Man crushes: The return of the sequel

I’ve been working in the media since I was in diapers. 

No, really: before I even sprouted pubic hair, I appeared in a baby diapers ad (unfortunately, my pink parts were not exposed in that ad, much to the chagrin of my three female readers). When I was in grade school, I was an erstwhile co-host on June Keithley’s Childrens Hour and was one of the sidekicks of Lea Salonga on her weekday afternoon variety show Love Lea (along with Gerard Salonga and Chuckie Dreyfuss) which both appeared on Channel 4 several tasteful decades ago. I was also a newsreader for Junior Newswatch on RPN-9; I had a recurring role on a daily dinnertime soap on RPN-9 called Verdadero (where my father was played by ‘60s matinee idol Ramil Rodriguez and ‘80s sexy actress Irma Alegre. Incidentally, the show was the stepping stone for the kontrabida ng bayan Gladys Reyes.), I was the carbonated poster boy for the Royal Tru-Orange series of ads (where I had a chance to work with great directors like Lino Brocka and Ishmael Bernal, Peque Gallaga and Jun “Mr. Shooli” Urbano), hosted a talk on GMA-7 with Bea Lucero called Teen Talk, was a semi-regular host on RPN-9’s Manilyn Live (with co-hosts the late great Francis Magalona and Epi Quizon), co-hosted the weekend edition of Alas Singko Y Medya/Maganadang Umaga Pilipinas  hosted a real estate talk show called Tahanang Pinoy on Channel 5, produced and hosted a late night comedy show (with stand-up comic Tim Tayag) on Studio 23 called The Men’s Room, acted in ABS-CBN Foundation’s Math Tinik educational series, played Derek Ramsay’s ruggedly good-looking cousin in Juday’s 2009 teleserye Habang May Buhay, and I (currently) host GMA News TV’s Best Men every Monday night at 10:30 p.m. (I hope to continue hosting a TV show even when the topics I share will deal with hair dye, dentures and erectile dysfunction).

Throughout those 30-odd years off being on camera (albeit slightly under the radar), here are some individuals whom I have encountered in media, social media and niche media that have made my testosterone fizzle all over. 

Carlos Celdran. Performance artist and cultural activist Carlos Celdran has taken his flamboyant, larger-than-life personality and turned the whole country into his stage. The only way that you might still be unaware of Carlos and his dramatic protest (of course there was drama, he is a performance artist) against the Church’s opposition to the Reproductive Health Bill is if you’ve been in a sensory deprivation chamber for the past five years. Not everybody sees eye to eye with Carlos’ views on reproductive health, but he has another advocacy that we can all throw our support behind: his passion for preserving and celebrating the beauty of Manila. His theatrical, one-man (but multi-costumed) walking tours have given locals, balikbayans and foreigners a newfound appreciation for a historical city that was once considered “inhospitable to pedestrians.” In the past, Carlos has been vocal about how we can improve tourism in Manila. Now it’s time to “walk the talk” — Mayor Erap has appointed him as Manila’s tourism consultant.

Why he’s crushable: I may not always agree with the way he conveys his advocacies, but I admire the passion that Carlos has put behind every one of them. Anybody who follows him on Twitter knows that he not only wears his heart on his sleeve but he also isn’t afraid to speak his mind. When it comes to Manila, I’d like him to speak volumes. According to Carlos, his first project will be to transform Manila’s Baywalk into a pedestrian Broadway that stretches from Roxas Boulevard to Intramuros, Malate, Luneta, Chinatown Ongpin, then back. Now that is a walking tour that I’m looking forward to.  

Anton Diaz. Anton ate his way to success — literally. After finishing an electronics and communications engineering degree at DLSU, Anton joined Procter & Gamble Philippines where he worked his way up the corporate ladder to become chief information officer. While still at P&G, he was pursuing another passion on the side: writing about his favorite food and travel discoveries on his blog www.OurAwesomePlanet.com. After attending a life-changing session at The Feast, he decided to take the entrepreneurial plunge and went into blogging full-time. And what a sweet decision that was: he not only has the most popular food and travel blog in the country, but he also runs the popular Mercato Centrale group of night food markets.

