Jericho Rosales goes Ocean deep

MANILA, Philippines - Clad in a rain-drenched white shirt and gamely wrestling in the mud with his Golden Re-triever, Jericho Rosales is the definition of picture of pure happiness, and it’s all because of his dog, Ocean. For the past hour, he has been playing with Ocean in the village park where they tumbled and rolled in the muddy lawn, played catch using a well-chewed rubber ball thrown alternately with the softball, the two practically ignoring everyone else while they roughhoused like two siblings.

“We wrestle a lot, he’s like my brother,” he says of Ocean who has only been with him for two years. The dog was a birthday gift from a friend who thought he’d be ready to have another pet after his painful loss the year before. “I cried when I first saw him,” he recounts his first encounter with Ocean, “My previous dog’s name was Sky (who was also a Golden Retriever) so kumbaga sabi nila, si Ocean yung nagpapa-blue sa Sky,” he says. “It was very painful when Sky died because I was away then, in Italy, and I heard about it on the train going to Florence. I cried for three hours,” he reveals. “I didn’t want another dog, I didn’t want to replace Sky, but since I got him, it’s very bittersweet.”

Time for catch: Jericho coaxes Ocean.

Despite their teary first meeting, the two grew very close, much like brothers or best buds. “In general, he’s a very nice dog, he likes people, but when he sees me — it’s different. Something special comes out,” he says. “He sleeps in my room almost every night, he also has a bed in my room!” he reveals of their closeness, akin to that of a family member rather than a pet. Echo tries to spend as much time with Ocean as possible, despite being busy with various interests which have extended from acting (with his most recent film was Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow for the recent Metro Manila Film Festival and upcoming drama series Padre de Pamilya with Piolo Pascual this year) into singing (he celebrated his 15 years in the business with a concert last December), recording, and producing (his first indie film Alagwa).

“We like watching TV together, when I turn on the TV, he relaxes instantly, nanunuod din siya. He wants to be part of the family, ayaw niyang nasa baba lang siya, ayaw niya na di siya pinapansin.” The two would even have breakfast together — Echo eating apples, bananas, and pancakes on the kitchen island, and Ocean, resting on his feet, likewise eating apples, bananas, and pancakes.

Bath time: Echo cleans up Ocean.

“He goes with me to surf, even to the lineup, and in the beach. He comes with me when we go to La Union,” says Echo, who is also known for his love for surfing. “He loves to play, he won’t let me go, ‘pag papunta na ako sa dagat, I have to tie him somewhere, and if I don’t, he’ll go with me to the lineup,” says Echo, referring to the area where surfers wait for the next wave. Ocean seems to have acquired almost by acuity this quality of Sky, who would, instead, bite Echo’s surfboard leash whenever he sets out into the deep. At times, Ocean would insist riding Big Hug, Echo’s van (he names all his cars), which would prompt a wrestling match between the two.

Definitely an alpha dog through and through, Ocean can be very patient with other dogs but won’t stand back when provoked, and has a certain way with the ladies. “He doesn’t know a lot of tricks, but he has lots of charm,” says Echo who reveals that Ocean was actually a training drop out. “It’s actually my girlfriend who taught him some tricks, he knows how to roll, sit, drop — we’re still in the process of giving him education and obedience training because he’s really makulit,” he adds.

My wave: It’s more fun playing with Ocean.

Like brothers, the two also have their little skirmishes. “I get irritated with him sometimes, to the point that we fight,” says Echo. For one thing, Echo hates it when Ocean jumps into the pool. “I get irritated when he gets loose and goes straight to the pool! He really loves the water.”

Just the other night, he was in the pool at 1 a.m., “he didn’t know that the pool was dirty because it was dark,” Echo teases Ocean who was lying on the floor a few feet away from the interview. At this point, Echo was already late for an appointment with friends, yet there was no semblance of worry on his face because here in this room, he feels most at peace beside his Ocean.