Ervic Vijandre there's more to this 'Power Player'

CEBU, Philippines - From "Marian Rivera's ex" to "Aubrey Miles' lapdog." That's how Ervic Vijandre's image was reduced to after his stint in the Survivor Philippines Celebrity Showdown edition, which concluded Friday night declaring Akihiro Sato as the first-ever Celebrity Survivor. Ervic finished among the final three after Aubrey was the last to be voted off and join the jury.

He didn't suffer in the island for nothing, though. The male castaway won P100,000 in one of the reward challenges and a Honda Civic car during the last immunity challenge.

It was easy to jump on the Ervic hate-fest, as what netizens did quite passionately after the last few weeks of Survivor made clear his rock-solid allegiance to this season's acknowledged number one manipulator which is Aubrey. But this interview with The FREEMAN became a reminder that there was more to this athlete-model, and that we can try to forget how his infatuation with the sexy starlet sometimes got the better of his good judgment during the game.

There is definitely more to him: a doting brother to his siblings, a responsible generous son, a gentleman who refuses to kiss and tell on his famous ex-girlfriend actress, and a promising businessman. Add to that how this early, he already has his PR down to a tee. And did we forget to mention that he looks much more striking in person than he does on TV?

The Philippine Studies graduate of De La Salle, Taft Manila obviously enjoys the limelight. He once did a spread for Cosmo magazine and competed in the body tilt Century Tuna Superbods. A past interview of Marian revealed that he previously eyed joining ABS-CBN's Pinoy Big Brother. Ervic was also kidding us when we were done talking to him that we should also interview his manager Jonas Gaffud (he also manages Akihiro, Venus Raj, among other models and beauty queens) who at that time was at Waterfront Lahug, the same venue we were at, to attend the recent "Queen" pageant. He quipped: "Interviewhon niyo ha at tanungin niyo anong mga plano sa akin...hahaha!"

Here's the "Power Player" getting candid and personal:

The FREEMAN: You first played baseball, then basketball varsity. Which sport do you like better?

Ervic Vijandre: Nung bata ako, dream ko talaga is to play for PBA. Kaya lang, na-discover ako ng La Salle na may talent for baseball so they had me try out for the Philippine Youth Team. Nakita nila na may potential ako, so kahit hindi ko alam yung game, unti-unti nila akong tinuturuan at nagtuloy-tuloy yun. Hindi ko ini-expect na magiging baseball player ako kasi ang love ko talaga, basketball. Ang daming magandang nangyari sa akin dahil sa baseball like scholarship sa school at nakapunta ako ng ibang bansa kasi nag-represent ako ng Pilipinas. Nakapunta na ako ng States, Japan, Korea at Guam.

TF: Where do the Vijandres hail from?

Ervic: Yung Daddy ko taga-Tondo, Manila; Mommy ko taga Bagumbayan,Taguig. Mommy ko nagtatrabaho as a nurse sa health center sa Taguig. Daddy ko, empleyado siya ng MERALCO. Apat kaming magkakapatid, ako yung eldest. Yung sumunod sa akin, lalaki, 22 years old. Then yung only girl namin na 15 years old. Yung bunso, 11 years old, si Ick. Actually, lahat kaming magkakapatid nagba-basketball, even yung babae. Varsity siya sa St. Paul, Pasig.

TF: Who encouraged you to join Survivor?

Ervic: Before pa, mahilig ako manood ng mga reality shows. Isa yung Survivor sa mga favorite kung panoorin. Iba siya dahil nakikita mo talaga yung transformation ng mga sumali. Sobrang test siya sa physical strength, mentality at pagkatao mo. Nung nagkaroon ako ng chance na sumali, sobrang na-excite ako at pinaghandaan ko talaga.

TF: Was fame part of the allure?

