"The view is surprising, isn’t it?" he asks, leaning out to enjoy the view and cool breeze from his astonishingly large balcony. "That’s Alabang over there," he adds, pointing to the right. The distance between Rockwell and Alabang isn’t what anyone would call small but from a commanding height, with only lush green lawns and a few bridges peppered with cars making the afternoon commute separating the two, it looks deceptively near.
The scene is fitting for a man known for his active lifestyle, which has spawned sports as diverse as cave diving and long-distance running. He recently completed a 102- kilometer run with two friends, taking the route of the Death March, which originally took over four days, in less than 19 hours. "It wasn’t as painful as I thought it would be," he explains. "We trained for it, doing two to four-hour runs in the heat. Most people would go out for a jog when it’s cooler, like at five. Not us," he says, shaking his head and smiling. "We’d run at 10 a.m. or two o’clock, when the sun’s blazing, so we’d get used to it."
How does a man who heads the Metro group, ABS-CBN Publishing’s seven-title unit which includes Metro, Metro Active, Chalk and Pink, among others, have time to travel across the country chasing adventure races and long-distance marathons? Simple. He packs as much as he can into a day.
His morning often starts at 5 a.m. when he gets up. Then he heads to Polo Club by 5:30. On Mondays and Thursdays, he bikes. On Tuesdays and Fridays, he runs. And on Wednesdays? He goes swimming. Sometimes, he’ll play a game of tennis or squash. Every day, he crams in a workout before heading to work, where he writes for a number of publications as well as heads the day-to-day operations of the bustling office as president of the publishing company.
For most people, a schedule that includes a 5:30 a.m. workout session followed by rigorous office work leads to exhaustion and, quite possibly, a hernia. For Ernie Lopez, the opposite seems to be the case. "I feel exhausted when I don’t get to do something sporty," he counters. "I’d feel sluggish and masungit."
After work, when he gets home, he plays with his four-year-old son before settling down to catch up on some Desperate Housewives action, a new show following the lives of troubled wives in suburbia. "I’m a huge fan of the program," he says. When questioned about his affinity for a series about females, he responds with a shrug and a wave of his hand, declaring, "Desperate Housewives is a show made for men. Even the way these women approach their problems is masculine. They see a problem, they solve it and move forward. Plus, with all the suspense – from all the sex, murder and lies – it’s clearly targeted to men!"
But Desperate Housewives isn’t the only show he follows religiously. Even 24, featuring a perennially harassed Kiefer Sutherland going through an extremely long terrorist attack-filled day, is one of his entertainment mainstays. When it’s time to unwind, he plops down on the couch and catches up on his shows or pops in a DVD. "That’s how my wife and I relax. We watch," he explains succinctly.
Their home is a response to that. The living area is cast in a muted palette that, at first glance, looks completely masculine. Dark plush carpeting covers the hardwood floors, with couches upholstered in similarly dark material to match. While the rest of the home is in the middle of a renovation – since Ernie’s wife, Jeena, is expecting their second child – the living and dining area look urbane and stylishly put together.
The condo was originally his father’s, Eugenio Lopez Jr. When his father passed away, he and his siblings agreed on a reasonable amount for the place and an easy-on-the-pocket 10-year payment plan. "I’ll be paying for this place for quite a bit," he says smiling. Ernie, by the way, is no lackadaisical trust-fund kid. Almost everything in his apartment, he had to earn himself. Well, almost. "I inherited the furniture from my dad."
The Art Deco-esque furniture seems like a throwback to the days when the art scene was swinging and style seemed like an easy accessory to come by. The dark leather armchair and carpet are juxtaposed against modern accent pieces, like steel armoires in chunky block shapes and a chest in the same toned-down hue. A lounge seat makes for a striking conversation piece with its irregular rectangular legs.
It looks like a photo from a coffee-table book with a caption running below declaring, "A home built for entertaining." While the living area certainly looks perfect for a cocktail party, there are details that make it the home of a young family with a love for the outdoors. A bunch of bikes are propped on the side by the glassed-in view of the metropolis, and next to it, a table with an aquarium featuring a frisky fish with a habit of jumping playfully about and splashing water. "Look at this," Ernie says. He taps the other side of the aquarium and the fish gamely swims across, moving sand around that creates a mini-sand- storm effect. "He’s so lively, always moving around and following your finger when you tap against the aquarium." On the same wooden desk is his favorite sculpture, two silver fish swimming together by Veloso. "My wife gave this to me," he adds, squinting to examine the piece. "It’s supposed to be my son and me." He props the sculpture carefully down on the table. "That’s why it’s my favorite."
At the corner of the room stands an imposing armoire with a sculpture above it of two figures embracing. "I love this one," he says. "It’s called ‘The Embrace’ by Berenguer Topacio. When I first saw it, I fell in love with it immediately. I wanted to buy it but it was out of my league price-wise. Later on, I came across it again and finally purchased it."
The art in his home is quite impressive. Many of the pieces, like the Arturo Luz painting in the foyer and the Sanso and Fernando Zobel pieces in the living room, were inherited from his late father. "My siblings and I tried as much as possible to divide my father’s art collection by value between the seven of us. Then we all picked lots. What was funny was that we all ended up with the pieces we wanted – except for my brother Gabby (who’s head honcho of ABS-CBN Broadcasting)," Ernie adds, pausing, "but he has too much money already." He laughs.
