Category: Blog

I’ve been performing since 1998. Spain, China, Holland, Portugal, and the Philippines since 2011. People sometimes ask me what the biggest lesson of all those years is.

Shouting in rehearsal

My answer always takes me back to one rehearsal room, and one director: Baby Barredo, founder of Repertory Philippines. My Tita Baby.

When I moved to the Philippines, I joined her theater company and did my first musical here, Seussical. I was learning everything again: the local dynamics, the way productions work, how hard it really is to make a living from theater here.

Then came the only play she ever directed me in: Guadalupe the musical.

Let me be honest. It was tough. Very tough.

She shouted at me during rehearsals. She insulted me in front of the cast. Then after rehearsal I would help her into the car and we would go for dinner as a family, like nothing happened.

She was harder on blood relatives on purpose. She didn’t want anyone to think she was favoring us. And she wanted to make us better actors.

I wanted to quit. I’m not ashamed to say it.

99% perspiration

Tita Baby used to say theater is 99% perspiration and only 1% inspiration. I heard it so many times I could recite it in my sleep. During Guadalupe I finally understood it.

So I stopped focusing on how I felt in the room. I focused on the work.

Every single day I worked on my character. Not only during rehearsal. At home, in the car, before sleeping. Small things. A look, a pause, the way a line lands.

Here’s the part nobody tells you. When the director is not around, a lot of people suddenly have opinions about your role. Other actors, production, dancers. Maybe ten different people told me ten different things to do with my character while she was away.

I closed my ears.

Not out of arrogance. I had a path that the director and I had started building together, and I kept walking it. Changing direction every time someone gives a suggestion is how you end up with a character that belongs to nobody.

It paid off

Guadalupe became the best performance of my life. Among other plays, I was nominated as Performer of the Decade in the Philippines by BroadwayWorld, next to big names I grew up admiring.

I’m not telling you this to show off. I’m telling you because I almost quit before it happened.

What I learned

When I look back, the lesson is not “find a nice director.” Nice is great. But nice is not what made me better.

Here is what I took from that rehearsal room, and what I still use on every set today:

1. Separate the person from the work. Tita Baby could be hard in rehearsal and loving at dinner. Both were real. Once I understood that, the shouting stopped feeling personal. It was about the scene.

2. Do the work daily, even when nobody is watching. Talent gets you into the room. Daily work is what keeps you there. Most of the progress on that character happened when nobody was looking.

3. Choose your voices. Listen to your director. Respect your fellow actors. But don’t rebuild your character every time someone has a new idea. Commit to a direction and go deep.

4. Discomfort is often the price of growth. I wanted to quit because it hurt. Looking back, the pain was the exact thing pushing me past where I was comfortable.

5. Gratitude can come later. In the moment, I was not grateful. Today I am. I’m an actor in the Philippines because of her. I used to watch her plays and rehearsals as a kid, and that is where it started.

Why I’m sharing this now

Since then I’ve done dozens of films, series and stage plays. GomBurZa, Heneral Luna, He’s Into Her, Can’t Buy Me Love, Bad Genius, Miong, Marco Polo at the CCP. Every one of those projects had hard days.

What got me through was what I learned in Guadalupe: show up, do the work, trust the path, and don’t take the hard days personally.

If you’re an actor, a singer, or honestly anyone working on something difficult right now, and someone is pushing you harder than feels fair, ask yourself one question.

Are they trying to break you, or are they trying to make you better?

Sometimes the answer is the first one, and then you walk away. But sometimes it’s the second, and that might be the most valuable season of your career.

I wrote more about Tita Baby here: 1st death anniversary of director Baby Barredo. You can see my full list of roles on my Work History page, and if you want to know more about me, start with About.

Thank you, Tita Baby.

You must have as many of these 4 elements in your video in order to go viral.

1 – Relatability: What’s relevant for them? How many people can be interested?

2 – Make them question: Make them curious, not understanding what’s going on totally. Have them ask you or their friends stuff about what they are watching.

