What keeps Leo going

MANILA, Philippines – In a light blue top with rolled-up sleeves and faded maong pants, Leo Martinez looks like the sort of guy one can easily approach for an engaging talk. He may be low-key and bereft of airs, but there’s no denying that Leo remains to be one of showbiz’s finest actors. He has churned out memorable roles, including the well-loved character Congressman Manhik-Manaog.

In last Monday’s mini-presscon for the AntiSnor ring, Leo gamely delivered the signature humorous but a bit sarcastic dialogue of Congressman Manhik-Manaog which can also serve as a reminder to the voting public for the coming elections. He said, “Ito ang aba n’yong lingkod Congressman Manhik-Manaog at your self-service. Alam n’yo ba na ako’y di pa natatalo sa eleksyon? Bakit? Nandadaya ako, namimili ako ng boto, nananakot ako ng botante. Ngayon sa susunod na eleksyon, kandidato na naman ako. Kapag nanalo pa naman ako, anong klaseng tao naman kayo?”

As of this writing, Leo has not received any invitation yet to bring his rib-tickling act to a campaign sortie. He has also been absent from the acting cameras for months now. He was last seen in the ABS-CBN primetime soap Nathaniel. But the veteran actor is far from being idle. He has been receiving inquiries from two giant networks — GMA 7 and ABS-CBN — to do shows. As of presstime, Leo has not decided on which project to choose that would best fit into his schedule.

“I have a daily show on Net25,” he said of his show titled Masayang Umaga Po. “It’s a news-magazine show that airs from five o’clock in the morning to 6 a.m. It’s an early morning show so that practically kills my nightlife (laughs) because I should be in bed by 9:30 or before 10 p.m. to be able to wake up at 3:30 in the morning.”

According to Leo, who also serves as director-general of the Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP), he is one of those loud snorers who would wake up in the middle of the night because of this problem. Then, he would get up in the morning feeling light-headed and fatigued.

That’s why, he is thankful when he tried the AntiSnor ring. After just a week of wearing it on his left pinky finger 30 minutes before his bedtime, Leo noticed some changes. He began enjoying uninterrupted sleep and “I now sleep better and wake up feeling recharged.”

“Now, I don’t sleep anymore after getting up at 3:30 a.m. because I feel so well-rested. So after my morning show, I will change outfits — to workout attire — and will do jogging until 7:30 and head back home to prepare for my office duties at FAP.”

The indefatigable Leo shared that prior to accepting the hosting job on Net25, he brought up some matters regarding religion with the network management and “I was told that as long as we respect each other’s religious beliefs, then we don’t see any problem to have a smooth-working relationship.”

The actor finds hosting an enjoyable task. The show’s concept allows televiewers to begin their day with positive vibes. “Light lang yung approach namin sa mga bagay-bagay dito which is good since we are being seen in an early morning timeslot.  At ganado din ako to start my day. It’s good that I have also discovered the AntiSnor ring which is really effective.”

The AntiSnor ring works on the acupressure points in the pinky finger to help reduce snoring. The ring has tiny spikes that stimulate the Merkell cells on the small finger. These cells affect muscles in the throat to help reduce snoring.

Hypoallergenic and drug-free, AntiSnor ring is available in 100 Watsons branches nationwide.