Why he’s crushable: Anton challenges my thinking. A lot.  As my partner in Mercato Centrale, a lot of the new concepts we’ve created — The First Food Truck Market, The First Food Tourism Market — were the products of our creative dynamic (i.e., incessant arguing) but nonetheless we ended up with yummy results. We hope through constant dynamics to grow more interesting food market concepts over the next few years. He also challenges me to do out-of-town family vacations without my yaya.

Jason Magbanua. Jason would like to tell you the story of the most important day of the rest of your life. Before he transformed into one of the most in-demand multiple-awarded wedding videographers in the country (and even abroad), he started out as a progressive theater actor, a video/radio production college professor and a radio announcer. He masterfully blended all of these experiences when he pioneered the art of the same-day edit (that’s when you show a wedding video at the end of a wedding reception program that includes highlights from the wedding ceremony and even the first dance). And he did this, mind you, when non-linear editing software was only available on a desktop. Book Jason now while he is still available and then find a fiancé/fiancée later.

Why he’s crushable: Because his wedding views will make your jaw drop. We often end up working together in the same wedding reception program where I host and he provides the videography. Every time I watch his movie, I am floored by how he is able to find the wedding’s most dramatic footage, capture the most heart-tugging moments, and then set it all to music in 45 minutes. No wonder he was a five-time winner of the 25 Most Influential Event Filmmakers, a distinction by peer voting worldwide. 

Jun Veneracion. Jun was a pleasant revelation to his bosses at GMA when he tried out for the open auditions of GMA News TV’s Best Men. This news producer/reporter was known for his steely reserve and coolness under pressure. Proof positive of this was when he annotated a seven-hour running gun battle between the Marines and Moro International Liberation Front rebels in the now-infamous Battle of Tipo-Tipo in Basilan where he was caught in the crossfire (his underwear from that coverage has now been bronzed). Meanwhile, the documentary of this life-threatening encounter (Engkwentro) earned his team a Bronze Medal finish at the prestigious New York Festival For Television. But here was Basilan veteran and a news anchor exposing another side to his cool exterior, peppering the screen with lively banter and zingy comebacks. Which just goes to show you that Jun is cool, whatever the situation.

Why he’s crushable: After two years of working as his co-host on Best Men, I have witnessed his mutant ability to use a combination of corny jokes and carino brutal to put people at ease in front of the camera.  His easygoing nature and non-intimidating presence make Jun everybody’s Best Man.

Sam YG. We lost a lawyer, but we gained a DJ. Ever since high school, Sam has set his sights on becoming a legal eagle. But while pursuing a legal management degree at Ateneo, he was seduced by the radio muse. His career on the airwaves began in the dead of night, literally, as he was given what the industry affectionately called the %^!& slot: 3 a.m. to 6 a.m. But he slowly inched his way up the to the midnight to 3 a.m. timeslot until he finally broke into the coveted morning show slot with fellow DJ Sam Oh on 99.5 RT. His quick wit, slightly green (slightly green daw) jokes and insightful commentary about the travails of the single Pinoy made Sam a favorite among listeners. Together with DJs Slick Rick and Tony Toni, Sam and the “Boys Night Out” barkada on 89.9 (and very soon on podcast as well), they keep you sane while stuck doing overtime or vegetating in traffic on weekday nights.  

Why he’s crushable: Sam knows your kiliti. From dishing out romantic advice as the self-deprecating Guru Shivaker from the “Temple of Love” to crafting emotionally resonant Twitter hastags (#thatslove #feelingboyfriendlines #landimo), Sam knows how to connect with both his listeners and his followers. He will 5-6 his way into your heart.

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For comments, suggestions or more man-crushes, please e-mail ledesma.rj@gmail.com or visit www.rjledesma.com. Follow rjled on Twitter, rjled610 on Instagram and like www.facebook.com/rjledesma.

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My latest humor book Playing with Pink Parts is now a certified Best-Seller at National Bookstore! Thanks for all your support.