that you can’t do that, you can’t go this fast.”

3. On his first car: “It was not very impressive, I didn’t like her a lot.”

“It was a 1.2-liter Polo Volkswagen, parang mukhang paa ni Voltes V. It was incredibly small. I got it when I moved to England,” he shares. His first passenger? His dad. That was the start of his living alone and abroad. “It was quite a scary experience being out there and trying to learn everything. I’m really thankful, I learned things beyond my own, and it gave me a lot of responsibility.”

He was juggling college at CATS Cambridge with his racing career when he decided to quit stop school. “Unfortunately, I couldn’t handle both because it was like falling between two stools. Neither of them were doing really well. I was always away from the racing, and when I would come back I was always behind in school. So I told my parents, ‘I know it’s a risk but give me a chance to really commit myself to it,’” he reveals. He admits being somewhat jealous of his sister Audrey who is currently taking up law, saying, “She’s on campus, she has friends, she’s out every night!”

4. Marlon Stockinger in numbers:

11: Age when he won his first championship at the Cadet Class Philippine Shell Super Karting Series.

350: Measurement in kilometers per hour of the fastest speed he’s ever driven.

11,000: Number in kilometers of the farthest distance he’s driven in one day. “From Switzerland to the South of France. It was tough, I was with a friend so we shared the drive. We played music and games, and I like eating small chocolates to keep the energy up.”

0: Cash prizes from all the tournaments he’s won. “Its the respect, the name, and the prestige. And hopefully with that you get endorsements and sponsors. The drivers of F1, their salaries can be anywhere from 250,000 euros to 25 million euros a year.”

30: Approximate number of people on his team, the Lotus F1 Junior Team. “On my car, there are two mechanics, the engineer, two data engineers, then another set for the other car. Then our team manager, physical trainer, press officer, and others.”

5. On his biggest flaw: “I’m a really bad loser.”

“I’ve lost a lot, definitely. Obviously, in the media, people only see your highs. If I didn’t go through that process of losing and accepting that people on their day can be better than you, I don’t think I’d be able to win also,” he shares. “I think it’s important that you not only learn how to win but learn how to lose at the same time.”

On what he’s like the day after a loss: “It’s terrible! Sometimes I have to watch myself, honestly. Every time I have a really bad race, I can’t talk to anyone. I sometimes carry it even until the next race, which is two weeks after. I hate it. I think everyone hates losing, but I’m quite tough on myself.” He says that he usually gets out of a rut by cycling or running. “Just doing physical activity takes your mind away from it. I think in anything, it’s one of the best ways to feel good about yourself.”

6. His life has flashed before his eyes twice: once during an accident, and the other time during a big win.

“It actually happened in my high, when I won in Monaco. I remember the start. I mean, it was Monaco and I was starting in pole position, it’s such a historic event. For whatever reason, when I lined up on the grid with all the lights illuminated, I suddenly felt all the pressure that was on me. I swear to God, I was so nervous, my left foot was shaking on the brake. I was waiting for the lights to go out and I almost stalled it,” he recalls. “After the race, when I won, I thought to myself, ‘Sh*t, Marlon, if you messed up that start, you would’ve missed your biggest opportunity.’ And my life just flashed before my eyes. Imagining one day from being in Carmona, Cavite, just racing karts, to winning on the streets of Monaco. I mean, it’s just been this incredible journey.”

And the other time? “Also, when I had my big accident in Barcelona. I was driving then suddenly saw a car that stopped. I hit the car in third place and I was at 260 kilometers per hour. The whole car just blew up. I was closing my eyes, and I thought I could keep going because I didn’t feel anything. But then I felt liquid spraying on my face, so I jumped out of the car.”

Marlon shares that as racing drivers, they experience G-forces of four to five, which is around five times your body weight at one point. Would he ever go skydiving? “Oh, never. No way. I’d pee my pants, honestly. Just because I’m a control freak. If I died because of someone else’s mistake, then that’s my fault for trusting him,” he says, laughing.

