Proud to be a ‘homeboy’

TJ Manotoc may not be as controversial as his brother Borgy, but he has his fair share of news on TV, not about himself but sports events he covers for ANC and ABS-CBN’s TV Patrol.

"It’s not proper for me to comment on Borgy’s issues as we don’t get to see each other often. But I’m always here for him," he says.

The brothers, together with their other siblings, are close to one another, not minding at all if they have different moms. TJ is one of two children of former Miss International Aurora Pijuan with sportsman Tommy Manotoc while Borgy is Imee Marcos’ son.

Because his hands are full these days, TJ can’t check on what Borgy is doing.

Aside from giving sports updates on TV Patrol and ANC Channel, TJ will also be at the Nike Summer League which will start today. The league made a partnership with ABS-CBN to air the hard court events via Studio 23, 2 to 6 p.m. on May 31 and June 3, 6 and 8. TJ will update basketball fans about the different universities’ team standings.

Seventy-four teams in three divisions (seniors, juniors and women) will play in a span of eight weeks. Participants will engage in a series of play-offs that will see the teams competing in 257 games at the Far Eastern University gym over 48 playdates.

The summer league has become a training ground for teams seeing action in the upcoming UAAP and NCAA seasons. It also serves as a venue where institutions representing various athletic organizations get to eye prospective drafts.

With the summer league, TJ will be in hardcourt the way he did when he had his first exposure on TV via MBA he anchored for Studio 23.

As basketball fans will be in for an exciting treat, TJ also feels the joy in the hearts of overseas Pinoys everytime he co-hosts TFC’s Kwentong Disyerto with Connie Sison. It is a one-hour talk-magazine show which airs Sundays at 10 a.m. It deals with our kababayan based in the Middle East.

"One could feel how the show was able to make Pinoys happy as they get to communicate with their loved ones back home," he shares.

He adds that it’s a nice feeling to share the happiness of Pinoys who are far from their loved ones. His heart goes out especially to the padre de familia working in a far-off place for his family.

TJ himself is now dad to little Mikaela, his firstborn by wife Rio.

"Being a dad makes me feel good and I promised myself to be faithful to the woman I married," he offers.

Prayers, according to him, will surely help him resist temptation. Given the nature of his high-profile job, TJ can’t avoid meeting women of all shapes and sizes. There are beauties out there, yes, but TJ would rather put his family first in his list of priorities. He’d rather spend his free time with his wife and daughter than go somewhere else.

Asked if he wants to try acting, the aspiring photographer says, "No, but I want to do short films with a cousin. I want to do a film that’s inspirational, or related to health and environment."