3 – Emotions: in the audience, and have the actors/influencer show emotions.

4 – Unbelievable: Have them go… what??????????? No no no c’ommon!

Test them and let me know your results!

1 – Go to https://www.facebook.com/pages/?category=liked&ref=bookmarks and scroll to the bottom

2 – Press Ctrl + Shift + I to open the console

3 – Paste this script and hit enter:
(async () => {
// Configuration
const delayBetweenActions = 5000; // 5s between unfollows
const maxActionsBeforeShortPause = 5; // Pause after 5 unfollows
const shortPauseDuration = 30000; // 30s pause
const maxRuntimeBeforeLongPause = 300000; // 5min before long pause
const longPauseDuration = 300000; // 5min pause

// Helper functions
const sleep = (ms) => new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, ms));
const cleanPageName = (name) => {
    return name.replace(/(\bFollow\b|\bLike\b|\bDigital creator\b|\bPage\b|\bCommunity\b|\bPublic figure\b|\bAll Pages\b|\bor\b|\b\(\d+\)\b|\s*$)/gi, '').trim();
};

console.log('Script started. Unfollowing ALL Liked Pages...');

// Main loop
let actionCount = 0; // Unfollows in current batch
let totalPagesProcessed = 0; // Total buttons processed
let continueProcessing = true;
let startTime = Date.now(); // Track runtime

while (continueProcessing) {
    // Check for 5-minute pause
    const currentTime = Date.now();
    if (currentTime - startTime >= maxRuntimeBeforeLongPause) {
        console.log(`Pausing for 5 minutes after running for 5 minutes...`);
        await sleep(longPauseDuration);
        startTime = Date.now();
        console.log('Resuming script...');
    }

    // Find "Following" buttons within page list
    const buttons = Array.from(document.querySelectorAll('div[class*="x1a02dak"] div[aria-label="Following"]'))
        .filter(button => {
            // Ensure button is in a page entry with a name
            const container = button.closest('div[class*="x1a02dak"], div[class*="x1swvt13"]');
            return container && container.querySelector('span[class*="x1lliihq"], a[class*="x1lliihq"], h3, h4');
        });
    console.log(`Found ${buttons.length} valid Following buttons on this iteration.`);

    if (buttons.length === 0) {
        console.log('No valid Following buttons found. Possible reasons:');
        console.log('- All pages unfollowed.');
        console.log('- Pages not loaded (try scrolling to the bottom).');
        console.log('- UI changed (check aria-label or container classes).');
        console.log('- Wrong page (ensure you’re at /pages/?category=liked).');
        break;
    }

    // Reset processed IDs per iteration to avoid false duplicates
    let processedButtonIds = new Set();

    for (let i = 0; i < buttons.length; i++) {
        const button = buttons[i];
        totalPagesProcessed++;
        console.log(`Processing button ${totalPagesProcessed}`);

        // Find page container
        const pageContainer = button.closest('div[class*="x1a02dak"], div[class*="x1swvt13"]');
        if (!pageContainer) {
            console.log('Skipping: No page container found.');
            console.log('Button HTML:', button.outerHTML.slice(0, 300));
            continue;
        }

        // Find page name
        let pageNameElement = pageContainer.querySelector('span[class*="x1lliihq"], a[class*="x1lliihq"], h3, h4, div[class*="xt7dq6l"]');
        let pageName = pageNameElement ? pageNameElement.textContent.trim() : 'Unknown';
        pageName = cleanPageName(pageName);

        if (!pageName || pageName.toLowerCase() === 'following' || pageName.toLowerCase() === 'like' || pageName === 'Unknown') {
            console.log('Skipping: No valid page name found.');
            console.log('Container HTML:', pageContainer.outerHTML.slice(0, 300));
            continue;
        }

