Seriously now, Pooh!

Up to now, Pooh still doesn’t feel like he’s a popular comedian. The Banana Split regular — who built his career on his gift for impersonating boxing champ Manny Pacquiao (among other characters) still sees himself as the same person he was before all of this fame happened.

“Ang alam ko nasa sing-along bar lang ako, tapos nag-gue-guest sa TV, tapos ‘yun siya. Ganoon siya,” he says. “Pero alam ko lang na may nagpapa-picture, may tumatawag, ganoon na ba ‘yon?”

This does not spring from a false sense of modesty, but because that’s genuinely how he feels. On one hand, he sees it as a good thing because he knows how quickly fame can go to a celebrity’s head. He doesn’t want to be the one who drowns in a glass of water. “Diyos ko, wala pa nga atang isang baso ng tubig ang naibibigay sa akin, di ba? Kaya sabi ko, okay na rin ‘yung ganito. Maganda na rin kasi baka pumasok sa isip ko, baka umarte ako eh.”

As far as he’s concerned, he’s still the same boy from Northern Samar who just happened to hit it big in show business. Pooh has always been the type to look back on his roots because it keeps him grounded. During his early years in showbiz, when he joined and won on the defunct game show 1 vs. 100 (where he won a big amount), he used the money to build additional classrooms in his hometown. Today, whenever he has free time, he goes back to his old neighborhood in Caloocan and seeks out former neighbors and friends. “Nami-miss ko talaga sila eh, nami-miss ko ‘yung tunay na buhay,” says Pooh. “Alam mo ‘yung tunay na buhay na nag-she-share ka lang rin ng blessings. ‘Yung pupunta ka doon, manggugulat na lang ako, magpapainom ako, ‘O, ayan, bumili ka ng ganito’ tapos inuman na kami.”

Pooh takes his job as a comedian seriously. In the case of his Manny Pooh-quiao character, for instance, he is very careful when developing skits because he knows the esteem in which the People’s Champ is held by Filipinos — and as a Filipino himself, he respects that. During Manny’s last fight against Juan Manuel Marquez where he was knocked unconscious, Pooh felt for him. “Siyempre naawa ako bilang nasaktan ‘yung kababayan ko, nasaktan siya, eh flag carrier natin siya eh. Naawa talaga ako. Pero ganoon naman talaga ang laro sa lahat ng laban sa buhay, di ba?”

Though he is a comedian, not everything is meant to be made fun of. More important, there is a time and place for making fun of things, and that is on stage. Pooh believes that comedians like himself deserve respect, just like other performers. When he’s out — like in a mall or some other public place — and people walk up to him and ask him to perform on demand, or crack a joke or two, Pooh feels like telling them it’s not appropriate. If it’s in the context of a show, then fine, but otherwise, no. “Akala minsan ng tao na lagi kaming nagpapatawa sa labas, na ang kilos mo, dapat laging jolly, dapat kikay, gan’on,” says Pooh. “Na para bang hindi ka puwedeng malungkot. Kaso alam din naman namin na bilang ganito kami, kapag lumabas ka ng ilang hakbang sa bahay mo, pag-aari ka na ng publiko. At utang din namin sa kanila ‘yun kaya kami nakilala eh. Pero sana ingatan din naman natin. Ibibigay ko ‘yung trabaho ko para sa inyo, papasayahin kayo, pero magbigay tayo ng respetuhan.”

This year, Pooh hopes to keep building on the gains he made in 2012. He intends to continue on with Banana Split, and keep doing live shows during occasions like Valentine’s Day. “Basta work, go lang ng go,” he says.

He will never allow himself to become too big for his ego, and he will always take his time and not force things. If certain projects or shows are meant for him, they will come. Pooh tries to keep in mind what his grandmother used to tell him about the business of fame. It’s all about timing. So whenever people compare him to other comedians who already have box-office movies to their credit, Pooh just shrugs it off. He is happy and contented with where he is, and knows that in God’s time the big break will come along.

His grandmother drove the message into his head relentlessly. “Ang sinasabi niya, ang prutas daw, masarap kainin pag hinog. Kapag pinilit mo ‘yan kainin ng hindi pa hinog, manibalang, mapakla ‘yan. So kapag ipinilit mo ‘yan mag-show ng hindi pa hinog, ikaw ang masisisi. Sa lahat ng bagay, huwag muna i-push ‘yung mga bagay na hindi pa para sa iyo, dadating din ‘yung panahon na para sa iyo.”