Ervic: Syempre ang main reason kung bakit ako sumali is because of the prize money. Part na rin yung to make a name for myself. Hindi naman sa gusto kong sumikat. Kung napanood niyo yung isang episode na naging emotional ako, sinabi ko na kaya ako sumali kasi mahalaga sa akin yung 3 million, pero mahalaga rin sa akin yung karangalan to be named the first celebrity sole Survivor kasi malaking tulong siya sa pagkatao ko.

TF: Did you plan a strategy?

Ervic: Oo naman. Kung nanonood ka, before nakikita niyo na tamad ako, parang hindi ako nagpapakitang gilas sa mga challenges. Strategy ko talaga yun to be invisible at first at hindi ipakita yung lakas ko. Kasi nga being an athlete, ang impression kaagad sa akin, malakas. As much as possible, from the start pa lang, gusto kong ipakita sa kanila na pare-parehas lang tayo, wala akong advantage sa inyo. Kahit paano, nagawa ko yung game plan ko na hindi nila makita as a threat. Ang nakita nila si Jon Hall, si Akihiro, di ba?

TF: What did you think of the "batugan" and "tamad" comments that your first tribemates complained about?

Ervic: Sa camp, hindi naman totally na hindi ako gumagalaw. Meron tayong editing. Ang pinakita lang nila yung humihiga at natutulog ako. Sobrang hindi naman pwede yung ganun diba? Gusto nilang ipalabas yung image na tamad ako kasi nga hindi kami okey sa camp namin at naiinis sila sa akin. Kung nakita niyo lang lahat ng nangyari sa isla, halos pantay-pantay naman kami ng mga ginawa. Iniisip ko na lang na kaya nila nasabi sa akin yun dahil sobrang gutom at pagod. Kung ganoon kahirap ang nararamdaman mo, medyo hindi talaga ganun ka-normal ang pakikitungo mo at magiging mainitin ang ulo.

TF: During the first episode, you said you were starstruck by Aubrey Miles. Did your awe eventually die down after spending camp together?

Ervic: Yung first few days namin sa isla, parang getting-to-know pa. Sabi niya, 'Ako si Aubrey.' Sabi ko, 'Oo kilala kita, I'm a fan.' Tapos yun, nag-stick yung samahan namin at naging talagang close friend ko siya. So parang naging casual na yung pakikitungo, hindi yung, 'Uy, si Aubrey Miles...' Dati pinanood ko lang sa TV, ngayon kasama ko na at kaibigan ko na.

TF: How were you discovered as a model?

Ervic: When I was in college, medyo nakikita nila na may height ako. So pag may mga events, kinukuha nila ako for fashion shows. Hindi ko naman talaga alam noon kung paano mag-model. One time na-meet ko si Tito Douglas Quijano. Siya yung nag-discover sa akin to model for Bench. He introduced me to agents and agencies after that.

TF: Since you're open to having an acting career, what roles do you see yourself playing?

Ervic: Open ako kung anong meron. Wala naman akong karapatan para mamili. Kung anong ibigay nila sa akin, I'll try my best para magampanan yung expectations. Ngayon, may pasundot-sundot na ako na mga workshops.

TF: You own a gym and are planning to put up a business for your mom. Where did your business acumen stem from?

Ervic: I pursued playing basketball after college kasi wala namang professional baseball dito sa Pilipinas. I played for the Forward Taguig Team of Liga Pilipinas. So I was both playing basketball and modeling after college. Yung mga sweldo, iniipon ko lang, at the same time nag-eenjoy ako. Then nakikita ko yung nangyayari sa ibang players na after a season, kunyari may injury sila, hindi makalaro so nahihirapan. Sabi ko sa sarili ko, dapat maging praktikal, may strategy dapat at hindi lang puro enjoy. Naisip ko magkaroon lang ako ng tamang amount, magbi-business ako kasi hindi pala ganoon ka-stable ang basketball. And even modeling. When I saved enough, nag-isip ako kung ano bang magandang business. Eh mahilig ako sa gym, and if magtatayo ako ng gym, ako din ang laging nandoon kasi ako din yung suki ko. So mababantayan at matututukan ko. Nag-consult ako sa lolo ko kasi businessman talaga siya. Siya yung nag-approve ng mga ideas ko. Noon sabi ko sa kanya, 'Lo, gusto ko sana mag-hardware.' Sabi niya huwag yun, mahirap yun, hindi mo naman alam yung pasikut-sikot niyan. E eto, alam niya mahilig ako mag-gym, so sinuportahan ako ng lolo at Mommy ko.