7. On romancing cars and girls: “I don’t understand how a guy could ever like a car more than a girl.”

“Not always, no,” he says when asked if his girlfriends understand the kind of career he has. “Because you’re always traveling, and you have to devote yourself a lot more than people think,” he says of racing. When asked if he’s in a relationship right now, he says: “Technically, no.”

“The only relationship I have right now is with my car,” Marlon reveals. “I have yet to name her. There was Serious Sally, she looked quite serious and her colors weren’t so vibrant. She has to have some character. My car now is black and gold... maybe she’s Black Beauty.”

8. He’s been caught by the MMDA on EDSA.

Marlon says he hardly drives himself when in Manila. “Just because I’m always driving by myself. So when I’m here I just like to chill out and drive the least I can,” he explains.

On his driving speed: “I drive normal, simply because racing gives you a perspective. I’ve had many accidents and I understand how much I’d be putting myself at risk, and also other people on the road. At the end of the day it’s not just your life, and to risk harming someone else, it’s not worth the risk of going fast on the road.”

On driving violations: “I came from an event and was just coming out on EDSA. Driving out, I forgot to put on my seatbelt, not because I didn’t want to but because we had just come out. My car wasn’t tinted and literally as we got out of the hotel they stopped us. They were writing a ticket, and I said, ‘Oh, what did I do?’ ‘Sir, no seatbelt.’ And my tito was like, ‘Don’t you know who he is?’ Because he didn’t want the ticket, he was like, ‘Marlon, this is stupid. Don’t you know him?’ ‘No, sorry,” they said. ‘Haven’t you seen those Tattoo advertisements? That’s him!’ They said, ‘Oo nga,’ and they crumpled up the ticket and said to go on. I was lucky.”

On Manila traffic: “I’m used to it, I grew up here. If you’re gonna stress yourself you’re just going to make it worse. You can’t do anything about it so might as well just sit there and tweet or go on Facebook.”

9. He loves cooking. His best dish: “Honey-glazed salmon with sesame seeds and parmesan risotto.”

“I live alone,” he shares, “so as much as I can, I cook for myself and learn new dishes. I like quite a lot of Jamie Oliver’s 30-minute dishes. It’s nice also after a race, just to be at home in the quiet. I don’t feel like going out and I just cook myself a meal.”

He’s also into sport fitness (“The triathlon type of training, not necessarily to compete, but just doing the long distances for cardio”) and he loves traveling (“Nice thing is that because of racing, I can do it on my own. I enjoy being out there, seeing new places and experiencing it”).

10. He has very specific routines before going into a race, one of which is going to Baclaran Church to pray.

“I always have a certain ritual. I have to sleep a certain number of hours, wake up a certain way. I have to shave, I don’t know why, maybe because you never know when you’re gonna be on the podium so you you gotta look good. I always organize my suit, when I’m gonna warm up, when I’m gonna talk to the engineers,” Marlon explains. “Professional athletes, whether they know it or not, they’re actually superstitious. We hang on to things that we think will bring us good luck. I think you need that because mentally, it’s so easy to be negative.

“My mom always says, ‘You need to pray.’ I don’t go to church every Sunday but I’d like to think I have my own special relationship with God,” he says. Marlon reveals that it has been his habit to go to Baclaran before he leaves, and that every time he goes there, either they get a good race or secure more sponsors. “It has this vibe, this aura. You go through all the sari-sari stores and stalls before you get there, suddenly you’re at this church. It’s really nice and simple, you can just go there and have your thoughts to yourself. It’s always been good luck.”

* * *

Marlon reveals he’s doubted himself many times. He was always guessing when his big win would come, if it was ever going to happen, why it was taking so long. “These people from Europe, America, South America, they’re all too good. But then you realize when you win the race, hey, they’re no more special, they’re just from a different country. At the end of the day they’re normal people too. That’s when it sank in that this is possible,” the 21-year-old says of his F1 dream. “With more success comes greater ambition. You just believe in yourself more. It was just a dream, but now it’s becoming reality.”

http://www.philstar.com/sunday-life/2013/03/10/917841/marlon-stockinger-racing-karts-cavite-winning-monaco