Ernie’s love for sculpture is easy to see as he quickly bounces between several he deems his favorite. The green bust on the table past the foyer, by artist Orlina, seems like a good explanation, its sensuous curvature and liquid-like green glass a calling to any art lover with a penchant for beauty. "I like sculptures because they don’t fade," he explains easily. "You can keep them for ages and you can put them anywhere, unlike paintings. You always have to put them away from the sun. That’s why, if you noticed, all the paintings in my home face this side. It’s to protect them from direct sunlight."
A few steps down and you’ll find the dining area facing the balcony. The original dining room had been converted into an entertainment area, filled with a large TV, a comfy couch, a few paintings by notable artists and a set of golf clubs. "When the table was in the dining room, I didn’t really spend much time there. There’s really no point if you’re eating alone or not entertaining. It made more sense to move it out here." Directly beside the living area, the long wooden dining table is flanked by several chairs, none of them matching. "My wife is weird," Ernie shares amiably. "She likes it when things are a bit off."
To contrast against the dark wood of the table are metal chairs by Berenguer Topacio and large wooden chairs by Benjie Reyes which are almost kingly in proportion, its high-backed style giving it a regal, otherworldly air. Jeena decorated the table with an odd assortment of ornaments, like a set of dragon heads. "Very Dungeons and Dragons," Ernie comments. The lighting is soft and soothing, coming from small lamps suspended a couple feet above. "Now that the table’s here, facing this great view, I often come here to eat breakfast before work or read the paper. I actually spend a lot of time here."
There’s no denying the magnificent view. Even the balcony’s sole resident, Ernie’s Jack Russell, appropriately named Speedo, basks in the sunshine and cool air. "Come here, Speedo," he calls out. Quickly, his small legs pushing him forward at a surprising speed, Speedo greets his master with a jump and several licks on the leg. "I actually wanted to name my kid Speedo but my wife protested. She just said, ‘You can name the dog Speedo.’" With some animal training on his resume, Speedo can sit and shake hands on command. "He used to be able to do more," Ernie confessed, "but I guess he forgot."
"We used to bring him around a lot," Ernie says, looking fondly at Speedo, "before we had a kid. He can swim like nobody’s business." Now he takes his wife on trips since she, too, is a major sports aficionado. She bikes, rides horses, rock climbs, scuba dives, you name it. "That was my requirement. When I got married, I knew that I couldn’t marry someone who’d just sit home and read books," is his explanation.
The couple met on a rock-climbing outing. Jeena’s best friend brought her along. After that, they got to know each other and then began going on regular outings together. "That’s how we became close."
No doubt about it, sports is a major part of Ernie’s life. A gear cabinet in the back holds everything from wet suits to bike pumps. A recent addition to his sports gear is a Ducati, a top-of-the-line motorcycle.
"I bought it just this year," he explains. "My wife got huffy because I was supposed to buy it next year, but I bought it this year as a surprise – and she was not pleased." Jeena, who loves Ducati as much, if not more, than Ernie, had agreed with him to delay the purchase of the bike due to its eyebrow-raising price tag. "I did some research online," he says, "and I originally thought it was too expensive. Then when I actually found out the price – which turned out to be half of my estimate – I thought, sige, I’ll get it na." But Jeena, who’s about to give birth, was not happy. "She can’t ride it because she’s pregnant," he deduces, "which is why she wasn’t jumping for joy. It was something we were supposed to do together."
Clearly, in this couple’s case, sports is the great equalizer, the major denominator if you will, in their relationship – which should explain why Metro Active, the new magazine from ABS-CBN Publishing, is Ernie’s baby. It’s the magazine that speaks to him, he says. A publication devoted to the active lifestyle, it doesn’t just feature the major hideaways of the Philippines. It goes one step further.
"Most of the travel magazines available now are not really focused the way we are," he declares earnestly. "They just highlight a lot of beaches and places to go. We won’t just feature resorts. We’ll tell you what you can do when you get there, and the sports and activities you can try out, too."
"With regional travel magazines, half the stuff that’s in there, I’ll never get to do – the same for most people. With the way our economy’s going, traveling abroad isn’t exactly a viable plan. It’s not as affordable. Adventure traveling is going to be the more popular option and that’s the market we want to serve. I think a lot of people don’t want to go to a beach and just hang out – at least, I don’t."
"In my case, it’s all about sailing, kayaking, snorkeling, and lots of other sports," Ernie trails off. "My wife and I love scuba diving too, but we’ve become jaded already."
The current issue of Metro Active is their water issue, delving into water sports and activities like surfing, wake boarding, and, of course, scuba diving. "One of the biggest alternative sports activities is scuba diving," he shares. "Because you don’t really need to be physically fit to do it. You just need the gear. And it’s a really enjoyable sport for both genders. Prime locations are just two hours away."
For Ernie, a banker turned media mogul, always being on the move is a way of life. It’s always about moving forward and breaking new ground – whether in sports or business.
"Some people just have this gene. If we don’t run, we’re not happy. And I’m talking about long distances," he explains, his brow furrowed as he searches for words. "You can’t just run a little bit. You have to push yourself." Like Joy Roxas, a Metro writer who recently ran across the Philippines on foot, Ernie loves the freedom that comes with testing limits and human endurance. "Joy doesn’t do it as a competitive sport. She doesn’t like competition. She just runs for the sake of running." He concludes after a pause. "And I can relate to that."