Jon Avila likes to be as Filipino as possible

“Kapitan Boom” lead star Jon Avila is one of ABS-CBN’s newer faces being visibly groomed to become favorite leading man. And aptly so, being one of best-looking around with his looks owing to his mixed Filipino-Irish lineage. Interestingly, his looks, however, have caused him to feel different and alienated while growing up in the United Kingdom.

“I’ve always felt different growing up like I didn’t fit in,” Jon told The FREEMAN Entertainment in an interview at the Metro Café found in the basement of Metro Ayala. The 24-year-old model-turned-actor, who was the latest celebrity guest of Metro Gaisano’s chain of stores (Metro Ayala, Metro Mandaue and Metro Colon), shared that in the UK he really looked Asian and experienced discrimination for that. That could be why Jon, who got even teased in school for his slightly slanted eyes, is easily angered when he sees “people being bullied, being picked on or being spoken down to.”  

He also said that his mother, Teresita, who is a nurse from Bulacan, wasn’t really able to imbibe in him Filipino culture and language because she wanted to be as British as possible, if only to be able to blend in and adjust right away to the foreign culture she was living in. So, it was really his own decision and volition to learn more about the home country of his mother and finally move here.

He may not have learned that much about being Filipino growing up, but he hasn’t been lacking in values that make him Filipino. Take, for example, his being prayerful. “Yeah, I go to church everyday [because] that was my upbringing. I was an altar boy for a few years and I sort of lost touch with my religion. But when I came here, I started to go to church more often and I really realized the power of prayer especially with how my life has turned out.”

Even for his type of girl, he likes her morena. “Looks-wise, I like morenas. Also, siyempre [she should be] mabait, religious, God-fearing, someone who is understanding, mature and with a sense of humor,” he said, revealing that he had a non-showbiz Filipina girlfriend before, but has been single since his “Pinoy Big Brother” stint last year.

But what does he truly like best about being Filipino? He said it’s “how we value our families.” He said that he is close to his parents (who had met in a Nursing school), particularly his mother. “I’m a mama’s boy,” Jon, who has an elder sister, proudly noted.

Today, he is busy studying how to speak the language. In fact, he makes an effort to inject as many Filipino words as he can into his answers. “May tutor ako. Dalawang araw sa isang linggo ako nag-aaral mag-Tagalog. It’s hard, na-bubulol ako with my speaking lines, pero I’m really serious about this,” said the actor.  

Jon is actually celebrating his first year in showbiz. He was discovered a couple of years ago in a mall when he was with his mom lining up to have a CD signed by singers Ogie Alcasid and Regine Velasquez who were then having an album tour. Being over 200 pounds then, the model agent, who saw his potential, asked him to trim down. And Jon succeeded by doing a lot of boxing and dieting.  

He went on to become a commercial model, earning notice after winning the 2006 Century Tuna Superbod tilt. He eventually graced billboards of a leading apparel brand, before getting introduced as a Star Magic talent early last year. He really shot to fame via a good showing at the second celebrity edition of “Pinoy Big Brother,” wherein he came out of it with bigger showbiz projects and endorsement deals.

While he studied business in college, he said that if he hadn’t gone into acting, he’d probably be working as a deejay. He revealed that growing up he collected a lot of CDs, many of which are OPM. But Jon, who admires how actors Piolo Pascual and Jericho Rosales have directed their careers, is clearly happy to be acting, especially as his show, the TV adaptation of the Mars Ravelo komiks “Kapitan Boom” every Saturdays, is enjoying high ratings. “I can’t believe the response of the viewers. [When I accepted the project], I took it not as a test but an experience to strengthen myself and my craft.”

He continued, “I didn’t expect to be an artista talaga, but in some way, I’ve always had a hidden ambition to be a singer or an actor. [My showbiz career] is a blessing and an answered prayer talaga.” – NMT