        // Create unique button ID
        const buttonId = `button-${totalPagesProcessed}-${pageName}`;
        if (processedButtonIds.has(buttonId)) {
            console.log(`Skipping: Already processed button for "${pageName}".`);
            continue;
        }

        console.log(`Page name: ${pageName}`);
        console.log(`Attempting to unfollow: ${pageName}`);

        try {
            // Click Following button once
            button.click();
            console.log(`Clicked Following button for: ${pageName}`);
            actionCount++;
            processedButtonIds.add(buttonId);

            // Handle prompts (e.g., Confirm)
            const updateButton = document.querySelector('div[aria-label="Update"], div[aria-label="Confirm"]');
            if (updateButton) {
                updateButton.click();
                console.log('Clicked "Update/Confirm" button.');
            }

            // Short pause handling
            if (actionCount >= maxActionsBeforeShortPause) {
                console.log(`Pausing for 30 seconds after ${actionCount} unfollows...`);
                await sleep(shortPauseDuration);
                actionCount = 0;
            } else {
                await sleep(delayBetweenActions);
            }
        } catch (error) {
            console.error(`Error clicking Following button for "${pageName}":`, error);
            button.click(); // Attempt to close any open state
        }
    }

    // Scroll to load more pages
    console.log('Scrolling to load more pages...');
    window.scrollTo(0, document.body.scrollHeight);
    await sleep(15000);

    // Check if more pages loaded
    const newButtons = document.querySelectorAll('div[class*="x1a02dak"] div[aria-label="Following"]');
    console.log(`After scrolling, found ${newButtons.length} Following buttons.`);
    if (newButtons.length === buttons.length) {
        console.log('No new pages loaded. Stopping.');
        continueProcessing = false;
    }
}

console.log(`Script completed. Processed ${totalPagesProcessed} pages.`);
console.log(`Unfollowed ${actionCount} pages.`);

})();

I had to do this because a hacker followed thousands of pages under my profile without my consent. So, I am unfollowing everything so I can eventually follow only the ones I like.

Hello, art lovers! ?

Guess who’s back? That’s right, it’s me, your favorite off-script, flavor-adding, non-serious host! I had the absolute pleasure of hosting the Artist Reception Day for The Artitude Group’s exhibit at the Ayala Museum for the second year in a row. And let me tell you, it was a blast!

A Whirlwind of Creativity

From the moment I stepped into the Artist Space, I was surrounded by a whirlwind of creativity. The paintings were more than just colors on a canvas; they were stories waiting to be told, emotions waiting to be felt. This year, I found myself not just looking at the paintings, but truly appreciating them. Each stroke, each hue, each texture spoke volumes about the artist’s journey.

Spotlight on the Artists

This year’s exhibit was a visual feast, showcasing the talent of 27 incredible artists, each bringing their unique flair to the table. Let’s give a special shout-out to these brilliant minds:

• Annette Aguado: Her use of vibrant colors and intricate details made her pieces stand out.
• Angela Amor: Known for her evocative abstract works, Angela’s art invites deep contemplation.
• Isabel Campa: Isabel’s African fauna transported viewers to serene and tranquil places.
• Rene Canlas: His bold use of color and dynamic compositions were a visual delight.
• Daisy Carlos: Daisy’s floral face motifs were both delicate and powerful.
• Kim Carlos: Kim’s fairy tale portraits captured the essence of dream life.
• Kris Ian Carlos: Their approach added a dreamlike quality to the exhibit.
• Nida Cranbourne: Nida’s pieces were a beautiful blend of tradition and innovation.
• Eva Millan Dantes: Her textured artworks brought a tactile experience to the viewers.
• Lourdes Delgado: Lourdes’ minimalist style conveyed profound messages with simplicity.
• Rhea Jai Fernandez: Rhea’s vibrant and energetic works were impossible to ignore.
• Kathy Garrido: Her art was a harmonious blend of form and color.
• Mitz Garrido: Mitz’s detailed illustrations told fascinating stories.
• Ysa Gernale: Ysa’s pieces were a celebration of creativity.
• Maryrose Gisbert: Her bold and expressive strokes left a lasting impression.
• Joanna Hirsch: Joanna’s art explored the depths of human emotions.
• Esther Leynes: Esther’s abstract pieces were full of movement and energy.
• Chiqui Lizada: Her serene and calming works were a breath of fresh air.
• Pit Montinola: Pit’s art was a delightful mix of whimsy and sophistication.
• Clara Mortesen: Clara’s use of light and shadow added a dramatic flair to her pieces.
• Marinette Garrido Ortigas: Her contemporary pieces were thought-provoking and engaging.
• Arianna Quintal: Arianna’s playful use of color brought joy to the exhibit.
• Gigit Sales: Gigit’s intricate designs showcased a meticulous attention to detail.
• Audrey Sin: Audrey’s art was a beautiful exploration of modern beauty.
• Patricia Tan: Her works were a fusion of modern and traditional elements.
• Ottilia Taus: Ottilia’s vibrant and dynamic pieces were a visual treat.
• Annabelle Wisniewski: Annabelle’s serene paintings were a perfect conclusion to the exhibit.

