‘Real lives, real stories, real people’

The most interesting story is always about people. Someone’s from-rags-to-riches tale is always an “unputdownable” read. An ordinary boy’s account of survival amidst extreme adversity always becomes a source of motivation for many. Even one’s staying power in any firmament — business, sports, arts, politics or showbiz — is many times treated as a good case study for inspiration or replication. Indeed, everybody has a story to tell. 

“Real lives. Real stories. Real people.” runs in the masthead of PeopleAsia magazine because it is the reality behind and beyond people’s lives that the magazine intelligently presents in every issue that it puts to bed for the last 13 years. Rightly so for its 13th anniversary issue, PeopleAsia unveils on its 306 glorious pages, the magazine’s thickest issue so far, its “People of the Year 2012” (POY) awardees.  It’s the magazine’s annual take to honor world-class Filipinos who have done the Philippines proud with their extraordinary talents and contributions to society. (Tomorrow night, 18 individuals will be honored at the People of the Year rites during a by-invitation-only ceremony at the Dusit Thani Hotel in Makati City.) Reading the narratives of this year’s 18 awardees in PeopleAsia is like reading 18 beautifully written mini-bios of people whose lives will light up other people’s lives with the incandescence of their stories. 

Take for example Apl.de.Ap of the Grammy Award-winning Black Eyed Peas. Born poor in Sapang Bato in Pampanga, Apl was blessed with fortitude to better his life. His heart found music as the enabler of his fate — and he made it big in the international entertainment scene. His soul, however, found its way to Sapang Bato again and there he continues to give back by building classrooms for underprivileged Filipinos.

Every Filipino should read F. Sionil Jose, a National Artist for Literature. It’s almost a sin not to be acquainted with his body of work because his stories provoke the mind, stir further restless hearts, still the soul, and, incite, well, perhaps, rebellion. In PeopleAsia magazine, he lights up by saying, “I tried to study Medicine, but in the end, my teacher told me I had too much imagination. I would probably end up diagnosing simple illnesses with elaborate stories.”

Norman Black, in a story wittingly titled “The Black Label,” is a luminous read on pp. 124-127 of the magazine. On these pages, he reveals the secrets and sacrifices to winning a five-peat UAAP championship for the Ateneo Blue Eagles.

Ben Chan celebrates the 25th year in the business of his iconic company Bench. But what makes Ben’s story interesting is his “benchmark of good will.” While Ben creates fashion excitement season after season, he also involves himself to the causes that upgrade the literacy level of  the schoolchildren around the country.

Another POY celebrating his 25th year in the business is fashion designer Randy Ortiz. What makes Randy a superstar of the local fashion scene is his involvement of local artisans and craftsmen in the process of his design. He is sincerely passionate about supporting local resources and talents.

The magazine does not really run out of “silver jubilarians” in the business. Also celebrating her 25th year in the food business is Gaita Fores. It’s interesting to note that an Accounting major like her will end up successfully claiming her own spot in the local food business without having to undergo formal training as a chef.

If it’s staying power in the business one clamors about, one just has to know the inside story of how Eddie Garcia has lasted 63 years — and still counting — in the entertainment business. He could have been in the US Army, you know, except that a friend invited him to a screen test days before his eventual enlistment.

Other POY awardees from the tinseltown are Angel Locsin and Anne Curtis. If you think you already know their stories, given their unquestionable popularity, you will be surprised to find out more about them on the pages of the magazine.

Karen Davila also made it to the list. More than anything else, what makes her a standout is her advocacy to provide people with decent homes. Her tie-up with Habitat for Humanity explains this all. And that’s only one of her many involvements that impact human lives.

MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino discusses uncomplainingly the challenges and criticisms he faces every day as “caretaker” of an imperial metropolis populated by more than 11 million people. Read about him in PeopleAsia and find out why he is a no-nonsense guy.

Laguna Gov. E.R. Ejercito makes films (Asiong Salonga and El Presidente) that are consistently graded A by the Cinema Evaluation Board. Perhaps it’s the same A-grade that his constituents are giving him for transforming Laguna as the No. 1 province and best place to visit, to invest in and to live in as cited by a survey.

Completing this year’s “People of the Year” awardees are lady tycoon Josephine Gotianun Yap of the Filinvest Group as she talks about building modern and eco-friendly cities down south — when all she wanted when she was starting was to remain the secretary of her father; and Prateek Kumar, the genial general manager of Dusit Thani Manila who gently turned and shook up the hotel to become worthy of its five-star stature now. 

For the first time, PeopleAsia is also giving out the Lifetime Achievement Award to Senate President Juan Ponce-Enrile. Other special awardees include real estate magnate Andrew Tan of Megaworld Corp. and Emperador Distiller’s Corp.; and  environmentalist and senatorial hopeful Juan Miguel Zubiri.

Last but not the least, PeopleAsia also puts on center stage the story of Chris “Kesz,” the magazine’s People’s Choice awardee. Thirteen-year-old Chris is a recipient of the International Children’s Peace Prize award held at The Hague. A battered child who preferred to sleep inside cemetery niches to escape maltreatment from his parents at home, Chris, at his tender age, spearheaded a handful of volunteers from Championing Community Children to attend to the needs of more than 10,000 underprivileged children of Cavite City. Read his story and cry. But one thing is for sure, this kid will make you proud as a Filipino and will make you even more compassionate as a human being.

All these real stories of real people are waiting to be read by you on the pages of PeopleAsia magazine. Truly an “unputdownable” issue.

(E-mail me at bumbaki@yahoo.com or follow me on Twitter @bum_tenorio. Have a blessed Sunday!)