The choices that Jericho makes

MANILA, Philippines - Having been around showbiz for 20 years now, Jericho Rosales has more than proven his worth as an actor. His career choices have included a number of hits on TV, the big screen and barely-seen indie gems. It was in the recently-concluded ABS-CBN soap Bridges of Love where Jericho had once again displayed impressive acting through his portrayal as the brother who sacrificed everything — including his ladylove — for the sake of his younger brother.

“It pays to be good,” quipped Jericho after he was formally introduced as brand ambassador of Kuya J Restaurant during a “tummy-filling” lunch-cum-presscon held Monday afternoon in its SM Megamall branch. “You get a lot of positive comments, plus an endorsement deal, hahaha. I love this job.”

With Kuya J president Winglip Chang

Kidding aside, Jericho believes that everyone should love their work. “For us actors, our lives are always about others — to make them happy. Sometimes, we also go through problems pero nalalampasan din natin ‘yun I guess because we need to help somebody to cheer up… but we love our job, of course, we inspire a lot of people. That’s the thing talaga na naka-install dito (pointing at his heart). To be able to inspire others is a great part of my career.”

But Jericho does not push himself too hard just to prove his capability as an actor. “Well, for me, I always find it stressful when I try to prove something. I must admit (that) as a man minsan pride ng lalaki ‘yung ‘to prove something’ but I’ve already erased that in my system. I just want to live my life with meaning, with purpose and that takes the stress away. I know that it’s nice to be competitve at times but it can become stressful if you’ll always try to prove something. What I’ve learned in my (being) 20 years in the business is mas tatagal ka dito if you find purpose in your heart. For me, my purpose is to serve God through my projects that have meaning, values and lessons to impart to the viewers.”

No wonder he is often seen in projects that suit all ages. “You can see me playing different characters — good boy, bad boy — but the totality, most often than not, has something to share; there’s lesson or redemption in the end to give them (people) hope and share that positivity. Like in Legal Wife, I played a philandering husband but the entirety of it, may lesson s’ya. ‘Yun ‘yung mga ganun, for me, proven na dahil sa haba-haba ng panahon na nandito ako (sa industriya) di ako nawalan ng projects because of that.”

Asked about the factors he considers before giving his nod to a certain project, the actor said that the project must fit into what he calls as the “Jericho Rosales brand.” “First, is it going to inspire people? Second, is it going to serve the community or may value ba ‘yan? Third, may long-lasting effect ba yan? So those are the things I considered or my categories when I said yes for Kuya J. The restaurant stands for family, for gatherings, of course, for happiness in celebrating for what you’ve worked hard for.”

Kuya J COO Danny Pumarega, on the other hand, shared Jericho is their top choice to be the brand’s ambassador for exuding a vibrant personality that they would like their clients to feel everytime they come to dine at the place.   

“We look at him as somebody who is witty, wholesome and possesses good vibes and those are the characteristics we’d like to develop for Kuya J,” Pumarega explained. “And we are happy working with Jericho because he is very involved with the brand. He shared some ideas on how the ad for print and TV would come out best.”

Kuya J Restaurant started its operations in Cebu two years ago offering Filipino cuisine such as Kare-Kare, Cripsy Pata, Caldereta, Beef Pochero, Pinakbet, Sizzling Pork Sisig, Crispy Catfish and Lechon Kawali. It also has appetizers like the Lumpia Presko, Chorizo Dinamita with Garlic Dip and Grilled Scallops where each shell is topped with butter and cheese then grilled. Anyone who has a sweet tooth will definitely love the Tablea Coffee Flan, Mango Pandan and Fried Halo-Halo. 

The restaurant is fast-becoming popular as it now has 18 branches nationwide. Another branch will soon open in Tomas Morato. Kuya J president Winglip Chang aims to put up more branches this year.