A Melting Pot of Ideas

But the art wasn’t the only highlight. The people were just as vibrant and colorful! I made so many new friends, each one with their own unique perspective on art. We laughed, we debated, and we shared our thoughts and interpretations. It was a melting pot of ideas and I was all for it!

Hosting this event was not just fun, it was enlightening. It was a journey of discovery, of learning, of appreciation. And the best part? They asked me to host again! I guess they really do like a host who adds his own flavor and keeps things light-hearted. ?

The Vibrant Atmosphere

The energy in the room was electric. Conversations buzzed around every corner as visitors engaged with the artworks and shared their interpretations. It was a beautiful reminder of how art brings people together, sparking dialogue and fostering a sense of community.

The Artist Reception Day was filled with memorable moments, from spontaneous applause for particularly striking pieces to heartfelt discussions between artists and attendees. It was clear that everyone present felt a deep connection to the art and the creative minds behind it.

A Year of Art, Friendship, and Discovery

So here’s to another successful year of art, friendship, and discovery. The Artitude Group’s exhibit at the Ayala Museum was a testament to the incredible talent within our community. Each artist contributed a piece of their soul to this exhibit, and it showed in every stroke and every color.

Can’t wait to see what next year brings! Until then, keep celebrating creativity and supporting our local artists. They are the heart and soul of our vibrant art scene.

Quite a complicated process with several steps, so I created this post to help you navigate it.

I bought a 2nd hand repossessed motorcycle from Motorstar. They delivered with an open deed of sale and a certificate of purchase. Papers under the name of old owner. This is common practice.

So your job now is to transfer it into your name. Many people don’t do it immediately because it costs money. Also, some wait for next year so registration renewal is at the same time as name transfer.

NOTE: if you wait too long, the ID of the seller might expire and you will have a problem at the LTO.

Step 1: Closed Deed of Sale.

An open deed of sale is an illegal document in the Philippines to start with. No lawyer or notary will sign or advice you to buy anything with an open deed of sale.

A deed of sale is a contract between buyer and seller. While an open deed of sale only features the seller. So it lacks the other part. It is not a contract at all.

So you close the deed of sale by filling up your buyer details. Together with that document and the IDs and signatures of the seller photocopied you go to a notary to have it notarized. Cost: around 300php for me.

Step 2: Police Clearance of the Vehicle.

You need to bring Deed of Sale, OR / CR to the Highway Patrol office of Police near you.

Request for Police clearance check of the vehicle.

They will give you a form to pay at the bank for their service. Cost: 500php for me.

FUNNY NOTE: police was video-chatting with his son and would not even look at me or pay attention to my needs much.

Step 3: Pay at the Bank

At Pasig they don’t allow online payments and you can’t go to any bank. It was yes or yes at Landbank.

This can take 2 hours of your day under the sun and possible rain since line is long. Wish they modernize the system and can pay online.

TIP: get your grandparents to do it as seniors can skip the line haha.

