iStyled Robi Domingo for Manila Bulletin: A Job Well Done

Article By JASER A. MARASIGAN

Photos by JERICO MONTEMAYOR

Styled by JP DICHE and PIERRE NARCE

Grooming by RHINA MONTEMAYOR

Clothes from FOLDED AND HUNG

Twice in a row, TV host Robi Domingo has been deprived of precious graduation moments.

He missed his high school graduation from the Ateneo High School because at that time, he was inside the Pinoy Big Brother House. He finished second place in the PBB Teen Edition Plus in 2008.

Four years later, on the day he clinched a degree in Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences from the Ateneo de Manila University, Robi had to rush off to a hosting commitment.

“I had to leave right after the graduation. I didn’t even get to savor my graduation. We didn’t have the time to take pictures. The only pictures I had were when I went up the stage to get my diploma and a family picture,” says Robi.

But no regrets there, Robi qualifies. And why should there be? Since PBB, it has all been one blessing after another for him. After appearing in various shows, he is now a regular in the Sunday variety show “ASAP”, and a MYX VJ.

STUDIES FIRST

Robi admits to struggling during those four years when he was doing both work and college. He came to a point that he was contemplating on quitting showbiz.

“I remember when I was doing ‘Boystown’, I didn’t go home for five days. Because I had summer school then, I take my shower, breakfast and everything else in Ateneo and go straight to taping. No sleep at all. Coffee was my best friend,” he recalls.

Still, he considers those times to be the best years of his life.

“I really don’t know how I did it. People would often ask me, what’s your secret? I would always tell them, more than the talent fees or the popularity, showbiz has given me this sense of responsibility and maturity. It also taught me to value life,” explains Robi.

By far, he says, having successfully balanced college life and showbiz is his biggest accomplishment. He had been a consistent dean’s lister too. His parents Roberto and Mary Ann, who are both doctors, and younger brother Maro, kept him motivated all throughout.

“They were really responsible for everything. My mom was responsible for pushing me to audition for PBB when I was in high school. My mom was kinda a frustrated actress. Pinasa na lang niya sa akin ‘yung dream niya. While my dad told me, only a few can do such, so I should savor the moment, that it is once-in-a-lifetime,” remembers Robi.

MED SCHOOL IS A SOLID DECISION

At 22, Robi is certainly living life to the fullest, even if he has decided to put on hold his medical studies for a year to seize the good opportunities that have been coming his way. He is at present hosting “Pinoy Big Brother Uber 2012” on ABS-CBN.

“My parents are very supportive of my showbiz career. They’re actually the ones who told me to take the year off. But pursuing med school is already a solid decision. My dad advised lang to rest at least for a year. Sabi niya, na-experience na raw niya kasi lahat ng pagdadaanan ko going into med school, like 28 hours of studying straight, so for now, I should enjoy life muna habang bata pa ako,” relates Robi.

Although he is still undecided what to specialize in, Robi would want to advocate free health care services, just like his parents do

“What’s frustrating is the lack of access to health care. Filipinos die because they don’t have access to medical needs or treatments. In most cases, money comes first before the health of the patient. Most people here don’t have the means to pay. Unlike in other countries, whatever happens, they prioritize health more than anything. I think it is my mission to help the society in terms of giving them what is due through their medical needs,” says the future doctor.

His stint as a teen housemate also taught him a lot of lifelong lessons.

“After every task, may lesson. At first mahirap, like ‘yung task na we have to transfer rice grains from the sacks to brown paper bags using only chopsticks,” recalls Robi.
The PBB experience also made him realize the importance of family.

“When I was inside the house, what I missed terribly was the bond of the family. You won’t really get to appreciate them when you are with them everyday, but when you’re away from them, you actually long for them,” he says.

Now that Robi has a lot more free time in his hands, he is raring to do the things he missed doing when he was juggling school and work.

“I would take this gap year to travel. I would really want to explore some Asian countries, cruise with my family. Spend more time with the dogs. It has always been my childhood dream to play the flute so I might just try to learn to play it. Or simply bum around the house and play video games,” he says with a laugh.


Article from mb.com.ph

Special thanks to Manila Bulletin Students and Campuses Credits to:

Robi Domingo admits juggling college and showbiz is his biggest accomplishment.

After graduating with a degree in Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences from the Ateneo de Manila University last March 23, Pinoy Big Brother Teen Edition host Robi Domingo admits he is still on cloud nine after getting his diploma. “It still feels very, very surreal. Went I went up the stage and got my diploma, it felt very fulfilling kasi napagsabay mo yung parehong mundo. To get that feat done is such an incredible experience for me because I’ve grown so much because of being in the industry and in school at the time, it’s no joke talaga. The graduation highlighted every hour, every moment that I spend sacrificing my play time, time with friends and family and dun nag-culminate lahat,” he shares. Even after coming out of the PBB house in 2008, Robi says he never once considered giving up his studies for showbiz. “I instilled in myself the concept that I would never stop my college years kasi once I stop, I’ll succumb into not learning anymore. I really wanted to achieve that goal,” he admits to Push.com.ph. 

