Gerald Anderson: Business first, love life later
MANILA, Philippines — Gerald Anderson considers camping an “ideal” date, but finding a special someone to share the outdoors with isn’t exactly at the top of his priorities right now.
Between acting, growing his business and pursuing his West Philippine Sea advocacy, the actor-entrepreneur said romance is something he’d rather let happen naturally.
Asked pointblank during a recent event if he was ready to fall in love again, Gerald said, “Let’s see. That will come anyway, just like anything else — manifestation, ‘right? You have to manifest.”
As a self-professed nature lover, the 37-year-old did say that the outdoors would be a great date setting because “that’s how you’ll find out what kind of people you both are, right? When (things are a) bit difficult and you’re not comfortable.”
But again, that would have to wait. “Right now, (I’m) manifesting more about the West Philippine Sea, about business, about career. And then, that one will come. Darating naman ’yan,” he reiterated. “We also don’t want to be unfair (and) rush it.”
Gerald, who now owns two resorts in Zambales, said he’s very focused and hands-on when it comes to his hospitality business. Still, he made it clear that acting continues to be his main livelihood, which is why he has learned to surround himself with people who can help manage his other ventures. “I had to put a team together to help me,” he added.
His resort business was born from, as mentioned, his longtime love for the outdoors. “I love the beach, I love the outdoors, I love camping. So, it’s like a combination (of all my interests),” he said.
“Honestly, it all started with… buying a lot supposedly for personal use only. But after, I said, why not offer it (to the public) so that others can experience it?”
At present, his two properties cater to different markets — beach goers and mountain lovers. There could be more in the future, he also hinted.
This move into this kind of business has also led him to explore ways of making the outdoors more accessible and irresistible to people who aren’t into traditional camping. This prompted his collaboration with glamping (short for glamorous camping) company SOLORA Philippines, whose accommodation structures — from safari-style, A-frame tents to dome-like options — are being used in his latest resort development.
At a presscon at the company’s headquarters in Valenzuela City, Gerald along with the husband-and-wife tandem behind SOLORA Philippines, Dr. Mary and Khelvin Cruz, shared why they decided to work together in pushing the glamping concept to the Philippines.
Dr. Mary, CEO, explained that their celeb endorser was a “natural fit” for the brand because of “his interests in nature, adventure, resort development and creating outdoor experiences.”
“Being also an entrepreneur, I’m so excited with this partnership kasi bagay siya sa gusto pang i-offer sa mga tao… Sobrang swak itong collaboration because I want people to connect more with nature,” Gerald added.
The event offered a preview of the specific glamping tents that Gerald used for his resort. The full range of structures is currently priced from P149,000 to P419,000, depending on the model, while the glamping domes range from P399,000 to P499,000.
In response to questions about the durability and longevity, Dr. Mary shared that successive typhoons had actually hit shortly after they launched, testing right away the glamping tents in local conditions.
The execs further claimed that its glamping tents had wind-resistance ratings from Level 8 to Level 10, according to the model, as well as waterproof outer fabric rated at up to 8,000 mm. These were also designed for a lifespan of at least 10 years. They also reassured customers of after-sales service should the structures need repairs or attention.
Philippine tourism
As for Gerald, especially on a good day, being in natural surroundings is also how he recharges from work. “Whenever I leave Zambales, when I come back to work or Manila, sobrang refreshed and re-energized na ako kasi nandyan ang sapa, yung dagat, yung bundok,” he shared.
“The outdoors really give me something different. It gives me a different kind of energy. It makes me more inspired to go back to work.”
Gerald also remains optimistic about Philippine tourism while acknowledging the economic difficulties many Filipinos are experiencing.
“Kasi mahirap lang talaga yung ekonomiya natin ngayon. That’s hard. We’ve been going through a lot as a country,” he said.
“And masyado tayong masipag eh. Talagang trabaho tayo nang trabaho, nagtatrabaho tayo para sa pamilya. So, we should also enjoy the fruits of our hard work.
“I really believe in our tourism. I know it will recover and become even better than it was before.
But we also have to offer okay na places.”
Exciting career times
Business is just one of several things competing for Gerald’s time. He described this period in his showbiz career as “very exciting times,” with several things happening simultaneously.
He’s filming a Netflix project, details of which are still under wraps. “I think I could only say kasama ko naman si Jerald Napoles,” he said, before adding, “I think I’ll say it’s an action-comedy.”
The reservist — currently auxiliary captain of the Philippine Coast Guard — also headlines “Pusong Bayani,” a four-part YouTube series that takes him and fellow “Kasanggas” Pauline Amelinckx, Argel Saycon and Gifer Fernandez to communities along the West Philippine Sea.
Among the places featured are Palawan, where the group visited the Armed Forces of the Philippines-Western Command headquarters, as well as Buena Vista and Masinloc, Zambales.
According to him, the series goes beyond geopolitics and spotlights people whose lives and livelihoods are tied to the waters, such as fisherfolk, soldiers and coastal communities.
“Before itong ‘Pusong Bayani’ documentary, mahilig akong mag-research about the West Philippine Sea and what’s going on. Ano ba talaga yung atin? Ano ba yung international waters? Ano ba yung nasa loob ng EEZ natin?” he said.
So, when the opportunity to do “Pusong Bayani” came along, Gerald said he found a way to make it work despite an already packed schedule. “Kahit puyat-puyat ako noon (due to his primetime drama ‘Blood Vs. Duty’)… sabi ko, we have to find a way para magawa ’to,” he recalled.
He hopes more Filipinos will watch it to better understand what’s happening in the West Philippine Sea. “I really pray and hope that more people will watch it because it’s something very informative and this is what’s happening to our country as we speak,” he said.
At the same time, Gerald stressed that for him, standing up for the country doesn’t mean calling for a confrontation. “Pag sinabi kong ilaban or lumaban, hindi naman ibig sabihin makipag-giyera tayo sa ibang bansa. Obviously, it’s not the No. 1 option. It should be diplomacy really, dapat usap,” he said. “That’s what we’re advocating for.”
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