Step 4: Deliver Proof of Payment to the Police

Go back to the police headquarters. Hope they are not playing with their phone. And give the proof of payment.

Then they will instruct you where to get a stencil of your vehicle and meet you there.

Step 5: Stencil and Picture Taking

At the stencil venue, a technician will take the motor number and chassis number.

Also you will take a picture with the vehicle and a police officer as proof it was done.

They will be the ones to take the pic with their camera. They will give you the stencil results so you can give it to the police.

Step 6: Bring Stencil to Police

Bring your results to Highway Patrol and they will conduct an investigation. Results will take several days, like 3 days.

Step 7: Pickup Results of Police Clearance

If there was no delinquency found, you will obtain your clearance on the date they told you to return.

Step 8: Smoke Emission Test

Head to the smoke emission test center and get an approved smoke emission test.

Cost I forgot, a few hundred pesos. Say 500php with tips.

Step 9: Insurance

Get 3rd party liability insurance at least from wherever you prefer.

Cost for me: 900php.

Step 10: LTO registration

Bring photocopy and original of all the documents:
– Your ID
– Seller ID and signatures, photocopy
– OR
– CR
– Police clearance of the vehicle
– Smoke emission results
– Deed of sale: notarized
– Insurance

Request of a change of ownership and registration renewal. Will take a few hours of your day.

Cost I forgot. Around 1k probably.

Congrats, the bike is officially yours and now you can sell it and won't be bugged that much by police controls next time they stop you! :-)

I broke the 1000 subscribers mark in Youtube and am happy to give you some tips. I don’t do all many times, do what you can 🙂

1. Add the watermark to subscribe in the corner of your videos.
2. Add a subscribe link in the description of your videos.
3. Make a plan and script for the future videos you will produce.
4. Content must be entertaining and informative (nobody wants to watch you buying bread).
5. Publish regularly. Weekly is a good frequency.
6. Have an interesting title with keywords people are searching for online.
7. Customize the look of your channel with cover pics, icons, thumbnails.
8. Create a channel trailer.
9. Use the annotation feature to get viewers take actions.
10. Use tools like Tubebuddy to help you with tips and optimization.
11. Share your channel link in every email and autoresponder you have.
12. Create an Intro and Outro for each video.
13. Edit well taking out of the fluff.
14. Description and metatags are very important so make them useful and SEO effective.
15. Ask people to subscribe and like if they liked the video.
16. Do collaborations with other Youtubers!!!
17. Reply to all comments. Fans wanna feel you there!
18. Giveaway stuff and make challenges for your audience.
19. Share in social media!!!
20. Send each video to your mailing list.
21. Tell all your friends about it, of course! And ask them to share it to people who will find it useful.
22. Reply to people searching to solve the solution your video provides (if it solves something, that is).

Let me know how this works for you!

2 other actions for you:

• Check what I do in my channel and Subscribe with notifications for updates, so you learn more.
• I you need help with coaching and growing your social media, check this link that will totally change the game for you!

Ways to make extra pesos starting small. I asked the net how to make some money and this is what I found… This is part of an ongoing series. You can send your ideas also!

How to make 1 PHP?

• Selling newspapers
• Selling candies
• Selling hugs
• Picking up the coins in the street
• Begging
• Posting a video on Youtube if you have enough followers
• Posting a blog with ads on you web page

How to make 10 PHP?

• Buy and sell marking up 10php only
• Tweeting for someone else
• Selling halo halo
• Selling ukay ukay
• Selling load through Gcash app
• Selling water bottles in the traffic
• Cleaning windshields
• Taking care of parked cars in the street

How to make 100php?

• Wash cars
• Baby sitting
• Being an intern for an allowance pay
• Buy and sell online
• Drive for Grab or Taxi
• Do a massage
• Sell halo halo
• Offer acquisition of online documents for a fee e.g. birth certificate, passport application etc.

All these are simple ideas to make some cash in the Philippines. We can all survive and move forward if we put enough effort in this third world country.