Happily exchanging banter with friends like any ordinary kid, Pocholo Bismonte’s childish exuberance is seen in everything he does.
But as part of the singing kiddie group Sugarpop, Pocholo is more than just ordinary. What also sets him apart from the rest is how he uses his rising popularity to take care of the environment via Q-11’s Planet Q (Saturdays, 7 p.m.).
In an interview with the soft-spoken 12 year old on the set of Planet Q, which he hosts together with other members of Sugarpop, Pocholo shares that the show aims to teach children and adults how to save and care for Mother Earth.
On a personal note, Pocholo revealed that hosting Planet Q was something he did not expect.
“I’m happy and I feel lucky that I have this show. It’s really unexpected but it’s a dream come true for me,” he says.
As unexpected as it was, Pocholo believes they were chosen to host the show primarily “because we are all so full of energy and talent and that we are all willing to learn the many things around us.”
He adds that hosting Planet Q is both hard and enjoyable though admittedly, he still needs to train a lot more when it comes to hosting,
“Unlike singing which I am already used to doing, there’s still a lot more I need to learn when it comes to hosting. But definitely, both singing and hosting are interesting for me,” he relates.
Pocholo even states that given the chance, he would love to act, host and dance as well.
“I love singing but I also want to pursue acting, hosting and dancing because all of them are really, very enjoyable to do,” he explains.
Besides hosting, singing and a little bit of dancing (which Sugarpop members also get to do on the show), Pocholo confesses what he loves most about Planet Q is that he gets to travel to different places.
“The best part in hosting the show is the ENG (location) shoot because we are given the chance to go to different places like the Planetarium, K-9 school, Snow World and the best of all — Zoobic Safari! I was even able to touch and hug the tigers there!” Pocholo exclaims.
But beyond all these perks, there is one thing Pocholo particularly treasures: The lessons he learns in the show. Since it aired its pilot episode last Nov. 3, Pocholo has picked up many ideas on how to keep his surroundings clean, save energy and promote the planting of more trees. He also learned how to protect animals and appreciate and love nature more.
More importantly, Pocholo does not only keep the things he learned from the show to himself but also lets other people, especially his loved ones, know about it.
Given the chance to personally choose guests for Planet Q, Pocholo shares that on top of his list are other celebrity kids of the Kapuso Network so that “we will be able to serve as a good example for other kids.”
Hosting Planet Q has not only given fame to Pocholo and the rest of Sugarpop (Rita Iringan, Julie Anne San Jose, Renzo Almario and Vanessa Rangadhol). More importantly it has given them a new sense of awareness of the need to take better care of the animals and the environment.