Edu Manzano recalls father’s influence on receiving Lasallian Achievement award

Edu Manzano was named among this year’s Distinguished Lasallian Achievement Awardees at the 8th One La Salle Night of Excellence.

He was recognized for his “philanthropic activities” that supported Lasallian social action programs, specifically for “youth and marginalized sectors,” such as the DLS Dasmarinas Bahay Pag-Asa, LSGH Adult Night High School, DLSU One La Salle Scholarship Fund, LSGHAA Godfather Program, LSGH Sports Programs, LSGH Safe Shelter 1 and 2, La Salle’s Kada Uno Project and the Adrian Manzano Cancer Wing of the Philippine Children’s Medical Center.

Edu attended La Salle from grade school to college. He became a member of the Archer’s basketball team and captain of the university Judo Team.

With children Enzo and Addie Manzano in the US. — Photo from Edu’s Instagram

The veteran TV host and actor couldn’t help but turn nostalgic while receiving the award on Saturday night as 25 years go, he said he stood on the same stage of the alumni association and “received an award where my father was inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame.”

“You honored my family and you’re doing it once more. And I can’t thank you enough,” he said. “My father played for La Salle, I played for La Salle, my son (Enzo) played for La Salle. We come from a long line of Lasallians. I am one proud Lasallian and because of that, I will continue to support any and all of the programs in whichever way I can.”

The award was given by the De La Salle Alumni Association (DLSAA) to honor alumni who “have achieved either industrial, managerial, professional, avocational, or public service distinction.” Other distinguished alumni who received the Achievement Award along with Edu were Michael Cosiquien, Benjamin Espiritu, Ph.D, Rene “RJ” Ledesma Jr., Edward K. Lee, Edgar Saavedra, Wellington Tong, Maria Gace Uy, and Alfonso “Chito” Zulueta.

“We never thought you’d get recognized because you just felt like it was something you had to do,” he said in a separate interview with The STAR and other press.

The actor credited his father, Adrian Hernandez Manzano, and his military experience for this mindset. At the age of 17, the US-born Edu entered the United States military and served at the Quality Control and Evaluation, Missile Engineering Group and Strategic Air Command of the Air Force.

“My dad was a disciplinarian,” he recalled. “So all of us after high school, me in ‘73 — because we’re all dual citizens, when my father was studying in America, dun kami pinanganak eh — he made us all go to military, all of us siblings, find your own way. I fell in love with the military and then, nagkasakit siya, ako yung eldest na lalaki, who’s going to come home (to help), it’s very Filipino, ‘di ba?”

“But nevertheless, that experience woke up a certain side of me where I felt that I had certain obligations, it wasn’t all about the good times. Of course, I had my good times but in the case of the military, it was discipline. I guess that’s where you learn yung camaraderie and corny as it may sound, yung ‘leave no man behind.’”

When he entered showbiz, his father, wasn’t the most supportive because “he had other things in mind.” He wanted Edu to become a lawyer.

“But no regrets entering showbiz. Not at all… It’s such a learning experience,” Edu, who’s starring in two international projects this year, said. (It was earlier reported by Variety that he was starring in Erik Matti’s Filipino remake of the French series Call My Agent for HBO Go.)

“Showbiz also allows you to public service. The dynamics here is so different. You know yung shock before when I was starting out as an artista… In America, I was going to do this Chuck Morris film. When we were talking at the Mandarin Hotel, ‘dun siya naka-billet, biglang sabi niya, they wanted to do an action scene in the mountains. So, Chuck told the director, build a village, burn it down, naisip ko yung budget…”

In the Philippines, or at least early in his career, they had to shoot and stay in actual communities, not built movie sets. “Habang nakaupo ka dun, you learn kasi lalapitan ka ng lahat tao. At saka walang mga tent-tent nuon, makikitira ka, no aircon,” he shared.

He further recalled they would stay in these communities for days so “kelangan makikisama ka… and you start to develop a certain dynamics of dealing with the public.”

Besides the award, what makes Edu proud or even prouder nowadays are the achievements of his children.

Edu recently celebrated the educational milestone of his son Enzo who is pursuing higher education. His son, who works at the New York City Council, just received a scholarship at the New York University Wagner Graduate School of Public Service for his Master of Public Administration (MPA) in Public and Nonprofit Management and Policy studies. He’s proud to share that he helped push his kids to finish their schooling, even Luis before he ventured into showbiz like his dad. “As long as it’s school, I don’t care. You can take as many courses or degrees, I’ll do my best to support you,” Edu said.

His favorite career advice to his four children: “Honestly, you never have enough time, so do it now. Sa lahat ng aspeto ng buhay, there’s not enough time. Do it now.”

This is something he also got from his father. “My dad may have been an athlete. But he also took school seriously. He went to the University of San Francisco,” Edu said.

“First job niya, he was an educator at the Hanna Boys Center, so lahat kami when we could help out in the Boys Center — which was also for Children in Conflict with the Law (CICL), he was head of the program — we would work in the kitchen. So that early in time… he always felt that’s the only way you can build a community. That it’s crucial for your personal and professional growth. He was so adamant na you have to study and to finish school.”