TF: The name of your gym is?

Ervic: Ick's Gym. Pinangalan ko sa baby brother ko kasi natutuwa talaga ako sa kanya. Ang pangalan niya talaga John Erick. Pag tinatanong siya kung anong name niya, ang sinasagot niya 'Ick'.

TF: What business do you plan to set up for your mom?

Ervic: Sabi ko kasi sa kanya, kung magkakaroon ako ng pera, ayoko na siyang nagtatrabaho sa barangay health center namin. Nagdyi-jeep kasi palagi, so minsan nakukwento niya yung mga pangyayari sa jeep na delikado. So sabi ko, pag nagkapera ako, magnegosyo na lang siya. Balak ko parang spa o computer shop. Small business lang naman, para may pagka-abalahan siya.

TF: You seem a family-oriented kind of guy.

Ervic: Daddy ko kasi, sobrang family man. Isipin mo nung college ko, sabi niya sa akin, makapasok ka lang ng La Salle, Ateneo or basta isa sa mga magandang schools sa Manila, bibigyan kita ng kotse. Talagang pinag-ipunan niya. Nung nakapasok ako ng La Salle, sabi niya eto yung prize mo. So ako may kotse, pero yung daddy ko pumapasok sa trabaho nagba-bike. Kung nakikita ng mga tao, sinasabi nila, grabe ka yung tatay mo nagba-bike, ikaw naka-kotse ka. Doon ko na-realize kung gaano siya ka family-oriented. Iniisip niya kami palagi. Ganoon ako pinalaki so gusto kong ibalik yung pagtrato ng ganoon sa akin. Ngayon na nagkakaroon ako ng blessings, gusto kong i-share din sa kanila kasi ganoon kami pinalaki. Kapag may blessing ako, uunahin ko ang pamilya.

TF: Are you tired of all the questions about Marian?

Ervic: Actually medyo nasasanay na ako kasi sa pinasok ko na Survivor which is a reality show, so nako-connect talaga. Pero ngayon medyo wala na. Masaya ako that they got to know me as a castaway, hindi na as ex ni Marian.

TF: What question most annoyed you before?

Ervic: Yung kung ano daw masasabi ko tungkol sa kanilang dalawa. Mas maganda na lang tumahimik di ba? Syempre tao lang ako, baka kung ano yung masabi ko, hindi ko alam kung maganda o pangit yung magiging labas. Hindi ko naman kasi alam kung paano dito eh, syempre nasa showbiz sila so mas pinili ko na lang tumahimik.

TF: Did her sudden surge to fame come as a surprise to you or you expected it?

Ervic: Nakita ko lahat eh, kung paano siya nag-start at nung nasa peak na siya. Hindi naman ako nagulat kasi nakita ko na magaling siya, dedicated sa trabaho at talagang may discipline sa sarili niya.

TF: How many girlfriends have you had after her?

Ervic: Nag-date ako, nagkaroon din ako ng girlfriend na flight attendant.

TF: How do you feel when people say you look like Dingdong Dantes?

Ervic: Hindi ko alam eh. Syempre Dingdong Dantes, isa sa pinakasikat sa GMA. Masaya kahit papano kasi gwapo yun eh. Hindi ko naman nakikita yung sarili ko na ganun din. Thank you kung ganun ang tingin nila sa akin, pero syempre hindi naman maganda na I idolize him kasi alam niyo naman yung past ko.