The treasures of Elmo Magalona

There was speculation when Elmo Magalona  who made hearts a-flutter with Julie Anne San Jose with their performances in the defunct Party Pilipinas  was suddenly out of the limelight when the said Sunday noontime show went off air. Reports claimed that he was lying low, while others maliciously speculate that the young performer turned his back on the weekend show Sunday All Stars when he would have to share the limelight with more artists in the new show.

But all of these were proven wrong. The truth is, Elmo was just waiting for his next project with the Kapuso network. What’s funny, even Elmo concedes, is that his reported “lie-low” period lasted for only roughly four to five months. That there’s already a clamor for the 19-year-old singer-actor to return to television is a testament that Elmo is among the hottest stars of the Kapuso network.

“I feel thankful because they keep on asking about me, especially my fans. They keep on asking about my next project,” said Elmo, adding that he used his free time to improve himself by going back to school and attending workshops.

This free time helped him bag his biggest acting role to date: As Isagani in the remake of the GMA 7 soap opera Villa Quintana. It’s his first time to be the lead actor of a drama program. Elmo shares the lead with Janine Gutierrez, who plays his romantic interest, Lynette.

“Ako, masasabi ko na kahit hindi ko siya pinanood dati, I feel like the story is super close to me. It has a meaning to me,” he said.  Is there pressure to doing a remake of an almost-iconic TV show?

Elmo compared doing a remake to the pressure he constantly receives as the son of the late master rapper Francis Magalona. Elmo, who is also a rapper, is part of the Magalona showbiz family — which includes, among others, actress Maxene, actor Frank, blogger and actress Saab Magalona, young TV celebrity Arkin and their mother-manager Pia.

“It has something to do with me being compared with my dad. Laging pressured na ganito ang lagi mong gawin. But I just realized now that I should just do my own thing. I shouldn’t focus on the people who talk about the pressure and those who compare,” he said. “For me, to do justice to the role, ayokong pangunahan.”

Elmo’s short break from showbiz made him more mature. The Villa Quintana star said he now takes his role in show business more seriously.

“I treasure it all now. Mas seryoso na ako ngayon. It has more meaning to me now,” he said.

Here are the other treasures that Elmo cherishes in  life:

Most treasured person: While Elmo admitted he wants to say it is his father Francis, he said his mom Pia is the person he cherishes the most right now. Elmo is part of a big family (he is the sixth child in a brood of eight) so he does not really get the chance to hang out with his mom alone. But, of course, every bonding moment is a major family event.

“Hindi kami naiiwan na kaming dalawa lang. But usually, I get to hang out with her with my siblings. We go out, catch up with everyone, talk about good memories.”

How does he make her mom feel special? “Sa pagiging masunurin ko, sa pagiging mabuti kong anak. The simple things I can give back to her.”

Most treasured pet: Elmo has a nine-month-old white Pomeranian. He’s a newly-converted pet lover because of his family — specifically his sister Saab. “When I saw my sister Saab get a dog and how she took care of it, I wanted to get my own,” he explained.

It was his father, however, who was the original dog lover: “Lahat kami, dati, maraming aso. As in, my dad would let us take care of dogs but my mom wouldn’t. But we’d still take care of them.”

Elmo said of his dog: “It fills up something that’s empty inside of me whenever I’m with my dog.”

Most treasured place: Instead of choosing a vacation place, Elmo chose the place of his childhood as his most treasured location — Antipolo, where he grew up.

“More than half of my life, that’s where all of my memories belong,” he said.

His life’s most treasured moment is also just as simple: His 15th birthday. “I don’t know why it’s the most treasured moment for me, but it’s what I remember until now.”

These “treasures,” he said, are testament of how family-oriented and friend-oriented he is.

Most treasured advice: Sage words from his parents — “Other people around you don’t matter; what matters are those that make you happy.”

Essentially, what Elmo wants to imbibe is that as long as he isn’t doing anyone harm, his happiness is his business and no one else’s.

“It doesn’t matter if people aren’t happy with what you’re doing. As long as you’re not hurting yourself and you’re happy with what you’re doing, you should stick by it,” he explained.

Most treasured Kapuso moment: Elmo has done a lot of shows and movies — the family drama Bantatay, Tween Hearts: The Movie (both of which were huge successes), the weekly teen drama show Together Forever and the teen romance Just One Summer (both with Julie Anne). But in the end, the moment he cherishes the most is the moment where everything all started — Party Pilipinas.

“It’s the start of everything — the start of showbiz and everything that is happening now. It all goes back to my first performance there,” he said.

Not surprisingly, Party Pilipinas is also his most treasured Kapuso show.

“Doon ako nakilala and I owe it all to that show,” he said.

Most treasured role: As for the character he played that he cherished the most, Elmo answered the one he played in Bantatay. He’s done more substantial roles, such as those in Daldalita or Tweets for My Sweets. But it’s more about the memories than anything else. It’s also among his first acting gigs.

“I don’t remember the name of the character, but I really treasure my memories there because it was a long show and nakasama ko yung cast for a very long time,” he explained.

Why is he a loyal Kapuso? “Because everything that I do here, it’s all related to family,” Elmo said.

And why should his fans treasure Villa Quintana?

 â€œI’ve never really done drama as a lead,” he said. “And first ko mag-afternoon teleserye so everything is new to me. But, yun nga, I’m super excited.”