Robin Padilla: Katawang Palaban

In a society where the cult of celebrity reigns we need to step back constantly and ask, “Why is that person famous?” 

Yes, please explain to us why that person is lionized when no one knows what he’s done. Apart from having appeared in a video that went viral or being covered from head to foot in designer labels or having sex with someone. Oh, right: He’s famous for being famous.

The cult of celebrity is not to be confused with the cult of personality: many celebrities are so devoid of personality that they do not exist when there are no cameras. It makes sense that Andy Warhol, who made stacks of soup cans art, should emerge as the prophet of our times. “In the future,” he said in 1968, “everybody will be world-famous for 15 minutes.” It may be argued that these celebrities are recognized only in our 7,107-island neighborhood, but technology has turned the entire world into our neighborhood.

Last Wednesday Century Canning Corporation honored five Filipinos who are the antithesis of “celebrity” (though the publicity blitz may yet turn them into that). 555 Tuna’s ongoing “Katawang Palaban” campaign pays tribute to the working men and women who stay healthy and strong in order to fulfill their responsibilities and realize their goals. Katawang palaban not in the sense that they’ll be posing shirtless on billboards, but katawang palaban because their jobs require strength and endurance. They keep fit because their families depend on them. 

There’s Lilia Miniano, a factory worker whose dedication to her work helped her attain the position of assistant plant manager at Century Canning Corporation. In over 30 years Lilia has hardly missed a day at work.

Margarito Reyes is a familiar sight to commuters in Cubao: he is the dancing traffic enforcer whose enthusiasm for his job is undimmed by having to stand in the sun for 10 hours a day.

Juanita Dagumay, who has supported her nine children since she was widowed 11 years ago, augments her income by selling recyclable materials and still finds time to volunteer in the feeding program at the Philippine Christian Foundation Technical College.

Teacher Adrian Karl Cobardo leads a group of “BangKarunungan” volunteers who travel by bangka to remote seaside communities in order to provide basic education to children who are not in school. 

Joel Navarez is a taxi driver who values his work and puts his principles above financial needs. When a passenger left cash and important documents in his taxi, he did not hesitate to return them. 

These are ordinary people with extraordinary dignity. The “Palaban 5” take pride in their work, look after their families, and care for their health. They know that each working day is a struggle for survival, and they prepare themselves to meet these challenges. In an age that values flash over substance and measures success in “likes” and trending topics, they are the unsung heroes of society.

“Bawa’t araw ay pakikibaka,” said 555 “Katawang Palaban” endorser Robin Padilla, who presented the Palaban 5 awards. “Nakikibaka sila para sa pamilya. Saludo ako sa kanila. Alam ko kung gaano kahirap malagpasan ang mga problema.” (Every day is a struggle to support their families and survive. I salute them. I know how hard it is to overcome difficulties.) 

Robin Padilla’s position as the idol of the working class for over two decades makes him uniquely qualified to front the campaign. “Malapit talaga sa puso ko ang mga manggagawa,” he reminded everyone. “Hindi kaplastikan ito. Labor leader ang tatay ko.” (The workers are close to my heart. My father — the late Camarines Norte governor Roy Padilla — was a labor leader).” Statements like these give rise to speculation that Robin is planning to run for public office. He denied this vehemently.

From left: 555 Tuna assistant manager Patricia Gan, product manager Macky Macapagal-Lim, Robin Padilla (center) with the Palaban 5 Joel Navarez, Adrian Cobardo, Juanita Dagumay, Margarito Reyes, and Lilia Miniano, and Century Canning Corporation vice president Greg Banzon

“Ang sarap ng buhay ng artista,” he said during a short chat with the lifestyle media. “Sa pulitika, maraming mahuhukay tungkol sa buhay mo. Ano naman ang gagawin ko sa pulitika?” (The life of an actor is great. In politics, they’ll dig up all your secrets. And what would I do in politics?) “Kung maging pulitiko ako, maghihirap tayo,” he laughed. (If I become a politician, the country would become poor.)

