If your surname is Siguion-Reyna, people will naturally expect a lot from you, monitoring your career to find out (or make sure) that you are living up to the name.
Of course, Rafael “Rafa” Siguion-Reyna knows that. Descending from a clan whose members boast of remarkable achievements can pose a big challenge. Besides his parents, director Carlitos Siguion-Reyna and actress-scriptwriter Bibeth Orteza, there’s Rafa’s formidable grandma, Armida “Tita Midz” Siguion-Reyna, and, yes, his cousin Cris Villonco (daughter of Carlitos’ sister Monique). He was to showbiz born.
Happily, he’s moving out of his elders’ giant shadow and making a name of his own, proving that he’s his own man.
“I think that I need to prove that I’m willing to work just as hard as anybody. I need to show that I enjoy the work. I have to show people that I’m not taking the work for granted.”
We’ve seen him in a few teleplays (Rhodora X, his TV “debut” last year, followed by Niño and Vampire ang Daddy Ko) and movies (Hari ng Tondo, directed by Carlitos from a screenplay by Bibeth; and in My Big Bossing, a 2014 Metro Filmfest entry) and obviously Rafa is beautifully adjusting to the local showbiz scene. He was educated at the New York University, the same school where Carlitos took up a course in filmmaking (Carlitos now teaches filmmaking in Singapore), and after school, he did some modeling (he stands six-foot flat) at the Big Apple. Back home, he first did theater before he ventured into TV and movies.
“Yes, my first job professionally was theater, specifically in Grease last year and I noticed that the discipline in the two mediums is different,” noted Rafa (whose lone sibling is a girl, Aya). “In soaps, you have to learn how to turn off the energy because sometimes it takes more time to prepare the set so you have to rest otherwise mauubos ang energy mo. In theater, the act is tuluy-tuloy so dapat mataas ang energy mo palagi.”
In La Cage aux Folles, his next theater job, Rafa plays a drag queen so he gets waxed all over his body — “As in everywhere,” he laughed. “I’m doing it because it’s a challenging role. It requires a lot of dancing and singing. I’m learning a lot. Although you don’t get paid as much as you are in television, I want to continue doing plays every year, if I can.”
Good thing that Rafa has a background in dancing (in high school, in IS) and acting (in college, at NYU where he took up Communication).
“Actually,” he recalled, “when I auditioned for Grease, my singing was not very good so I promised to work at it. They cast me on the condition that I hired a vocal coach. The reviews noted that I was improving vocally and I was happy about that.”
His cousin Cris is a star in her own right in theater and has proven herself a versatile actress, no qualms about playing “daring” roles.
Isn’t there any professional rivalry (common among showbiz families) between him and Cris (who’s impressive as a kontrabida in the GMA soap Ang Lihim ni Annasandra)?
“No, none at all. I’ve always looked up to Cris since I was a kid. When I was in high school, she was already doing a lot of theater and we always supported her. That’s why I was very happy to work with her in Hari ng Tondo. She’s always there to give me a tip or two. She’s an inspiration to me. She’s known na in theater so I’m happy that she’s now doing TV.”
How daring can he be?
“I would say I’m pretty daring, as I am now doing in La Cage. Kung maganda ang material and I believe in the director, I can be very daring. ‘Yan ang itinuro sa akin ng tatay ko, eh, that the work of an actor is to play a character. So I’m willing to do anything.”
What did he learn in NYU that he’s applying in local showbiz?
“I would say that I grew up very fortunate and very privileged, sort of in a bubble,” said Rafa. “Studying and living in New York for four years was a good experience for me. I had a job there, I worked in the library, I lived a different sort of life which kept me grounded. I stayed at the dorm and on my last year I moved to a small apartment with a roommate.”
A girl roommate?
“Not a girl, although I did have a girlfriend but we lasted for only one year because I decided na to come home.”
How was it growing up a Siguion-Reyna?
“Of course, hindi ko masasabi na hindi siya nakatulong,” Rafa admitted, “especially in terms of learning about the industry and how to conduct myself among industry people, and to understand the industry. If my parents were in finance and I worked in the same field, they would also help me get a better understanding of the industry, right?”
Rafa is guided by pieces of advice from his elders.
“My lola (Tita Midz) has always been supportive. Wala na siyang masyadong sinasabi, basta kung ano ang gawin ko, she supports me and she’s proud of me. Same with my mom who always reminds me to always stay humble and to always work hard. They always remind me that maraming guapo at magaganda sa industriya, but ‘yung matitiyaga and hard-working stay long.”
How much of him is Carlitos (very quiet) and how much is Bibeth (hmmm, not quiet)?
“I think when it comes to being social and open and talkative, parehas ako ng mom ko,” Rafa laughed. “When it comes to may pagka-obsessive sa trabaho, I get that from my dad. But I guess I’m a little bit of both.”
A poem about Mama Mary
Today, the Catholic Church is celebrating the annual Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin or Mama Mary. It was the day when Mama Mary was conceived by her mother, Saint Anne. Thus, nine months thereafter or every Sept. 8 we celebrate the birthday of Mama Mary. Ang Immaculate Conception ay ang araw nang ipinaglihi ni Saint Anne si Mama Mary. At ang Annunciation naman ay ang araw nang ipinaglihi ni Mama Mary si Hesukristo.
That information came from election lawyer Romy Macalintal (host of The Law of the Heart is Love over DWBR, 104.3FM, Saturdays at 8 to 9 p.m. with replays Sundays 7 to 8 p.m.) who’s sharing with Funfare readers the following poem, Immaculate Mary, by James J. Metcalfe from one of his books of poems, Garden in My Heart:
IMMACULATE MARY
By James J. Metcalfe
O Mary, most immaculate, help us be good and true
O Blessed Lady, pray for us who have recourse to you.
We seldom hope for anything, we ever want or need
Unless we know your loving heart, is there to intercede.
Because you are Our Mother, and the Mother of Our Lord
And just a whispered word from you, will bring His rich reward.
We look to you for miracles, however great or small
Including His forgiveness, when we stumble and we fall.
And through your most Immaculate Heart, we humbly hope and pray
That we may serve your gentle Son, and honor Him each day.
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