‘Pillow talk’ with Matteo

MANILA, Philippines — When Matteo Guidicelli says he advocates for the health benefits of a good night’s sleep, he walks the talk. 

The STAR caught up with the 28-year-old actor/host and triathlete recently in his hometown Cebu where it was announced by Uratex — considered industry leader in manufacturing foams and mattresses — that he has been tapped to front its new The One campaign. In its 50 years as a company, Matteo is its first-ever TV endorser.

According to marketing director Cherry Wong-Tan, “We are celebrating our 50th year and we wanted to expand (brand) awareness to the Visayas and Mindanao region, and what better way to represent our brand personality (than to have someone) committed, dedicated, very young and innovative, that’s why we chose Matteo to be the face for our campaign The One.” 

For Matteo, the launch was made more special because it was done in his hometown. “Wherever I go, I represent Cebu. That’s me. I’m Cebuano,” he told the media during a presscon held at his two-year-old Cebu restaurant Trattoria da Gianni (a nod to the star’s Italian roots).

With SM executives led by Marissa Fernan, SVP for SM Prime Holdings, Inc. (who also happens to be Matteo’s aunt, second from right)

Company sales director Stephen Brian Lee said that they’re No. 1 in terms of sales and production, selling 5.7 million pieces of mattresses last year. Having Matteo on board is expected to complement the company’s other big plans this year, including opening more manufacturing plants and showrooms in areas like Bacolod, General Santos and Butuan, and donating 50 beds to 50 public hospitals across the country.

Coming up with The One campaign means two things, Cherry said. For one, they’ve found a good fit with Matteo; at the same time, they hope that consumers will find a perfect fit among their array of products as well.

Naturally, talking about the The One also set a fun, playful mood for some “bedroom and pillow” talk with Matteo. Below are parts from the interview.

On being the face of the Uratex’s The One campaign:

“When they told me about this, I was very happy and shocked also as this company is such a big part of every Filipino. When they sat me down and explained to me how Uratex started 50 years ago, you’ll fall in love with them even more. You get to know what they really do and how they started it all. But the whole aim of Uratex is for every Filipino to have the best sleep of their lives.

“To be honest, when I signed with Uratex, they gave me a special mattress. It had memory foam and when they delivered it to the house, I didn’t want to go to work. I swear, this mattress, grabe, iba, (it’s called) Senso Memory, it’s amazing and very affordable (roughly P35,000 for a queen size, offered Cherry), that’s what I use personally. But this is a premium bed. The bed I use for my taping is a two-inch (classic) mattress and not even more than P2,000. The one I use in the house when I have guests, it’s a four-inch, foldable bed naman, it’s less than P5,000.

“My mom, however, uses something else, the Premium Touch Romance… It’s interesting because it has ginseng balls so when you roll, it pops. It gives you more, of course (laughs)… But I don’t need it because I’m not married yet. Plans of getting married? Siempre, all of us. I have a timetable for that, but that’s for another interview (laughs).”

Entertaining the crowd with Visayan pop songs at SM City Cebu Northwing

On being a “big sleeper”:

“Sleep is very important for me because as an artista and as an athlete also, recovery is very, very important. I try eight hours of sleep, but six to eight hours is my window, so to speak. But ideally and technically speaking, you have to get eight hours of sleep.”

On what you’ll see in his bedroom and bedside:

“A lot of pillows. Believe it or not, (on my bedside table) I have a statue of Mama Mary and a cross. I’m very (religious) yeah. When people come to the house, they don’t expect it. Books? Not on my bedside. Pero madami akong (mga santo), bigay ng lola ko, my Bisaya lola.”

On his sleeping habits:

“When I’m in my artista mode, yes, I’m a late sleeper. Like, I’m taping (the Kapamilya primetime series) Bagani now so, I go home 3 to 4 a.m. I practically have no choice because we tape in Bulacan and my house is in Alabang, so it’s two to three hours of travel. When I pack up at 2 a.m., I go straight to my two-inch Uratex in my car and then when I arrive home I go to my real bed. But when I don’t have a soap, usually my schedule is, I’m already asleep 10 or 11 in the evening, then I’m up 6 in the morning. So, with a teleserye, everything changes.

“What I wear to bed? Just shorts and T-shirt. Before sleeping, the aircon has to be cold and my pillows all organized because when I wake up, wala na akong unan (I no longer have my pillows). They’re all on the floor.”

With Uratex bosses John Rosagas, Stephen Lee and Cherry Wong Tan

On his sleeping routine before a triathlon training:

“During triathlon training, you have to develop that proper sleeping pattern because when the triathlon race comes, you have to be up at 3 or 3:30 in the morning. So weeks before that, you have to practice and have a proper sleeping pattern already. For example, you have to be in before 10 p.m. so you can at least have the right amount of sleep when you get up at 4 a.m. If I’m taping now and sleeping at 2 a.m., then in a few days, I have a triathlon, my sleeping pattern is gone so I’ll just be puyat. You don’t recover your sleeping pattern just like that. For example, the whole week I’m puyat and I say, I make bawi this weekend and sleep the whole day. You don’t recover like that; you have to consistently have a proper sleeping pattern, six to eight hours for more than a week until you have that pattern of yours back. You can’t get it back in one day.”

On his advice to people who have difficulty sleeping:

“Exercise. I have a lot of friends who can’t sleep and sleep late, and I always advise them to have every day at least 20 to 30 minutes of activity time on the treadmill, in the gym, walking around, anything. Sometimes, you have so much (unutilized) energy in the day you can’t sleep at night. I think exercise has to be part of everybody’s lifestyle. It’s very important.

“Now, that I have a teleserye, I don’t have so much time to train for swim, bike and run for triathlon. So, I run a lot. I run on the treadmill for at least 30 minutes to one hour. But my workouts aren’t long. I have to fit them into my day. A long workout is really one hour.”

With his fans

On the bedroom he’d like to sleep in, if he were invisible:

“If she’s not there, and I could go to the bedroom and sleep in her bed, it’s Mrs. (Natividad) Cheng (Uratex founder). She’s the queen. For sure, she’s sleeping in the best talaga. But if foreign celebrity, Jessica Alba.”

On the first thing he’ll save if his room (heaven forbid, of course!) would catch fire:

“Fire-proof ba ang Uratex (laughs)? (‘We have fire-retardant mattresses,’ Stephen chimed in). What’s one thing I would save? Siempre my dog, as human beings, my dog. So yun! Bagay? Probably, our passports.

On finding The One:

“Yeah, I found the one. Aside from Uratex? I can confidently say that I have found the one also (smiles).”