Showbiz has to wait

MANILA, Philippines - Filipino racer Marlon Stockinger, even with his fast-growing fan base adoring him as intense as any matinee idol enjoys, maintains that time and focus are issues on hand why he can’t enter local showbiz yet. 

He did recently hold a Fans’ Day at Greenbelt Park in Makati where he engagingly accommodated screaming supporters, mostly girls. A teenage girl excitedly asked, “Can you be my baby?”

When asked once more about his thoughts on joining the showbiz world, he implied, “I’m trying to make this racing work out and I haven’t thought of that yet.”

Marlon continuously gives pride to the country through excellence in his chosen sport, having won several international races, including the prestigious Grand Prix race in Monaco. He also became the first Southeast Asian racecar driver to have joined the junior ranks of Lotus F1 Team, one of the legendary Formula One teams. 

He represents the Philippine flag alongside six foreign recruits, two of them coming from France. Together they’re fondly called as the “Young Ones” of the team’s Junior Program. He pointed out, “This team knows how to win championships and it’s a big honor for me to be part of it. I really want to make the most of it and I’m looking forward to wearing the team colors with pride.”

Having cut through his initial racing education in Carmona, Cavite, Marlon is competing in the World Series by Renault this year. His next race will be in Italy this April. 

Now an ambassador for Globe Tattoo wherein he is given the tag “speed racer,” he showed his prowess on the wheel when he drove a Formula 1 car during the Manila Speedshow held at the Quirino Grandstand and SM Mall of Asia in May of last year. 

“I want to continue making the country proud as I can. I’m focusing myself on this and cannot commit myself to any showbiz work as of now,” he argued. 

With his good looks and boy-next-door charm, industry insiders believe that there is a space readied for him. Those who attended his Fans’ Day couldn’t less agree. 

Meanwhile, another dashing debonair, a foreign top honcho at that, somewhat experienced showbiz atmosphere Manila-style when he dropped by here last month. 

Viber Media founder-CEO Talmon Marco was in the Philippines happily acknowledging the fact that there are now eight million subscribers of the successful mobile platform in the Philippines. He even appeared on ABS-CBN’s It’s Showtime! where comedian-host and currently hot news centerpiece Vhong Navarro is a part of. 

“It was a fun, cool experience,” he said of his on-cam moment on the noontime show. 

Viber marked its third anniversary by releasing Viber 4.1 for Android and iPhone and which includes Viber Out, “a new feature allowing users to make low-cost calls to any mobile or landline phone number.”

The said feature enabled users to contact friends after Supertyphoon Yolanda’s wrath.

Talmon noted, “Viber Out gives our millions of users a new way to use Viber and ensures that they can reach any contact at any time.”

A cum laude graduate from Tel-Aviv University, Marco appears as a young Caucasian innovator apparently preferring casual outfit over traditional corporate attire. It’s the fifth time he paid a visit to the Philippines.