Nonoy never ever says goodbye

Music fads have come and gone, but just like his trademark song (which he popularized in the early ’80s) Nonoy Zuñiga never really said goodbye to the music scene.

In fact, he recently bounced back into the concert scene via a well-received series of performances with fellow "veterans" Rico Puno and Marco Sison – themselves musical giants of the ’70s and ’80s.

"It was Vic del Rosario’s (Viva Records) idea to launch the trio via the Greatest Hits series, and we were quite surprised with the very good reception," Nonoy exclaims.

With their calendars full of bookings these coming months, the trio’s more immediate gigs include two Music Museum performances (March 21-22 and April 4-5) and a May 8-9 series at Onstage Greenbelt.

Even now that his songs are being rehashed by today’s batch of younger crooners, Nonoy doesn’t seem fazed. "I feel honored to have the likes of Regine (Velasquez) remaking my staple hits, such as Never Ever Say Goodbye," he shares.

Lest today’s teeners get the wrong notion, Nonoy was the voice behind that immortal classic, along with a few more nostalgic karaoke favorites like Love Without Time, Doon Lang, Fragments of Forever and I Should Have Stayed. Despite their balladeer tags, don’t expect this trio to be forever stuck in a musical time warp. Sure, they can still dish out their favorite classics on cue, but they can still pull off a few surprises every now and then. "We even have a boyband medley," teases the mild-mannered, baritone-voiced singer. While most of his contemporaries have acquired that middle-age paunch or lost their vim and vigor, Nonoy’s youthful countenance never ceases to amaze many of his acquaintances.

"I just live a healthy lifestyle," he confesses. "I eat lots of veggies, I wash my face regularly, exercise whenever I can and get enough sleep."

"No meat or beef for me," he adds. "I work out with light weights, do push-ups and stretching, and shadow box when I can." It’s Nonoy’s clean living that got the attention of ABS GEN Herbs International Corp., makers of ABS Bitter Herbs Food Supplement who eventually tapped him as the product’s endorser for this year. The move seemed a fitting follow-up to last year’s equally successful PR blitz with Gary V.

Being the staunch health fanatic that he is, Nonoy couldn’t have been more thankful for "discovering" the bitter pill. "I took it first for my rhinitis – a recurring case of post-nasal drip and constant sneezing," he narrates. "In just a week’s time, it was gone."

A firm believer in the power of natural medicine, Nonoy attributes ABS’ wonders to its unique combination of natural ingredients, which include ampalaya, king of bitters, luyang dilaw, saluyot, yerba buena, ladundi and malunggay. ABS (which stands for Active Bitter Supplement) is a natural herbal dietary supplement that cures a variety of ailments. It can, as Nonoy attests, remove the body’s toxic deposits, strengthen and enhance the immune system, lower cholesterol levels and neutralize fats, reduce blood sugar, restore pancreas’ function, promote longevity and even preserve the skin’s natural elastic tone.

The discovery came about when Nonoy (who was then one of the hosts of Kapwa Ko, Mahal Ko) met ABS-GEN VP for Marketing Grace Gupana when the latter guested in the show. "She urged me to try it out and I’m thankful I did," he recalls.

Indeed, no one could be more skeptical of a wonder pill touted as a miracle cure. Nonoy was a medical student during the peak of his music career. Sadly, he abandoned his plans of taking the board exams — all for a more noble calling.

"How could you refuse someone like then-President Cory Aquino?" he explains, "During that time, she called me up and offered me to head an agency that looked after the needs of the disabled. This was the National Council for the Welfare of the Disabled, and that was in 1989, I think."

"I stayed on for about four years, and the mission proved fruitful," Nonoy beams proudly. True enough, if you see all these markings, ramps and CRs for the disabled in most of the buildings these days, give credit for Nonoy’s dogged persistence. And as if that weren’t enough, Nonoy is also an avid environmentalist, and a supporter of women’s health issues as well. "I also head Ecowise, a company that handles waste. We turn them to organic fertilizers."

Such remarkable feats, indeed, for an unrelenting crusader for the environment and a charming personality who has gained a massive following because of his singing prowess.