Juan for the books

Juan Rodrigo reveals the mantra that serves as his guiding principle

MANILA, Philippines - His Anna Karenina series on GMA 7 ended in September but Juan Rodrigo, who played the patriarch Don Xernan in the story, is not frantic that he would be jobless for long. The actor believes he can rely on the spiritual and behavioral principles he has been using for decades now to attract a new teleserye or a new source of stable income that is as equally fulfilling as that of a regular TV show.

“I attracted my first-ever teleserye Mara Clara by using those principles. I bought my first car and got my first trip to Europe also by using those principles,” revealed the actor one serene afternoon after storm Maring ravaged the country. We were in a quaint restaurant at Roces Ave., Quezon City, sharing between us a yummy cheesy pizza.

Juan’s showbiz career spans decades and has variously metamorphosed. Going by his real name Dante Pascual, he began as a member of Conching Sunico’s famed Karilagan troupe of model-dancers and later on danced on TV, particularly of the once well-loved Discorama. His agility for dancing was honed at Far Eastern University where he finished BS Chemistry.

Being a very good-looking dancer with strong Filipino features and a height (5’8”) that’s acceptably tall by Filipino standard, Dante was launched into movie stardom in 1979 as Juan Rodrigo and as one of Nora Aunor’s two leading men in the musical Annie Batungbakal, directed by then-movie newcomer Maryo J. de los Reyes (the other leading man was the very mestizo Lloyd Samartino). His strong Filipino looks was what inspired his discoverer and first showbiz manager, Boy de Guia, the very Pinoy first name Juan.

The following year, Juan appeared again with Lloyd as Nora’s leading men in the musical Bongga Ka, ‘Day, again helmed by De los Reyes. But the movies don’t thrive on musicals, so JR (which is how friends call the actor) soon found himself acting in drama films (including sexy ones, such as Ang Lihim sa Likod ng Buwan where he showed his butt and had a pumping scene with sexy star Maria Montes). He eventually won the Famas Best Supporting Actor in 1983 for his performance as the gay husband of Sandy Andolong in Marilou Diaz-Abaya’s Moral (Sandy likewise won Best Supporting Actress).

“I won with the help of some spiritual and behavioral techniques taught by George Sison in his center which he calls Temple of Prayer, Peace and Prosperity. I’ve been nominated in the past but I did not win for some reasons. When I told George about my desire to win, he taught me techniques which we implemented partly with the cooperation of some Temple members who, like me, never doubted that I would win as they had watched the film themselves. By that time, we had all been attending George’s lectures and meditations,” confided JR.

By that time, too, he had bought not only his first car using techniques he learned from a book on creative visualization and which he later found out were also being taught by George.

He had been doing guest appearances and semi-mainstay roles in TV soaps when he felt a desire to be in one that would have him in a major role and as a regular character in the series. 

“So I decreed for a major role in a regular TV show and the decree demonstrated in the form of Mara Clara which aired for five years, from 1992 to 1997. When the teleserye was about to end, I decreed once more for a similar blessing and the universe manifested it again through ABS-CBN. That second teleserye was Mula Sa Puso which ran for two years,” JR recalled.

Notice that he did not say “I want to have” or “I need to have” but used the expression “I desire” or “I decree.” He stressed that using spiritual and mindpower principles needs a more thoughtful way of phrasing. “The way we say things reflect our subconscious beliefs. If you say you want or need something, you are coming from lack. And if you keep repeating to your self that you want a car or need a car, then you’re planting more deeply and more strongly in your mind the lack. And it’s the lack that your subconscious mind will produce in your life,” Juan briefly explained one esoteric aspect of spiritual and mindpower science.

He further explained that saying “I desire a red sports car” means you recognize that there is an abundance of cars in the universe and a red sports car will be yours in due time.

So hasn’t he decreed marriage with the most suitable one or for a partner?

He answered without hesitation. It’s a question he seemed to be prepared to answer since the world knows he has remained officially single.

“I have lived-in with someone once for sometime. The arrangement made me realize I am not happy to have someone having some form of control over my life. I don’t feel comfortable being told by a partner to do this or to do that, so I have never decreed for a spouse,” he intoned.

We were intending to ask him if he could tell us who this someone was but we both were distracted by the entrance into the restaurant of Eugene Domingo and Fabio Ide (who regularly work together on a TV show in one of the nearby networks).

Juan sings and he does it well enough to play both Jose Rizal and Crisostomo Ibarra in a musical billed as Noli Me Tangere which has been touring schools in the country since 1998. “The play was written by actress-workshop teacher Ann Villegas, who also produces and directs it. It combines events in the life of the national hero and the most famous male character he created in his first novel. For some years now, the Maria Clara character has been alternately played by Charmagne Santiago (a co-host in German Moreno’s variety show Walang Tulugan on GMA 7) and ex-Sexbomb dance group member Aifah Medina.   

Juan had several shows abroad like Australia with Nora and Kuya Germs, California shows with Willie Nepomuceno, several times in Germany and other parts of Europe.

Juan knows how to spend all his free time as an actor wisely and meaningfully. Being a graduate of chemistry, he formulates organic bath soap and supervises soap-making in his backyard on his free days. “It’s really more of a hobby, a personal project, rather than a profit-making business. It’s just that I don’t want to forget what I learned in my Chemistry course,” he shared.

He is actually also an advocate of the environment. “My soaps use organic and natural ingredients, like kamias, papaya-calamansi, carrots, cucumber, etc., that are considered the safest for the environment,” he revealed. He advocates recycling and non-polluting ways of waste disposal. He is part of LET’S RECYCLE NOW!, an advocacy group founded together with Dr. Nonoy Zuñiga and his manager, Nelia Lim. In fact, he recorded a song It’s About Time, a serenade to Mother Nature (see YouTube) and has joined concerts promoting recycling advocacy. At present, he is very active with Natural & Organic Way (NOW).

He is expected to do a series of shows in Davao and General Santos City this month with Anna Melissa, an upcoming dancer, composer and singer.

Knowing the kind of person and actor that he is, all will always be well in Juan Rodrigo’s  life and career.