 Aside from being one of the hosts in the recently concluded Pinoy Big Brother Unlimited, Robi is also busy with hosting ASAP Chill Out every Sunday. The 22-year-old says he never thought he would be able to get this far in his career while still going to school. “I told myself after I did PBB Teen Edition that I’ll still be doing my school so in the long run I’ll be losing my work. Kasi hindi mo talaga kaya pagsabayin eh. It seemed na ganun. I told myself, ‘You’ll be working 24/7’ .Pero yung iba yung mga MYX, ASAP, rehearsals sa Studio 23, they were experiences na ang dami kong natutunan. I do not regret a single thing, even if .04 na lang kulang ko to get the honors. I would trade those honors any time just to get all of the teachings that I have garnered from my four years, both in ABS-CBN and in the Ateneo,” he explains. Robi also received a loyalty award from the University being a true-blue Atenean who finished his elementary and high school years at the Loyola campus. 

Robi shares that he really struggled during days when he was busy in both school and work. “There was an instance na two hours lang yung tulog ko. Talagang literal na gapang. I’d have a cup of coffee on one hand and then talagang kinakapa ko yung walls while going up the stairs. There are lots of times that I’ll be late but may excuse naman ako na galing ako sa work. I can remember talaga na sobrang hirap ng mga pinagdaanan ko,” he recalls. 

The actor-host also admits that being part of PBB’s Season 4 was a good test of his hosting skills. “Minsan talaga I kind of forget my lines, I stumble, I do crazy stuff in the show na hindi ko talaga nagawa before and i can probably say na being in this kind of platform has taught me lots of stuff and it made me grow not only as a host but as a person as well,” he says. Looking back, Robi says he feels proud to work with experienced hosts like Toni Gonzaga and Bianca Gonzales. “Unlimited was the longest season ever. Being here for almost five months, it’s kind of weird being thrown into this arena of people ready to criticize you and being with Toni and Bianca na talaga namang andun na yung caliber nila when it comes to hosting. After being in this show as a housemate and then now hosting the show, at first it was an absurd feeling, kasi dati ikaw yung pinapanuod ngayon you relay information to the taong bayan.” 

CREDITS TO: Rhea Manila Santos

Robi Domingo says he looks up to Toni Gonzaga and Bianca Gonzalez as hosts.

As part of Pinoy Big Brother’s select group of celebrity hosts, former housemate Robi Domingo admitted he felt very privileged to chosen as one of the PBB Teen Edition hosts along with John Prats. Robi revealed that at first he felt intimidated to be working with PBB’s veteran hosts Toni Gonzaga and Bianca Gonzalez, but he has also learned a lot from them.


“At first, there was a certain fear na you feel your this tiny compared to them. Sino ba hindi luluhod sa mgagoddess ng PBB? Yun yung ginawa ko eh. As the days progressed, they instilled this code na hindi naman nila sinabi sa akin pero they taught me this code through their actions, that the most important thing that a host must do is not to open his mouth  but to listen. And with listening you get to really talk to the person,” he told Push.com.ph.


Robi admitted that he had to sacrifice his summer plans with his family in order to grab the chance at hosting PBB Teen Edition, but he does not regret missing out because he says he can always go on vacation when the season is over. “For Holy Week I had hoped that I could go to Canada to visit some of my relatives there but because of plans for the launching of PBB Teens, it will be cancelled pero okay naman kasi this time around I’ll be hosting with JP (John Prats) so I’m also very much happy and excited about that,” he said.


After coming out of the PBB house in 2008, Robi honed his hosting skills as a VJ on MYX and a host on ASAP. The 22-year-old said he has definitely grown as a host because of all these experiences. “It was hard at first. When I auditioned for MYX I didn’t actually know that they were going to accept me. Before I had just a simple dream of being like my classmate when I was in grade school when he was a hosting a certain event. I told myself I want to be like that guy on the stage. I was happy with the idea of getting so much attention before.Tapos mahirap talaga kasi I was too shy, bulol-bulol pa ako, I couldn’t really find the words when I’d be on stage na tapos I couldn’t talk to the opposite sex pa so that was really a big dilemma for me. And then sa loob ng bahay ni kuya I was the silent type kasi yun nga, I don’t know how to talk to people. I don’t know what to bring up first. Tapos yun, through my experiences inside the house, natuto naman ako. And from there naisip ko na kaya naman pala,” he said.


Robi admitted that he was really looking forward to meeting the newest batch of teen housemates after being part of PBB Teens himself. “First of all, ito talaga yung show na kinalakihan ko. Dito it’s not puro seryoso. I’m also more familiar with this format and everything since I came from that show. I could say na alam ko yung mga pagdadaanan ng mga teen housemates this coming season,” he said.


Robi said that he only has one piece for advice for the teens inside the PBB house right now. ”My sole answer would forever be is just be yourself. I don’t have any particular goal or game plan in store for you, just be yourself and at the end of the day, people will like you no matter who you are,” he said.


CREDITS TO: Rhea Manila Santos