Enchong comes clean

MANILA, Philippines - Small wonder, really, if Enchong Dee gets asked to promote clean living because he walks the talk.

“I don’t drink, I don’t smoke, I don’t have vices,” he said in a presscon for Amway’s Nutrilite brand, of which he is the new brand ambassador.

Aside for obvious health reasons, there’s another reason why he stays away from such habits.

He’s very frugal and prudent with his finances and he believes smoking, drinking and the like would just cost him unnecessary expenses.

Enchong explained, “It’s like this, if you’re going to say, smoke every day, a pack of cigarettes, how much is that going to cost you? Instead of spending for that, why not buy Nutrilite? You’ll even get healthy.”

Interestingly, the “kuripot” revelation came out quite candidly that it prompted a good-humored reaction from a lady movie columnist who asked if his being so is the reason he still doesn’t have a girlfriend (afraid to shell out money for movie dates, perhaps?). The 22-year-old actor was quick to say that while he doesn’t have a girlfriend, he currently has an inspiration, and he’d rather keep her identity to himself — for now.

The girl said to be his inspiration is Julia Montes, and not perennial love team partner Erich Gonzales. (He and Erich, who both star in the afternoon teleserye Maria La Del Barrio, which is extended till February, have made a pact when they first got paired in a project to keep things professional and not get into a romantic relationship. The two also jointly renewed their contract with ABS-CBN late last month.) But the inspiration will remain unnamed as Enchong said that there’s another time and place for that.

Meanwhile, Nutrilite marketing manager Lenny Olmedo said that they recognize Enchong’s fanbase and health-conscious ways that they tapped him to be the endorser so as to encourage youngsters as well to adopt clean living. Nutrilite is a global vitamin and mineral brand that grows, harvests and processes plants from its own organic farms. Olmedo added that Nutrilite supplements are rich in phytonutrients, or plant nutrients, which can help bridge the gap between the servings of fruits and vegetables the body needs and the servings per day one actually takes in.

At the presscon, we learned that while health experts recommend consuming a “rainbow” (or different colors) of fruits and veggies every day, in reality, most of us do not meet the recommended goal of five to nine servings. More so with young people, who tend to ignore their health, because they are, well, young, hale and hearty. “When you’re young, it’s true that you think you’re invulnerable. But when I suffered from dengue and got hospitalized, I realized that I should boost my resistance and immune system,” Enchong said.

Olmedo further said that they also got Enchong because has been taking Nutrilite Double X for sometime now, upon the recommendation of his mom. (Check out colorurlife.com for details on Nutrilite and its “color your diet” campaign led by Enchong.)

Enchong’s attitude towards health and well-being was something he learned from his years of training as a swimmer. “There’s too much discipline in swimming because it’s not something you’re born with, you have to train hard for it,” he has said.

Enchong was once part of the Philippine national swimming team. He joined several competitions, including the Southeast Asian Games and Asian Games, earning 400 medals so far. Also worth-noting is that he holds a degree in Political Science with a major in Developmental Studies from the De La Salle University. With the nature of his education, Enchong could have been a young executive or consultant working for private firms, or someone working for political personalities or even doing political work himself. Apparently, life has other plans for him.   

Enchong, the middle child in a brood of three and who was born and raised in Naga City in Bicol, got into showbiz also because of his swim career. Right after his SEA Games participation in 2006, he became a celebrity of sorts and gained a following. People from the apparel brand Bench saw him in a picture that came out in a newspaper and they got him to be part of a Bench show. Then he was introduced to people from ABS-CBN’s Star Magic. One thing led to another, and he’s been in showbiz for five years now and still very much enjoying it.