Boy Abunda: Star speaker

I first met Boy Abunda when we were chosen to judge Super Sireyna gay beaucon (beauty contest) of Eat Bulaga in 1998, or almost 20 years ago. Aside from Boy and I, the other judges were Melanie Marquez and Rosanna Roces.

While Melanie fretted about how she had to wake up early and Osang checked on her makeup, Kuya Boy and I talked about books. He asked me the books I was reading and we traded notes, because we had a common reading list – books on the lives of ‘great’ men and women, as well as literary titles.

Over the years, I would run to Kuya Boy whenever Ladlad, the party list that I founded, would run out of funds. Then and now, he was generous with his advice and his largesse, and even served as our Senior Political Adviser for a spell. For this, I would be forever grateful.

He has also finessed his sharp wit and gift of gab into speaking engagements. When he was invited to speak at this year’s Asian Professional Speakers Convention in Singapore as a resource speaker, he made a splash!

?Kuya Boy showed up at Singapore’s Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel wearing boots, ripped jeans and a trench coat. As everyone else was clad in their Sunday best, he seemed different from the rest – which was what he wanted.

?“I brought several outfits with me, including a plain black suit and tie, that I originally planned to wear when I gave my speech. But then I thought of what everyone else might wear, and I realized I didn’t want to blend in. Sabi ko, ‘Laruin ko nga ito.’ But that was a gamble. I may have been wearing an Alexander McQueen trench coat and Rick Owens boots, but risk pa rin ‘yung ginawa ko,” he says.

?It’s true that his gamble could’ve gone either way. The audience – which was composed of the best, brightest and highest-paid professional public speakers the world – could have felt that Boy was disrespecting them and the convention by not conforming to the dress code. But they loved Kuya Boy’s sartorial style and laughed uproariously when he poked fun at himself.

?“I was going to wear a suit, but then I saw you had feedback forms. So I decided to change into ripped jeans because if I don’t do my job well, at least I was able to show some skin,” he said as he took the stage.

?Kuya Boy’s speech was titled “The Fab Sermon in Singapore – Don’t Just Be A Speaker, Be A STAR.” He talked about what he felt public speakers could learn from the principles of stardom – and his outfit demonstrated his beliefs.

?“After all, my speech was about how speakers should be stars. If you’re a star, you don’t blend in. You take a lot of risks to stand out. Hindi ka sigurado kung tatama, but you do it anyway because you’re a star,” he says. “That’s why I wore that outfit in Singapore.”

Making a bold fashion statement wasn’t the only risky thing Boy did that day. In his speech, he talked about the speakers he didn’t like.

“It was a brave speech, kasi sa unang bahagi ay tinalakay ko ‘yung mga speakers whom I don’t like,” Kuya Boy laughs. “Sinabi ko lahat ng ayaw kong ginagawa ng mga speakers. I don’t like speakers who embarrass, insult, or talk down to the people in the audience. I also don’t like speakers who are clueless about how people are reacting to them. ‘Di ba may mga speakers na paulit-ulit lang ng jokes kahit alam nilang hindi nakakatawa? Ayoko nun. But I made sure to tell them that I was speaking from a layperson’s perspective.”

Conversely, Kuya Boy also talked about his favorite public speakers and why he loved them. 

“From the heart, I spoke about why I like Joel Osteen. I mentioned Bill Clinton and his discourse on global politics. I spoke about Maya Angelou like I’m related to her. I spoke about Randy Pausch and his famous last lecture, which became a book. I spoke about Oprah and her commencement speeches, as well as those by Deepak Chopra and JK Rowling.”

?Kuya Boy says former US president Bill Clinton is a particularly effective speaker. “A great speaker is one who makes you remember a line or two from his speech. I’ve never forgotten what Bill Clinton said about “giving” in one of his speeches. ‘We’re better when we work together. Our differences matter, but our common humanity matters more.’ Ganda, ‘di ba?”

?“Star speakers” is the term he uses for favorite public speakers – those who are so magnetic and memorable that they shaped him as well. Their speeches touched him and made him want to be a better person. But if the glowing reviews of his own speech by some members of the Asian Professional Speakers Singapore community are any indication, Boy is on his way to becoming a star speaker himself.

Angie Santa Maria of the Singaporean firm Optimentum Consulting Pte. Ltd., noted that Boy possesses the very qualities that he believes makes a star a star. “He was definitely in top form. His speaking style was upbeat, relatable, and oh, so refreshing.”

Boy is humbled by the kind words of foreign professionals, but the compliments that meant the most to him were the ones from his fellow Pinoys.

“There were about five Filipinos present, some of whom were HR specialists and public speakers in the Philippines. After the convention, they wrote to me and said my speech became the benchmark of the convention. Everyone was talking about it even after the whole thing was over. I’m humbled by everyone’s compliments – especially those from Fredrik Haren, who invited me. He said I’m a natural. I’m happiest knowing I did the Philippines proud. As I said in my speech, I’m a proud Filipino. Everything else is a footnote.”

Comments can be sent to [email protected]