He joked about not wanting to be the guy who lands in the news for punching colleagues in the House. His temper — the anger management issues that earned him the nickname “Bad Boy” early in his career — is still there, he admitted. “Lumaki ako sa kalye,” he said. On the streets, making accidental eye contact is viewed as a challenge. One is always on the defensive, he noted, and asserting himself with his fists.

Long before his 555 Tuna endorsement, Robin was already into physical fitness. When he was starting out as an actor, he recalled, he underwent physical training in order to become a star. It was a purely physical objective, he explained, and it did not help that his showbiz ambition was driven by anger.

“Makapangyarihan ang showbiz (Showbiz is powerful),” he reflected. It gives you influence over large numbers of people, influence you may not deserve. He did not understand this in his youth, when he was an angry boy who always had something to prove. This power went right to his head. Brawls, drink, drugs, troubled relationships, culminating in his arrest for reckless imprudence and illegal possession of firearms, and the jail sentence.

“Buti lang nakulong ako (It’s a good thing I was jailed),” Robin declared. It’s not every man who gives thanks for his prison stint, but by all accounts it may have saved his life. He found peace and a purpose. He cleaned up his act. When Robin Padilla came out of prison everyone said he was a changed man.

Well, I don’t believe that people change. You are what you are and you try to live with that. Every day is a struggle to lead a decent life. I think it’s true of the people who were honored by 555, and to a different degree it’s true of Robin Padilla. The angry boy is still inside that amazingly youthful, contented 43-year-old family man, and it takes work to keep him calm.

In prison, his fitness regimen took on a new dimension. “Nagkaroon ng spiritual side,” he said. His yoga and martial arts practice became a way of instilling mental discipline and controlling his emotions. “Mayroon nang wisdom at humility,” he added. In the past, his objective was to inflict pain and assert his superiority. “Ngayon pag lumalaban ako sa martial arts, ipinagdarasal ko na hindi ako masaktan at hindi ko masaktan ang kalaban ko.” (When I compete at martial arts today, I pray that I won’t get hurt or hurt my opponent.)

Whatever his remaining anger management issues, Robin addressed all questions with candor and humor. It’s been noted that he looks younger today than he did in his 20s. When someone brought up cosmetic surgery and Botox, Robin replied by squeezing and kneading his face to show that it was his own. He needs dental surgery, he said, but he’s not sure it’s a good idea with all the sparring he does.

He also answered questions about married life with TV host and actress Mariel Rodriguez. “Hindi ko alam na may ganoong klaseng pag-ibig. Iba ang puso ni Mariel, napakabuti ng puso noon. Gigising pa lang, napakaingay na. Alive agad ang bahay. Boses niya yon, mula third floor pababa. Para siyang nasa hosting pa rin,” he smiled. (I did not know there was love like that. Mariel has such a good heart. Upon waking she’s so vibrant. That’s her voice you hear from the third floor down. It’s as if she’s hosting a show.)

Robin joked that when he was asked to endorse a tuna brand he had hoped it would be Century Tuna, which espouses fitness. “Alam ko fit ako,” he said. (I know I’m fit.) When he learned that the campaign for 555 Tuna (a sister brand of Century) focused on the working class, he realized it was a better fit.

“Ang Katawang Palaban ay handang humarap sa hamon ng buhay para sa kinabukasan ng pamilya,” he said during the awards program. “Support lang ako dito, ang tunay na bida ay ang mga manggagawa.” (The fighting-fit body is ready to face life’s challenges for the future of his or her family. The real stars here are the workers; I’m just the supporting player.)

Several paragraphs ago we were talking about the cult of celebrity. Take Robin Padilla: What is he famous for? You could cite the box-office hits from his nearly three decades in the spotlight, but I think the real achievement is that he’s survived showbiz, excess, and himself. Each day is a struggle to uphold your dignity as a human being. We see it in the former Bad Boy, and we see it in the workers who embody Katawang Palaban.