You can think of clichés to describe Gabby Concepcion’s present state of being: far from the maddening crowd, in a cozy little corner of the world, away from the hustle and bustle of the city and, ehem, alone (?) but not lonely.
Gabby is living an ideal life in his little paradise in Lobo, Batangas, a place named after Amang Lobo believed to be 20 million years old whose profile seemed to have been carved on a seaside mountain.
“Actually,” Gabby told Funfare, “it’s my ‘outside’ world...outside of the city, perfect for an outdoor kind of guy like me. Even as a child, I’ve always loved to be in a place like it...a dream place that I’ve been planning for a long time. The front is the ocean and the back is my farm, two worlds in one place. What more can I ask for? If this is a taste of retirement for me, I have nothing to complain about and everything to be thankful for.”
What’s your typical day like?
“I sleep early here in the province. Typically around 7:30 to 8 p.m., and I wake up at around 5 a.m. because of the birds chirping in a variety of tunes and sounds. Then, I sometimes fall back to sleep. When I don’t, I wait for the sunrise and start brewing my salabat (ginger tea), green tea or coffee.”
How do you maintain your body, what kind of diet do you have and what workout do you do?
“I take approximately 73 steps from the parking lot to my house. Then, I take approximately 54 or so steps from my room to the pavilion (where my kitchen is). I need to get there no matter what or else I won’t have my breakfast. LOL. Then, I need to go back for lunch and dinner. How many steps would that be?
“That routine alone makes up for my daily workout (the Stair Master workout), without even trying. In addition, planting, gardening, cleaning and fixing around here are a lot of exercise. That’s enough to work up an appetite.
“What’s my diet? All the veggies I can eat! I also eat black, red or brown rice, sweet potatoes, fish, less sugar, less meat.”
What have you discovered about yourself during this pandemic?
“That I can live this provincial life.”
Why do you think provincial life is better (less stressful) than city life (how big is your farm and anong mga tanim)?
“I don’t feel the rat race here. The O2 is probably higher here maybe because of all the trees and the plants. I think that many good things happen with more O2 in your body.
“The farm is a perfect place to grow some plants to sustain the homestead. We have a few plants and trees that keep us satisfied. Currently, we have okra (ochro or lady’s fingers), kalabasa (squash), talong (egg plant), oregano, saging saba (sweet plantain), sili (chili), dragon fruit, calamansi (calamondin), malunggay (moringa) and papaya.”
How do you communicate with friends in the “outside” world?
“Cellphone. LOL. There is absolutely no Wi-Fi here. Data signal is also very difficult because of the surrounding mountains.”
Do you get to see your daughter KC who is in a farm also in Batangas (and if so, what do you usually talk about)?
“We don’t see each other as often as we’d like to since the pandemic started. When we get a chance, we do talk about anything under the sun.
“We talk about the past, the current and the future, and funny, relevant and irrelevant matters. We both love Batangas, indeed!”
Marian (Rivera) has backed out of the Kapuso soap First Yaya. How do you feel about it and will you still do the show?
“If I were breast-feeding and needed to be locked down for three months away from my kids and family, I’d probably back out, too. It’s totally understandable. We’ve talked about the consequences. The timing of this COVID pandemic has affected everyone in more ways than one. First Yaya has a great storyline. Yes, I’m game! We are waiting for the GMA production team to reassemble.”
(E-mail reactions at rickylophilstar@gmail.com. For more updates, photos and videos, visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on Instagram @therealrickylo.)