TJ Manotoc: A man for others

I have a 19-year-old boy, whose gorgeous looks I claim he got from me (which my lawyer-husband has always disputed). As my son Jon-jon was growing up, being the stage mom that I was, I was constantly in apprehension of how he would turn out to be, hearing about all those horror stories of the young turning to drugs, booze or early pregnancies. Well, thank God for an Atenean education, good friends (all of whom I consider as my own children even if they tend to eat up all that’s in the fridge during their sleepovers) and most especially a close-knit extended family with a loving father to whom he is strongly attached, my son has turned out to be a fine young man.

TJ Manotoc has an entirely different story. The son of former Miss International Aurora Pijuan and sportsman Tommy Manotoc, he didn’t enjoy having a regular father. It’s an open book that Tommy had another family and for the first nine years of his life – and even up to now, he seldom saw his father. His mom, on the other hand, was also busy either fending for themselves or running for a political position with the goal of being able to serve others. At the Ateneo where he finished his secondary education (grade school was in Montessori Pasay City while college was in La Salle), TJ never aimed for the top and just "trodded along." He was, as he describes himself, a lazy, uninspired student. Family days and parent-teacher conferences were not a big thing (which in contrast, are, for me and my husband, a never-miss-thing).

TJ admits there were times he felt depressed and even had anxiety attacks. And, if he were made of weaker stuff, yes, he could have turned to drugs, alcohol and all that destructive stuff. Instead, he immersed himself in sports, sometimes playing basketball for an hour all by himself in the court. And, with the support of his mom who instilled in him a positive attitude in life, he accepted the situation, never blamed anyone for it, and learned to live it as painful as it is. Half-brother Borgy Manotoc is now one of his best buddies.

At 29, all traces of being an "under-achiever" have been completely erased in TJ. Looking even much more handsome in person, TJ, with a lean built and six-foot frame, would blow you away, not only with his looks but with his intelligence, emotional maturity and sincerity to be a man for others. Through hard work, sheer grit and determination, he has achieved much more than other men of his age.

After graduating from college, he went into basketball coaching, became a basketball analyst (for which he won an award as Best TV Analyst for Basketball), then editor-in-chief of Forward Magazine, which later was renamed Manual. In 2002, he auditioned and became part of GMA 7’s Unang Hirit, then dabbled in showbiz with a talk show on IBC 13 until 2004, when he found his home in ABS-CBN. He has a 12-hour work day with Mornings at ANC, sportscasting on Studio 23, co-hosting the TFC show Kwentong Disyerto, reporting for TV Patrol and Bandila, (whew!) and so on and so forth.

TJ loves the fact that he is doing things close to his heart. For him, the truly blessed, the happiest and the most successful people are those who do what they love to do. At ABS-CBN, he has learned so much and is thankful for the trust and confidence its executives have given him. He especially is grateful that his bosses support him in his consumer and health reporting wherein he does research and reports on healthy living, teaching people about nutritional facts and possible hazards on one’s health by the different products out in the market, without any fear of backlash. He will never rest on his laurels and plans to continue learning and improving himself by taking up Masters in Journalism and studying photography and digital filmmaking.

Yet, with all his exposure on the small screen, little do people know that TJ is a young man who cares for others, most especially the poor. His longtime dream is to put up a Foundation for Streetchildren. When he celebrated his last birthday, he donated two houses to Gawad Kalinga, a project he truly believes in. He prays that one day, through his involvement, this project will be supported by more people. This is his way of giving back to the community.

Politics? No way! "I don’t have to be in politics to be of service to others," TJ exclaims. My God! This man is a thousand times more sincere than many of those who have announced that they are running in the next elections.

I end this article by congratulating you, TJ. If only I could, I would let all the young lost souls learn about your life story: how you managed to turn an unhappy childhood for the better and become the sturdier man you are now; how, from an under-achiever, you now try to do your best in everything; how, from a young man who just "trodded along," you are now goal-driven and how you have been very thankful to God for all the blessings that have come your way and want to share such blessings with the less fortunate (from the heart and not to be elected in the next elections!). Yours is a truly an inspiring story and I hope that one day, you will influence more youth in bringing out the best in them. I’m also very sure you are a good husband to Rio, a good father to your stepson Ian (whom you empathize with) and your beautiful two-year-old daughter Mikaela. Though they may not tell it to you as often as stage mothers like me do, both your mother and father, I am quite certain, are very proud of you.

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