Alfred Vargas fulfills mom’s wish with Master’s degree
Star Circuit had a chance to talk to Congressman Alfred Vargas via a Zoom presscon Sunday, a few hours after his virtual graduation from the UP National College of Public Administration and Governance (NCPAG) where he took up a Master’s degree in Public Administration.
According to Alfred, it was a big challenge for him to finish as he was busy with his work in Congress. But every second of his life is devoted to things he deems important to him. Even if it took him four years to complete his Masters, it was a very fulfilling moment for him. He is also set to take a doctorate degree in urban planning.
“We should continue to study, not only in school but through actual experience. One of the best sources of knowledge when it comes to public administration is NCPAG. Now that I already have my M.A., I have fulfilled my promise to my mom. In my graduation, I remembered her and wished that she was still around so see me reach this milestone,” said the actor-turned-politician.
After he graduated in Ateneo, he was supposed to go to law school as requested by his mom. He entered showbiz instead which did not sit well with his mom. When she saw him in “Encantadia,” she gave him her blessing but requested that he pursue graduate studies.
Alfred could have been a big drama actor now had he not entered politics. “I left acting at the peak of my career. But I don’t have regrets because I would like to serve. Going into public service humbled me because I became more grounded. I am proud of what I have achieved in politics. I saw how the people suffered and I realized that I feel more fulfilled in helping others. It helped me listen to the people and how I can be of service to them.”
His term as congressman ends next year but he has no plans of seeking higher office as he wants to resume his acting career.
“I want to rest first. I think I am leaving a good legacy of accomplishments. I want to go back to acting because I miss it. My younger brother, PM Vargas, will run in place of me. He’s the current councilor now in the same district of Quezon City, District 5. He is a big help to me and he knows what to do in the district.”
“Tagpuan,” a filmfest entry last year, won many awards in various festivals and this inspired Alfred to go on producing.
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BINI’s debut single can now be enjoyed in every mood with the release of the “Born to Win” Maxi Single, a collection of the bouncy electro-pop track’s instrumental renditions.
On the EP, “Born to Win” has been reworked into a Latin number with pulsing horns and percussion-heavy arrangement, a party-ready EDM tune, and a string quartet piece. BINI rocked to these tracks on “The Runway,” the first part of group’s launch event where they wore the collection that designer Francis Libiran created for them.
The Maxi Single, now available digitally on major streaming services, also features an instrumental version and an acapella version that highlights the members’ individual vocal colors.
Aside from the release of these remixes, BINI is also marking a major first as its “Born to Win” music video is featured on the MTV Asia channel this week.
Since the group’s official launch last month, “Born to Win” has now recorded over 870,000 views on YouTube and over 300,000 streams on Spotify.
As announced earlier, BINI will further expand the “Born to Win” era by releasing foreign language versions. Fans can look forward to the song’s Bahasa, Thai, Japanese, and Spanish editions coming out soon.
BINI – composed of Aiah, Colet, Maloi, Gwen, Stacey, Mikha, Jhoanna, and Sheena – is also preparing for a busier second half of 2021 with the release of their debut album, which will feature original songs, and a joint concert with their brother group BGYO.
Like BGYO, BINI trained for two years under ABS-CBN’s Star Hunt Academy, which prepares and grooms talents for international stardom. Before their official launch as a group, BINI released their pre-debut single “Da Coconut Nut” in November 2020.
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