The Guadalupe Bridge build-up and traffic has become more bearable, enjoyable even, thanks to the large billboard advertisements that carry the handsomeness and brown-skinned, perfectly sculpted body of Piolo Pascual. From head to toe, Pascual’s figure and persona, his strength and power, are captured by the photographer’s lens, making it all larger than life.
The strategically placed billboards make commuters, passersby and MRT northbound riders gawk at the images, be mesmerized by the display of Pascual’s manly beauty and brawn, smile and feel the heat that rises from within as the Papa P ng Bayan becomes the subject of sexual objectification.
But, there is more to Master Pascual than “man meat.” He is one of the better actors of his generation, a film producer, mentor and father. That he is also a lover and not a fighter adds to his allure and magnetism. Thus, I cannot help but wonder why we can never get enough of the ultimate heartthrob that is Piolo Pascual.
Body beautiful
He is one year shy of becoming a golden man. Physically speaking, Pascual does not look the part. He is fit, lean and sexy. He is active in sports such as biking, running, hitting the gym, and when he did the movie The Kingdom, he learned to do arnis. His face has no visible pores; whether cleanly shaven or not, his good looks are all natural. When Pascual looks you in the eye as he converses, you are hooked. Just like in Jerry Maguire, he will get you at one hello — the twinkle in his eyes, the “I am ready for that close-up” smile, and that distinctive Pascual chuckle and laughter, cheerful and robust.
Body of work
Through the years, Pascual has given memorable portrayals. As the young militant son Jules Bartolome in Dekada '70, he brought home eight Best Supporting Actor trophies, and these wins were indicators that indeed, giving sincerity and vulnerability to a character is something he does best. Three men across different timelines: Pascual did it three years ago in Mallari, portraying the serial killer priest, the documentarian John Ray, and the present-day Jonathan. In the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) entry Manila’s Finest, as Captain Homer Magtibay, critics described his performance as “inspired,” “confident,” “what a magnetic presence” and “a performance defined by restraint and quiet authority.”
More than just a body
It was a most pleasant surprise indeed to receive a message from Pascual, who needed to use his sister’s YouTube account so that he could reach out not just to me, but to Alex Brosas as well, thanking us for being the hosts of DTT SHOW: TARAYAN AT TALAKAYAN SHOWBIZ EDITION.
DTT SHOW is an online entertainment talk show that airs every Saturday and Sunday at 4 p.m. on the Dyaryo Tirada YouTube Channel and Facebook page. The time slot follows the tradition of the weekend airing of the much-missed Star Talk every Saturday on GMA 7 and The Buzz every Sunday on ABS-CBN, back when they still had their franchise.
In the three years of DTT Show, as one of its hosts, I am happy to report that we have gained 15.3K organic subscribers, growing every weekend. We already have a steady set of regular viewers, new and returning letter senders, a fair share of bashers and at least a handful of trolls.
It’s not every day that we get actual messages from the artists we talk about on the show. The first person I remember who thanked us was The Voice US champion Sofronio Vasquez. It jolted — made all of us kilig. Imagine, an international singing champion, a raiser of the Filipino flag and pride, took the time to reach out, message and say thanks for having his victory featured as one of the show’s rounds.
And now, Pascual’s message of thanks quadrupled the kilig. He wrote:
“Maraming salamat (Thank you). Saya niyo panuorin… Thanks for the very beautiful words… Love watching you two :) Salamat sa inspiration. Labyu — PJ Pascual.”
Awww… the pleasure is ours, PJ. Wow, all of a sudden, I feel so close to him.
Pascual’s gesture shows that he appreciates and knows the importance of the entertainment press. What he did made us feel his admiration and respect for what we do. He also made us feel his love. And yes, we love him to the moon and back.
With his body beautiful, charisma and the ability to make everyone swoon; his body of work that shows his immense talent as a dramatic actor or romantic lead opposite Judy Ann Santos and Sarah Geronimo; and his respect for peers and the entertainment press, now we know why this Papa P is truly the ultimate heartthrob.