We all have that person or persons we look up to, whom we adore, respect, and who serve as our role models. Whether it’s someone close to us, or personalities we admire from afar, they serve as guides on how to live our lives.
Read on as well-known personalities pay tribute to the people who have been the greatest influence in their lives!
Risa Hontiveros, former Akbayan Representative
Gandhi, Martin Luther King and Aung San Suu Kyi. They are my inspiration in fighting for freedom and human rights through active, nonviolent means.
Divine Lee, host/fashion blogger
It’s hard to specify a specific cause or person to have the greatest influence on me. I think it’s mostly the people around you that influence you the most. So, in the end, it boils down to surrounding yourself with good people to help you make the right decisions in life.
James Yap, athlete
My dad has been a great influence in my life. He has shown me strength in his silence, and perspective in his words.
Baron Geisler, actor
As far as my acting career is concerned, my biggest influence is the late, great actor Johnny Delgado. He was more than just a mentor, he was a father, brother, spiritual adviser all rolled into one. He gave me a couple of acting books by Eric Morris. But his approach is really beyond technique. He would want it to be something spontaneous and instinctive, and that’s something that I always carry with me to this day. And in fact, every time I do a scene, I would remember him and his words of wisdom.
Rica Concepcion, homemaker
Easily my answer would be my mother, Menchu de las Alas Concepcion. While my father Raul T. Concepcion is a noted and respected industrialist and is a person I truly admire and idolize, those in our family know how important a role my mother played in helping my father build up the business. Many key decisions that helped our family business was because of my mother's direction. I admire her thoroughness and grace in handling various aspects of business and family. The saying “Behind every great man is a woman†truly applies to my mother and father.
La Union Governor Manuel Ortega
My father, Speaker Pro-tempore Francisco I. Ortega, has always been my idol. Thank God, he left behind a legacy in public service for generations to come and follow, not just in our family and province but for the nation.
Valenzuela Mayor Sherwin Gatchalian
My father, William Gatchalian, is the greatest influence in my life. Since we were kids, he instilled in us the value of hard work and perseverance. He would always challenge us and always encourage us to aim higher and higher.
John Prats, actor
My biggest influence would be my dad, especially with everything related to family and business. He taught me never to settle for second best, and to treat people with the same degree of respect, regardless of social standing, race or creed.
Robert G. Vergara, GSIS president and general
The greatest influence in my life is my father. He taught me many values that define who I am now — the values of honesty, integrity and sincerity; the benefits of hard work and the importance of striving for excellence. His love for his family was unconditional — a gift that has left an indelible impression on me as a husband and a father. He was the wisest and most generous soul I have ever known and I am blessed to have had someone like him.