Onemig Bondoc’s NO FEAR attitude

Eleven years ago, Onemig Bondoc was living a simple and normal life just like any teenager his age until he was offered to appear in his first commercial which was for Palmolive soap. Since that time, countless ad offers followed and he ended up appearing in different commercials here and there. Although the showbiz door was opened to him right after that Palmolive ad, Onemig opted not to. It was when he was 17 when he finally said yes. Now, at a young age of 24 and almost eight years in showbiz, he’s still as vibrant yet humble as ever. Though it was not a bed of roses, in fact, it was more of a roller-coaster ride for this good natured boy-next-door young actor, he admits getting used to life in showbiz. "It wasn’t easy at first. There were a lot of adjustments I had to learn from and issues I had to face."

Whoever said life in showbiz was a bed of roses anyway? "It’s a given, when you enter this business, it’s a fact that you won’t have a personal life. It’s going to be an open book for the public to know, that’s what’s sad about it also."

He admits having days when he wouldn’t get projects but that didn’t stop him from pursuing his career. "It also gave me time to help out in our family business and gave me more time to spend with the family. You see, God uses trials for a reason. It’s always for the better." Looking back, Onemig recalls those days as a blessing for it molded him to be the person he is now. "Surprisingly, I’ve managed to become a better person in spite of those. It made me change my outlook in life and made me mature at such a young age. I guess that’s what’s important in every trial you encounter, how you come out of it."

Asked about the most significant challenge he’s faced, he shares, "I would say being in showbiz. There’s really a lot of politics going on. Some people would really want to bring you down for reason you’ll never know. But in fighting those issues, you have to know how to respond positively."

Now he can say with all honesty that he learned how to deal with them well without stepping on other people. Onemig narrates, "When you’re mad at someone, it makes you want to fight back and give them a dose of their own medicine. But in the end, you realize that it’s not how to resolve an issue because it will make it more complicated and it’s going to be a never-ending battle of issues. I told myself if I wanted peace, it had to start from me. So I decided not to fight back but fight them with kindness." It’s true indeed, when you know you are saying the truth you have nothing to fear. Looking back, he can now say he fought the good fight.

Onemig admits that it was mainly because of how he was brought up by his parents which made the battle less tiresome. "I believe my family was the reason why I came out of those problems still triumphant. They instilled values such as respect for human dignity and honesty in whatever I do."

Asked if he ever compromised his values in exchange for personal gain or success in his career, he states, "Never! There were a lot of instances wherein my values where challenged but I had to make the right decision not to compromise them because if all else fails that’s the only thing that’s going to stay."

The young actor stresses how compromising your values could mean losing yourself in the process. "It wasn’t easy to hold on to what I believed was right, especially in show business, but I had to because it’s the only thing I was holding on to at that time." With honesty and love for family as his strongest values, Onemig shares how his family made him stand fast to all the politics and bad publicity he encountered in the business. "I’m so thankful for my parents for bringing me up like this. Whatever success I have now is because of them, I owe them a lot."

What’s keeping this free-spirited actor busy these days? "Just last year, the Department of Education Culture and Sports (DECS) gave me the responsibility of being their spokesperson for the youth." Happiness was evident in his pleasant face as he was narrating how he finds fulfillment in what he was doing for DECS. "I was happy just to know that they wanted me to participate in such service because I was looking for a way to impact the youth and touch lives." Programs such as cleanliness in the environment, anti-drug, value for education, and love for country are one of the few campaigns he has been busy with since last year.

Seems like this young actor has been busy lately going through different provinces and helping out young people and different tribes around the country. Clearly, he has found true fulfillment and happiness in what he’s doing. "I don’t mind being DECS’ spokesperson for years. I love it. Though it can be pretty tiring traveling all the way to the different provinces, at the end of the day you realize you’ve made use of your time well, helping young people. It’s a different kind of fulfillment for me."

All work and no play makes Onemig a dull boy that’s why he manages to keep his sanity through his car collection craze. "I started collecting these toy cars since 1998." He shares how he just woke up one morning and decided he wanted to collect as many cars as he can. "I guess it started when I went to Japan to watch Michael Schumacher’s competition, from then on I’d never miss a race, I’d watch all the races even on television." To date, he has around 80 cars in his collection. "They’ve been running around my condominium I don’t know where to put them anymore but I love collecting them. Among my collection, I love the McLaren the most because it’s very distinct and reflects my taste in automobiles." Aside from just mere fascination, he admits his enthusiasm in these cars makes him keep his sanity. "You should always find time for the child in you."

Whatever made Onemig into the person he is now is mainly attributed to all the trials and struggles he had to face at such a young age but just like what he said there is a reason for everything. "Those problems formed me to be a better person, I’ve become optimistic now whenever I face trials." Cheers to this fun loving person who describes his character in three words… sweet, humble, and honest. There’s no doubt about that!