Boy Abunda to return to teaching

Boy Abunda has expressed his desire to return to teaching. The King of Talk currently sits on the Board of Trustees of the Philippine Women’s University (PWU) and has committed to teach again.

“Pangako ko sa kanila na ako’y magbabalik. I taught at the university (before),” he shared during The STAR’s recent visit to his Fast Talk with Boy Abunda set at GMA Network Center.

“I really want to teach. Sana (hopefully) before the end of the year. The latest should be early next year pero gusto namin umpisahan this year (we want to start late this year),” added Boy, who just held a trial class at PWU for a syllabus.

Boy clearly enjoys life and other things related to the academe. He had successfully balanced his talk show duties with academic pursuits in the past, dedicating weekends to classes during his master’s (International Relations in Public Diplomacy) and Ph.D. studies (Social Development) at PWU. After that, he taught mass communication students and in 2010, he was awarded Outstanding Educator at the same university.

Right now, he has a daily program Fast Talk, plus his digital shows and online channel. But he said about his teaching plans, “I will find time. Alam mo ba yun when I was taking my masters, my Ph.D., gigisingan ko yan at seven o’clock in the morning every Saturday. And kapag may extra classes, on Sundays, pumapasok ako.”

Any student who gets mentored by Boy — also a veteran talent manager responsible for nurturing the likes of television hosts Bianca Gonzalez, Drew Arellano and Mariel Rodriguez — will feel lucky.

But what does Boy get out of teaching again? He clarified that his return to teaching is not for personal gain — in other words, pro bono — although staff members receive honoraria for their work.

“Wala itong bayad sa akin personal, may mga honoraria ang mga staff but I’m doing this for the love. Bakit? Iba ang high,” he admitted.

He just loves immersing himself in the teaching environment.

“I look forward to my sessions, I look forward to my classes, I look forward to planning the classes and I look forward to mentoring. It’s a safe space, parang entablado na when I do a show,” he said.

“You know, get me into that space, I’m at my safest.”

Reflecting on his teaching style, he admitted he’s not a strict teacher but acknowledged his demanding nature.

“Hindi (strict) eh, but I’m very demanding as a teacher,” he said, sharing his preference for participative and communicative classes.

“Naalala ko yung huling klase ko, sinabi ko hindi ako nagbabagsak, oo. Pero halimbawa, you started the class of 20, 25, pero sigurado ako ang matitira sa inyo sampo. I’m very demanding.”

He also looks forward to working with students who embrace challenges and show eagerness to learn.

“I like students who participate. I like a participative class. It’s a communications class. I like students who communicate, I like students who embrace their problems in communications. I like students who are interested to learn,” he further said.

“I like students who say, ‘I don’t know anything about what we are gonna talk about.’ Wala lang, yung proseso na yun parang nakaka-excite.

“Like when I start a show, we talk about our intent… we’re very intentional, we talk about what we want to do but we don’t know… how things are gonna go but we don’t know what’s gonna happen. That’s the thrill.”

He also finds happiness in guiding and seeing students succeed academically and professionally.

“I don’t know how you explain it but it makes me happy. And believe it or not, nakakapagod pero yung pagod napaka-fulfilling. Lalo na ‘pag may mga produkto ka, may mga estudyante kang lumilipad, ang ganda!” he said.

Being considered a mentor to numerous individuals in show business, Boy recognizes the importance of continuity and passing knowledge to the next generation.

“Like, for example, people I trained and mentored in the business, ang sarap nila panoorin because the thing is, especially with hosting, with interviewing, there should be continuity. The next batch should be better than us. But we have to transfer our expertise to that batch for them to build on that.”

Looking ahead, Boy aspires to establish a small academy of the arts, providing accessible education in various disciplines, including public speaking, communications, dance, voice coaching, and more.

“Ang dream ko talaga is to be able to set up a small academy of the arts, limited lang. I can invite an active coach to teach, I can do public speaking and communications, somebody can do dance and voice,” Boy said.

“Pwedeng within PWU or independent, but an academy that is accessible.”

Meanwhile, amidst his plans to return to teaching, Boy is also championing another project called Just One, Isa Lang. The aim of the project is to motivate people to perform just one good deed each day. The TV host believes that these small, everyday acts of kindness can collectively transform the world into a better place.

Boy has engaged with more than a hundred celebrities, asking them about the single good deed they’ve done on a particular day.

Prior to this interview, we caught Boy posing this question to GMA Sparkle talents during a live taping of Fast Talk. He related, “For example, Abdul Raman said, ‘I kiss my mom.’ Because she’s bedridden and she’s not able to take care of him. But (he said), ‘I want her to know that it’s my turn to take good care of her.’ May mga sagot naman na, ‘I smiled at someone I didn’t even acknowledge for the longest time.’ Things like that.”

“I just want to build that consciousness, instead of being distracted by the negativity in the world. Even if it’s just a small step, let’s refocus on, ‘What good thing can I do today?’” he concluded.

The Just One, Isa Lang movement will be launched on TikTok and @therealboyabunda this October, coinciding with Boy’s birth month.