We’re at it again, and this time it’s time for midterms. Closed notes and no cheating! Here’s the third batch of PeopleAsia’s most talented and beautiful faces and personalities for every letter.
Kenneth Cobonpue: Built to Last
Without any braggadocio, he extended his hand and introduced himself with an amiable tone and a mild-mannered voice, “Hi, I’m Kenneth Cobonpue,†he said — as if we didn’t know.
How can we not know you, Mister 2004 Ten Outstanding Young Men Awardee, especially after winning the Outstanding Quality and Design Innovation Award at the 2008 DECOREX in London as well as the 2004 Perlas Award for Outstanding Cebuano given by then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo?
“There was coercion for me not to take up design. My father is Chinese. Because I was the eldest son in a Chinese family, my dad wanted me to take Business (in order for me to manage the family business). So I went to UP Diliman and studied Business but decided to shift to Fine Arts to Industrial Design (which was new then). I applied (but) failed the entrance exam because I couldn’t draw. That was pretty upsetting. I thought maybe this is not for me. So I spent the rest of the semester just learning how to draw until I decided to go to New York in 1987 and study where my mom graduated.†His father passed away from a stroke while completing an apprenticeship overseas.
Considered a bold move, Kenneth asserted his distinct style of fusing locally sourced organic material with innovative hand-made production techniques and voila! It was only a matter of time before the country and the world would ogle his prowess.
The only Filipino recipient of Asia’s highest design award, the Design for Asia Award for the Lolah Collection in 2005, Kenneth unburdens his biggest hurdle. “It’s acceptance because there’s no Asian brand (known) in furniture. In the luxury strata, it’s always Italian or Dutch. People say, ‘Oh, you’re a Filipino brand, why is it so expensive?’ There’s always that mentality. Why can’t people pay good money for work that’s equal to something that’s made in Italy? Our craftsmen are really second to none.â€
If there’s a will, there’s a way as they say. One of his many masterpieces, The Bloom chair has won the Coup de Coeur Award at the 2009 Maison et Objet show in Paris. Kenneth’s success has a lot to do with his secret to happiness. “Doing what you love and getting other people to love what you’re doing. That’s what makes me happy. Seeing people use the furniture with that face, a face of amazement. It’s magic. Those are the little joys that make it all worthwhile.â€
His works exceed its worth as furniture. A piece of Kenneth Cobonpue is an objet d’ art. It is a brand that will long surpass its maker. Kenneth was awarded the PeopleAsia “People of the Year” award in 2010.
(By DENISE ROCO  / Photography by PAOLO KONSTANTINO / PeopleAsia December 2010 – January 2011)
Angel Locsin: Angel on my Shoulder
Unlike other upstarts and showbiz wannabes who (literally) had to claw their way up the ladder, Angel had it the slow and sure way.
“Honestly, I never believed that I would last this long in the industry (almost 11 years). My initial motive then was simply to save up to two years. It was really so hard from the beginning — you had no car to take you to and from the sets, no barkada to join you, and no mother to accompany and defend you in your times of need,†recalls the 31-year-old actress.
“I might have been called the ‘Curacha of the Year’ for enduring long hours of working without sleep. I’ve learned to love my profession in the process; ang sarap kasi umarte e. Hindi ko tuloy alam kung anong gagawin ko kung hindi ako umaarte (Acting gives me a different kind of high. I wouldn’t know what to do if I weren’t acting).
Because of the nature of her work, she is amazed that there are countless people who are easily influenced by her actions and advocacies. There have been various instances when Angel would wholeheartedly give her time and effort to support such worthy endeavors.
“I believe it is also our purpose in life to reach out to others and to give back. But I don’t have any foundations of my own. I’d rather be active with the causes and projects of the Philippine National Red Cross, Gabriela and other deserving NGOs that are financially strapped.â€
Angel also studies the causes behind her extra-curricular offers carefully. For one, she will not adhere to those with deforestation, mining and land-grabbing objectives. “Even in the characters that I play, I won’t accept roles that degrade womanhood,†Angel concludes with a flash of her pearly whites.
With firm beliefs and the proper values instilled in her, truly, she is an angel to everyone’s heart. Angel Locsin is heaven-sent, indeed!
(By GREGGY V. VERA CRUZ / Photos by  RONNIE SALVACION / PeopleAsia December 2011 – January 2012)Â
Martin del Rosario:Â Matinee Idol
In the boy-crazy world of showbiz, heartthrobs and hunks come a dime a dozen, infatuating en masse with their handsome, boyish faces and megawatt smiles. The real question though, is, who keeps the audiences enthralled for a long time?
Twenty-three-year-old Martin del Rosario is probably one of the few rising stars of this generation who can raise his hand to this question. He has, after all, come a long way from the cute teen heartthrob he was more than five years ago, when he first graced the small screen in Star Magic Presents: Abt Ur Luv, and Sineserye Presents: Natutulog Ba Ang Diyos?
After being discovered for his “extremely expressive eyes,†the young boy grew up to be a man bent on indulging on more serious, sexy, artistic fare. In 2009, he played a molested teenager in the “Boarding House†episode of Maalaala Mo Kaya among other roles.
