May 25 five years ago marked the end of an era. From September 1985 to May 2011, The Oprah Winfrey Show paved the way for the talk shows genre’s most memorable moments (think: Tom Cruise’s ecstatic couch jumping moment).
The Philippines has also witnessed the same in its own way similar. For 16 years, we had Kris Aquino and Boy Abunda’s The Buzz, the talk show that set the stage for local talents to share and bare it all.
Recognized as two of PeopleAsia’s People of the Year in 2014, take a look at what Kris and Boy shared with us when it was us doing the questioning and them the answering
Queen of Superlatives: Kris Aquino
The very existence of Kris Aquino is mantled, not in mystery, for she speaks her mind and divulges almost everything that’s happening in her life. Her more than 2 million followers on Instagram have been privy to her state of mind, her state of heart, sometimes, even the state itself, for Kris remains to be the only controversial presidential sister.
Ever since she attracted the limelight in 1986, the same year when her mother Corazon Aquino was installed into the presidency via a bloodless people power revolt, Kris has not been alien to controversies. Some will disapprove of her outright honesty, which is easily panned as tactlessness; but still, the same honesty will endear her to the public.
In 2013, it was reported that Kris Aquino—the country’s Queen of All Media, Queen of Talk, Queen of Game Shows, Queen of Horror Films, Box-Office Queen—became, so to speak, even the “queen†of the Top 500 individual taxpayers for the 2011 list of the BIR.
An outpouring of love and blessings
“For professional success, I was very blessed to be co-producer of the first Filipino movie (My Little Bossings) to hit the P400-million mark,†she discloses. My Little Bossings was top billed by her son James, also known as Bimby. She says she also feels fortunate to have her shows Kris TV and Aquino & Abunda Tonight and The Buzz as part of her television repertoire.
Maybe for Kris, of all the “queen†superlatives that have been affixed to her name, the crown of being “queen†to her children Josh and Bimby is the one that will neither tilt nor tarnish. She will never be dethroned in that department because she performs her motherly duties to her children like they are the most scintillating stars in her universe.
“My most meaningful achievement as a mom is the wealth of beautiful memories we have as a family,†she says. She adds that she and James, her former husband and father of Bimby, “are now at a good place as co-parents.†She once told PeopleAsia before: “A new beginning is something God’s goodness and love allows us to have, but I believe we must be at peace with our past in order to have a genuine new beginning.â€
“Like my mom, I am proudest of the fact that my two sons are my priority. Like her, I cook a lot for them, we travel a lot together, share a bedroom and we pray together,†she confides. Last Christmas, just like many Christmases past, Kris was on top of fixing the Christmas gift baskets of her sons for their friends, classmates and teachers.
Strength and sparkle
Success can take its toll on the one who reaps it constantly. Kris only stops working when her body gives in. But she gets up quickly because she is in the business of making sure the future of her children is protected. She protects herself by believing in her personal philosophy taken from Philippians 4:13, “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.â€
And because God gives her the strength to fortify herself — both physically and economically — Kris’ heart also knows how to give back. She does not openly discuss it but she is sharing with the Filipino people her personal blessings through scholarship programs for the youth and health initiatives for the elderly. She also helps cash-strapped parishes around the Philippines.
“Success is not just relevance but significance. It’s not just having an audience but having credibility, and it’s not just hard work but discipline, creativity, and a passion to be excellent,†she concludes. (By BüM D. TENORIO JR.)
Talk of the Town: Boy AbundaÂ
He is the man of many tales and a reservoir of a thousand stories. If there are secrets, they’re safe with him. When it comes to his own life, however, he has no qualms. His is an open book.
He talks about his own fears, born of a recent episode in his life, when he was hospitalized for 16 days.  “When I checked into St. Luke’s Hospital, I had a fever of 43.5 degrees. I had convulsions, I was delirious, and I was biting my lips and tongue … I was infected for a number of days, and the doctors could not find out what was causing it,†he shares. To everyone’s shock, it was toxic amounts of abscess in his liver causing the trouble.
