MANILA, Philippines - Ryan Agoncillo is a reliable host who has done the morning-celebrity-noontime variety shows to talent-dare-reality-trivia-quiz-oriented ones. Adding to his impressive resumé is an international game show, in which the latest Sun brand ambassador will bring his cool and calm personality.
“Maganda ’yung pagkakasali ko sa pamilya ng Sun,” said Ryan. “Prior to signing up with Sun Cellular, I was offered the chance to be part of an international franchise. I just can’t reveal the title yet. But it is an exciting game show, that will be shown in an international cable at least Asia wide. Sun Cellular is the carrier for the show. So magandang synergy (ito). With this show, we’re gonna tape in November. It should be aired right before Christmas. I’m very excited. It’s a brand (which), I’m sure when you see it, is something you’ve seen it through the years. It is something I’ve followed through the years. And it is coming to the Philippines. We’re gonna show a lot of Manila to the whole of Asia.”
Pressed to give more details about the upcoming show, the affable Ryan had this to say: “Let’s put it this way, I’m gonna be seeing a lot of Metro Manila traffic when I do this show.”
When did Ryan learn the good news? According to him, there were talks already when he and his wife Judy Ann Santos left for a European trip. “There was supposed to be a meeting which didn’t push through. When I got back, I found out that I had the Sun Cellular and there’s a TV show, parang ang swerte ng pagdating ni Luna, parang pinaghahanda ako sa pangatlo nga,” he said.
The trip was the needed breather from Ryan’s full-packed schedule. We see him Mondays to Saturdays in Eat, Bulaga! and Sundays in Ismol Family. It is a way to recharge his batteries. Ryan said that the European trip was fantastic. It took off in London and culminated in Istanbul, Turkey. “Turkey was an eye opener for me and my wife. There were so many layers to it. What we did was food tour,” he recalled. “We had a walking tour of the city, where we ate the whole day, at naglakad. Ang galing eh may Greek, may Roman, may Mediterranean, may Asian, with Slavic influences. Ang lalim nung kultura nila sa pagkain.”
The following day, the showbiz couple visited a cooking school, where they learned to prepare some Turkish traditional meals. Checking out makers of spices and bread was also on their itinerary. So they ended up bringing home “a lot of spices, a lot of bread and a lot of cheese.”
After the trip, Ryan is back on his normal, daily grind as a good provider to wife Judy Ann and father to Yohan and Lucho, who are simply adorable in their own respective TV commercials.
“Para sa edukasyon nila ’yun,” said Ryan with a laugh on his children’s commercial stints and the possibility of them following in their parents’ footsteps. “Early on in Eat, Bulaga!, nang ipapanganak pa lang si Lucho, tinanong ko na si Bossing dyan and si Joey and Tito Sen, isa lang yung sinabi nila, ang nag-resonate yung sinabi sa akin ni Bossing, na it is inevitable and you make sure that they are ready. Ang interpretation ko dun, para sa akin, if it’s inevitable, (it is because) it is how we put food on the table. Sabi nga ng biyenan ko, yan ang pinapakain nyo sa anak ninyo. What do you expect? It’s true. We have to prepare them.”
Daddy Ryan shared that Yohan is good at singing. He and Judy Ann also let her explore other areas of musical performance such as playing the piano and the violin. The young parents nurture their kids’ potentials. “Itong paghahanda na ito, it is not just for showbiz, but it is also for life. She wants to (enter showbiz) but with Lucho, it’s too early to tell.”
Meanwhile, Ryan is the latest brand ambassador of Sun Postpaid Plan 599, which offers subscribers unlimited calls and texts (including 400 texts to other networks) and 400 MB data every month. The real deal is the free Android smartphone and Samsung 3V tablet. The plan is definitely for those Filipinos who are practical and make the best choices in life.
Aside from the good things happening in his professional and personal life (like the coming of the new baby in the Agoncillo household), Ryan’s happiness over his new game show is undeniable.
“I’m excited that it is an international thing,” he said. “I had such a good time working with international folks with Pinoy Fear Factor. The production standards are totally different. And it’s nice to learn. Ang dami kong natutunan sa Pinoy Fear Factor. At nung naibalik ko sa mga shows ko, may alas eh. When I learned something new from them (the people behind the show), at maibalik ko sa shows ko dito, sana mag-work.”