Steadily broadening his horizons, both in acting range and medium, Martin finally graced the silver screen in Star Cinema’s 2010 hit, Till My Heartaches End. He also top-billed the indie film Dagim – which won him a Breakthrough Performance by an Actor award at the eigth Golden Screen Awards presented by the Entertainment Press Society, Inc. He also won the New Movie Actor of the Year award, for the same film, in the 27th PMPC Star Awards for Movies.
Cleverly balancing his growth as a serious actor with his heartthrob status, Martin has also been hitting the gym rigorously. And with his newly developed pecs of steel and bulging biceps came an onslaught of offers to endorse various fashion brands like Bench, BNY Jeans and MyPhone.
He’s not all brawn either. He graduated with honors from Lourdes School of Quezon City for his primary and secondary education (Salutatorian and second honors, respectively). Martin is also currently enrolled at UP Diliman.
With his steady evolution from boy-next-door to hot hunk, teenybopper to serious actor, Martin is, indeed, growing up into one of this generation’s most promising, lasting stars.
(PeopleAsia October – November 2013)Â
Nikki Gil: The Charmer
Ever since this beautiful young lady charmed us with her angelic voice while handing out a bottle of cola in a TV commercial, Nikki Gil never really left our collective consciousness. After bagging that memorable TV commercial, Nikki continued to awe us with her talents which include acting, singing, hosting and stage performing.
Monica Pauline Gil in real life and daughter of Dino and Julie Gil, Nikki successfully finished her degree in English Literature at Ateneo de Manila University, while juggling her showbiz career.
But if there’s an achievement that Nikki is proudest of, it’s her flourishing theater career. Her first venture into theater was as The Cat in the 2007 Seussical The Musical. She then played the popular character of Elle Woods in Legally Blonde: The Musical, followed by Sweet Charity as Charity Hope Valentine in 2011. She also recently finished a successful run of They’re Playing Our Song as Sonia Walsk.
In an interview, Nikki couldn’t help but gush over her blossoming career as a theater actress. “You can see the response of your audience right away. You crack a punchline and they laugh, you say something and they cry, or go quiet. I like being able to apply to TV what I learned from my theater work,†she shares.
Nikki also starred in The Red Shoes which won Best Picture in the Bolgotta Film Festival and earned for her a Best Actress nomination. Her indie fare Badil is also critically acclaimed. She is also an Inquirer’s Book Reading Advocate/Ambassador.
The charming young actress also bears a heart of gold. Since 2007, she has been lending support to World Vision, an organization that advocates education, as the Ambassador of Goodwill for the Youth.
Thinking about all that she’s experienced on and off stage, she concludes by saying “If there are setbacks along the way, they’re part of making my story a more inspiring one.â€
(PeopleAsia October – November 2013)Â
Louie Ocampo: Music & Lyrics
Do the songs Kahit Isang Saglit, You Are My Song, So Many Questions, Anna, Ewan, Forever, Tell Me, Don’t Say Goodbye, Say That You Love Me, Babalik Ka Rin, Ikaw, Ikaw Lang Ang Mamahalin and Pangarap Ko’y Ikaw, strike a chord? For many Filipinos, they sure do — for they are all compositions of Louie Ocampo, one of the most brilliant Filipino musicians of modern times. And that’s not even one-tenth of all his masterpieces.
Ever since he discovered his gift in music at the tender age of 12, when he was introduced to the electric organ, there was no stopping Louie from pursuing his dreams. And now that he’s on his fourth decade in the industry (he started out in 1976), Louie O remains busy as a bee.
And what does he think is a big factor that contributes to his longevity and success? “Composing for me is a personal expression. I try not to think who I am writing it for. I don’t think of anything else other than what I feel, and I guess that’s what makes it last forever. That’s my trademark — I don’t compromise. I just write from my heart,†he declares.
Outdoing what he has already done is also another discipline that allows Louie O to push himself beyond the limits and continually grow as an artist. “Let’s say, you asked me to do a Barbra Streisand medley. So, I made you one. And then you told me, you want a Carpenters or a Bruno Mars medley, I have to make it even better than the last one I gave you. That way, I know that I’m growing. I don’t want to sound the same. I always want to be better. I always give a hundred percent in everything I do. That’s my quality control,†he says, smiling.
Asked what songs he’d still like to compose, the virtuoso says it will be something about current events or about motivating people to be their best, or maybe about the environment. Louie O is known in the industry for his enduring love songs, which comprise 80 percent of his body of work.
As for his “wish list,†the music man says he wants to breathe new life and immortalize his music by someday coming up with a musical based on the songs that he has composed in the last 35 years.
Still with the same enthusiasm and unrelenting passion for the craft, Louie is ready for the next decade. “I want to continue doing this until I go. I just want to continue writing and embracing new technology and ideas. I still want to grow,†he says.
And so the music plays on…
Louie was awarded the PeopleAsia “People of the Year” award in 2011.
(By RHIA DIOMAMPO GRANA / PeopleAsia December 2011 – January 2012)
