The singer-actor from Iloilo

MANILA, Philippines - Meet Victor Robinson III, 19, a singer-actor (range tenor-baritone) from Iloilo City who seems almost too good to be true: He is talented, likeable, religious, modest, and intelligent — he was a grade school and high school class valedictorian at the Ateneo de Iloilo (formerly Santa Maria Catholic School) and now, still a scholar, is pursuing a Communication Arts degree at the Ateneo de Manila.

Not content with this, he was adjudged Most Outstanding Journalist by the Department of Education in Western Visayas, and Most Outstanding Student (vocal solo-pop) in a PRISAA (Philippine Private Schools Athletic Association) literary-musical contest in Western Visayas.

Victor is an only child of Victor Jr. (a buy-and-sell businessman) and Jeanette Robinson. His greatgrandfather was a US soldier, which accounts for his American surname.

Music runs in the veins of the Robinson family. Victor’s grandmother Cleofe Robinson played the piano in church, his father sings and an uncle, Joselito Vinson, is a keyboardist-band member now performing in Korea.

Victor’s experience in theater and music has been limited, although he joined a lot of contests in grade school and was a Yamaha student. In high school, he played a major role in Kaharian ng Araw, a metaphorical play by the legendary director Onofre Pagsanjan. In college, his lone major role was in Blue Repertory’s Stages of Love, a play by Ronnie Fortich.

Thus, he was unprepared for his sudden entry into the world of professional theater.

It was his Blue Repertory buddy Marvin Ong (acclaimed by critics for his role in Repertory Philippines’ macabre musical Sweeney Todd) who convinced him to be his alternate in the PETA (Philippine Educational Theater Association) musical Si Juan Tamad, ang Diyablo at ang Limang Milyong Boto, “Basta marunong ka lang mag-Tagalog at marunong kang umarte, ok na,” Ong assured him.

So Victor auditioned, and was accepted. It was not only his first professional role, he was Juan Tamad (alternating with Ong), the star, and the play revolved around him. He was exceedingly nervous, for his co-actors were more experienced than him. They were very helpful to him, however, he was also star-struck, appearing opposite veteran singing actor Robert Seña, who played Diyablo.

Director Phil Noble went out of his way to orient the young actor on his role: “After each rehearsal he would devote one or two hours to me, one-on-one, on how to attack the role, how to deliver the lines… salamat sa Diyos medyo nag-work naman po,” he modestly asserts.

Actually, Victor was a hit, singing, dancing and acting. His stage presence and simpatico persona won over the youthful audience at the PETA Theater in Quezon City. He received the most applause, and was almost mobbed by his fans after each show. “His singing voice is terrific, like Marvin,” raved a colleague, Gibbs Cadiz, who is usually hard to please.

Victor appears to take all this in stride. He is open to future assignments and even dreams of crashing into the movies, but his priorities are his studies (he will be a senior come June) and his commitment to the Ateneo Student Catholic Action, where he is a member of the executive board.

And yet, he philosophizes, “There’s more to life than the four walls of a classroom. Exploring the wider world is also breaking free from what is ordinary. The theater experience really taught me a lot, so that I want to see more of the world through it in the future.”