Joyce Pring more like the dad she never knew

When Joyce Pring is asked about her dad, she’s honest enough to admit that she never really knew him.

“But my Lola said that I have more in common with my dad than with my mom,” explained Joyce during a one-on-one with Funfare in connection with Stand For Truth, a new GMA News & Public Affairs online newscast powered by the network’s Digital Video Lab, that she co-anchors with Atom Araullo and GMA Resident Analyst Richard Heydarian.

“Except for what I see in photos,” added Joyce, “I hardly have any memory about my dad.”

Understandably so.

Immortalized in an eponymous 1998 movie starring Phillip Salvador, Joe Pring was a policeman assassinated in 1994 when Joyce was two years old and her brother was a toddler.

“All I know about him is that he was a valiant man,” said Joyce, “a man of honor and great courage. I understand why my Lola said I have a lot in common with my dad because I could feel that I’m like him. My mom kasi is somewhat kikay and more feminine than me. I tend to veer more towards the risky side because I love the adrenalin rush. I love to do things that not a lot of people like to do. In that sense, yes, I am more like my dad.”

A multi-talented artist, Joyce also sings, hosts events, produces a podcast, writes poems and stories, and serves as a World Vision Ambassador.

Joyce hastened to add that she looked up as “my hero” his stepfather, Chandro Uttamchandani (of Indian ethnicity), whom her mom married more than three years after Joyce’s dad was killed.

A Tondo girl through and through, Joyce (who is turning 26 on May 4) finished grade school at a public school in Tondo and high school as a scholar at the Philippine Science High School, and graduated with a Fine Arts degree from UP.

“Growing up, I was into arts and music,” shared Joyce. “I got into sports only four years ago. I hosted a travel show for an international company and I was sobrang lampa, so I enrolled in a swimming class. Then, I ventured into car-racing, triathlon and other sports.”

Since she is straightforward and opinionated (she can talk a mile a minute), people may mistake her for being liberated.

“Actually,” clarified Joyce, “I am very conservative. I grew up in a very Christian household.”

The tattoos and hieroglyphs (Greek for “sacred writings”) on parts of her body reflect the Joyce’s “inner self.” Like these: For when I am weak than I am strong, a verse from The Bible, and What’s essential is invisible to the naked eye.

Aside from the online program Kapuso Artistambayan and producing the podcast #AdultingWithJoycePring, Joyce is in the early-morning show Unang Hirit (UH) as segment co-host with Juancho Trivino who, Joyce admitted, is courting her. Juancho towers at 6’1” and Joyce is petite at 5’4” but she’s more sporty and more athletic than him.

“He’s lanky so his center of gravity is alanganin,” Joyce said.

Asked if Juancho has a good “chance” (may pag-asa) of winning her, Joyce laughed.

“I’m giving him a hard time,” she said in jest.

They began as co-hosts in October last year and Juancho started showing Joyce “special attention” only last January.

“We are both old school,” noted Joyce. “We have a similar upbringing. I want to be pursued the traditional way ­— you know, with flowers and whatever. Am I giving him a deadline? No naman. Everything depends on how ready I am to go into a relationship. I haven’t had a boyfriend for two years now. Juancho and I are together every day, so mahirap hindi ma-develop.”

With suitor Juancho Trivino (photo from Juancho’s Instagram).

Any qualities she expects in a suitor?

“I used to be impressed by brilliant men who challenged me intellectually. But as I grew up, I realized that I should look at his heart. It doesn’t follow that when a man is intelligent, he is also kind-hearted,” adding posthaste, “but I am not in a rush to go into a relationship.”

Definitely not now when she is kept busy by the new show Stand For Truth (airing anytime now) in which she will be in-charge of the music segment. Music happens to be her forte. Aside from poems and stories that she shares with her social-media followers, Joyce (a former radio jock) also writes songs, the latest being a love song titled Baka Sakali.

Every now and then, Joyce is invited by various schools to talk about social-media etiquette.

“I call it Netiquette,” said Joyce. “My advice is this: Be responsible with anything that you share on social media. Take to heart your responsibility as a social media user. Be careful about posting fake news. Remember that, if not spread, fake news won’t grow big.”

Also events host, a vlogger, writer and a World Vision Ambassador, is there anything that Joyce cannot do?

“I can’t act,” she laughed.

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