“It was stress,†he admits. “Before my hospitalization, I would end my meetings at three or four in the morning then, I would go and sleep from 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. I have not seen the sun for the last 15 to 20 years.â€
“There were moments when in that hospital room, there is only you, your pain and your God. It is an interesting phase. It was then that I realized I was abusing myself, my body and abusing the infinite kindness of God. I didn’t realize when enough was enough.â€
His meteoric rise
Whether it was as a young school boy who recited poems and danced at the town plaza in Borlongan, Samar; or the young PR apprentice of the late Conching Sunico, Boy Abunda said “Yes†with relish and aplomb.
“I did everything—from working at a Japanese restaurant as assistant to the chef, an encyclopedia salesman, and a sales representative for fire extinguishers.â€
It was during this time that he found theater, and fell in love with it. When the Metropolitan Theater opened, he immediately signed up for auditions. “I never got the part of a lead. The most I could have were speaking lines, of somebody in the chorus, the one shouting things like, ‘Mabuhay si Juan Tamad!’†he laughs.
The hardworking lad caught the attention of Ms. Sunico, and a wonderful working relationship ensued. He recalls, “Tita Conching heard about this Boy who was so diligent backstage. She called me for a meeting at room 1107 of what was the Manila Hilton, and asked if I would like to join her PR team. Of course I said yes, but then a few minutes later, I sheepishly came back and asked her what PR is. She reassured me with that unforgettable reply, ‘I shall teach you!’â€
When he and Sunico parted ways, he set up his own PR firm in his small apartment with a neighboring sari-sari store’s phone as his office landline. His clients were the big names of the era, ranging from Zsa Zsa Padilla, Martin Nievera and Regine Velasquez. As a PR adviser for GMA-7 at the time, Bobby Barreiro asked if he wanted to host a talk show. “Everything fell into place after that. Ang buhay nga naman (Such is life)!†he smiles, feeling utterly blessed.
Handling controversies
Audiences tune in because if there’s anybody who can get their subject to open up, to share their side of the story, it would be Boy. “That is how I work; regardless of who you are I believe that everybody has a story to tell.
“It is tough, really tough. Some of them have agendas, some of them are genuine, and some are ready with lines they have to say. It takes expertise. You trust your guts, you trust your instincts. You have to make sure you know something about the story, at least enough to start the conversation,†he reveals. “The opening line could just be, ‘What happened?’ or ‘Tell me your story.’
He adds, “I also believe that you have to allow them silences. It is not just about words or a series of words, but also a series of silences. Allow them certain quiet moments.â€
His new life
When he checked in at the hospital, he was even telling his doctor that he needed to get out immediately. “I went in on Friday evening, I told him to do everything he can, because I have to be on The Buzz on Sunday, on Monday I have Aquino and Abunda Tonight, then I had a Bottomline taping on Wednesday!†he shakes his head ruefully.
“It was God’s way of saying, ‘Hey, sit back.’ It was there (in the hospital) that I realized my weakness, my powerlessness, and the understanding that I was finite. I was totally humbled, I was stripped naked before my God. I was interviewed and I cried.
Today, on his way to recovery and a new way of life, he has cut back on commitments, he says, and is more than happy to greet the sun every day. Now, he is tucked in bed by 11:30 each night, and gets up for a run at the UP grounds by eight or nine am.
â€I used to be formulaic in my prayers, as a Marian devotee. Now, my way of praying has also changed, it is more conversational. I say things like, ‘Lord give me the courage and humility to be consistent and be what You have made me to be.’ ” (By MAAN D’ASIS PAMARAN)
Editor’s note: Kris Aquino and Boy Abunda were both given the PeopleAsia People of the Year award in 2014. The articles containing these excerpts were first published in PeopleAsia’s December 2014 – January 2015 issue.Â
