What else don’t you know about Ian V.?

So you think that you know everything about Ian Veneracion, the reigning Kilabot Ng Mga Matrona (which is a misleading “title” because millennials who religiously follow his A Love To Last soap with Bea Alonzo love him just as dearly)? There is more to Ian than what he shares of himself with the public. He projects the image of a true gentleman. Check! He has a mischievous air about him that lends enigma to his overall persona. Check, check!! He makes people want to get to know him better. Check, check, check!!! That is, even if he enshrouds most of his private life, protective as he is of his family (whose pictures you seldom, if ever, see in the media).

But who really is Ian Veneracion off-cam and what are the fascinating snippets about his life that make him as human as the rest of us?

Funfare asked somebody close to Ian — the newest endorser of natural cough remedy Ascof Lagundi (Vitex negundo L. Lagundi Leaf) — and here are what he was able to extract from him (that is, aside from what Ian has spelled in a tell-all Conversation with The STAR several Sundays ago:

• Ian doesn’t treat his children like kids. Asked about his parenting style, Ian said that he does not underestimate the maturity and decision-making skills of his children (Draco, 18; Deirdre, 16; and Buccio, 10). He treats them as adults.“Para lang kaming barkada,” Ian revealed. “I want them to know that they can do well at anything through hard work and practice, that they can be good at what they set out to do as long as they give it time and effort.”

• Sad movies make him cry. Tough as he may seem on the outside, Ian admitted that he is easily moved by tearjerker films and sob stories. “I’m mababaw; I cry when I watch really good, drama movies,” he admitted.

• On top of being an actor, Ian is also a musician by heart. He writes music but does not release them commercially, and he also plays instruments like the piano and the guitar. Asked about his taste in music, Ian averred: “Medyo blues and raspy and rough. I like it that way. Kapag masyadong clean, I find it too pa-cute.”

• Ian is also a painter. Ian related that his father, Roy Veneracion, (a renowned painter), inspires his love for the arts. In fact, he has had solo painting exhibitions. Among his favorite Filipino painters are Fernando Amorsolo and Benedicto “BenCab” Cabrera.

• Believe it or not, but fit-and-fabulous Ian is not a gym buff. He claimed that he maintains his good physique by engaging in his favorite extreme sports, which include scuba diving, paragliding and skydiving. “When I need exercise, I play football, basketball, tennis, swimming, sailing, motocross, golf, and boxing. Even when I’m tired, sports force me to run and move.” Ian is also into martial arts and finds more excitement in competitive sports.

• Ian is not maselan (picky) when it comes to food. “I eat anything,” he said. His being physically fit belies the fact that he is fond of sweets and desserts like chocolate and leche flan.

• Ian prefers organic and natural products to chemically manufactured medicines. Describing himself as a patron of organic, Ian prefers using natural remedies for cough than chemical ones. This is why when it comes to relieving his and his family’s cough, Ian uses Ascof Lagundi, the innovative and pioneering cough remedy in the Philippines. Made from 100 percent organically grown lagundi leaves, Ascof is safe, natural, and provides effective relief for cough and bronchial asthma.

Ian further revealed that he prefers using the variant Ascof Forte Menthol due to its “hagod-menthol” soothing effect. “There are other variants for kids and adults, but my personal favorite is Ascof Forte Menthol Sugar Free Syrup. It actually gives me quick relief from cough-related sore and itchy throat, plus it’s sugar free.”

Pascual Laboratories, the manufacturer of Ascof Lagundi, has its own lagundi farm in Nueva Ecija that organically grows the plant and uses a GMP-certified production process. Ascof Lagundi Forte Menthol is a product of scientific research and clinical studies.

“I am a late-comer,” Ian described his being currently an in-demand endorser. Aside from Ascof Lagundi and Primera Light Brandy (among other products), he is also the brand ambassador of Conzace (a multi-vitamins).

“Ian is the epitome of superior maturity and good looks,” said Conzace assistant product manager Mike Jimenez. “That’s why we chose him as our ambassador.”

(E-mail reactions at [email protected]. For more updates, photos and videos, visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on Instagram @therealrickylo.)