Xian Lim: Man on the move

MANILA, Philippines - He still looks more like a model than an artista,” whispered one of my favorite fellow writers as Xian Lim entered the Gallery of the BDO North Tower for an intimate press lunch. The occasion was an informal announcement to discuss the new campaign with said matinee idol and his shockingly slim and youthful mom.

Dressed in an on-trend bomber jacket, tailored pants and boots, he did look as if he belonged in a fashion spread. To state the obvious, Xian definitely was born to wear clothes. His tall, slim physique, square jaw and finely chiseled features call to mind the line of Lord Byron, “All that’s best of dark and light, meet in the aspect and the eyes.” But far from the pop culture myth of the male model as clueless and obnoxious (eg. Zoolander), Xian is warm, gracious, well-spoken and ready with a sincere smile. In a nutshell, the best way to sum up his appeal is that he’s the type of guy you bring home to Mom.

The lunch did not have the usual structure of a speech and open forum. Instead, the writers present were each given their one-on-one time with Xian and his mom. This type of format, similar to what was depicted in the movie Notting Hill, is more casual and free-flowing, but it is more tedious for the celebrity. They may have to repeat themselves, and they naturally have to adjust to the personalities and interviewing styles of the journalists on rotation. Xian and his mom Mary Anne were uniformly polite and generous with each round of questions, never losing their smiles. And I noticed that as each round ended, they effusively thanked the interviewers, taking away that wall that sometimes exists between “celebrity” and the media. They didn’t make the journalists feel that being interviewed was an imposition, but a privilege.

Home and mom are integral to Xian’s life. His mom said, “Even as a child, I told him that he can tell me everything, and it’s still like that now.” In fact, one of the lessons she passed on at a very early age was the value of saving, fitting to the concept of the campaign they are engaged in this afternoon.

 â€œThat’s what my parents did to me, make me comfortable with the idea of saving and investing, and so I also taught him that,” she reveals. Xian then adds with a low chuckle, “Even before I was into acting, and so long before I was working with BDO, I would go to their branch near my house, as often as two to three times a week. Ang kulit talaga. I would ask them what were their latest packages. I really wanted to know how I could invest.”

Fast-forward to the present, and Xian is juggling TV and movie projects. And now, his bank goes to him. He also fully utilizes their mobile banking services.  He reminisces, “I remember that both times, when I got my car loan and my house loan, I was so busy. The BDO people would really go out of their way to come to my set, help me out, advise me. That’s not just in the ad, it really happens in real life. It’s not just a line, they are really good at giving me advice and helping me with the paperwork.”

For BDO eBanking, Xian joins hands with his mom to launch another first among the bank’s offerings, one that again provides a fresh perspective in banking. The mother-son tandem is all smiles as they reveal a banking revolution in BDO’s mobile application showcasing a secure platform to enable mobile go-getters. “It is cool to say that more than being secure and safe with whatever you’ve got going with your banking transactions, BDO still knows how to cater to people who are always on the go,” Xian notes.

He now proudly says, “I can honestly say that I already have my dream home. But I actually think of that as my mom and my lola’s house, that’s my gift to them. So maybe, I will build another one. Or two, even! What I really want is to invest in more properties, that’s my long-term plan. That’s really what I hope to be doing.”

When asked to describe why his relationship with BDO works, Xian answers quickly, “It’s the trust level. When they would go to my tapings, and explain things to me, I realized that ‘we find ways’ isn’t just a line. And from that first time when I started with the branch near my house, they really make you feel as if you are part of a family.”

The BDO people also say that Xian is more than just the usual brand ambassador. One of their marketing staff shared with me, “At our last sportsfest, he really wanted to play basketball with one of the teams. He said that he didn’t want to just open the games, he wanted to be part of them. Can you just imagine how happy everyone was that he stayed to play basketball? We even had a uniform made for him!”

As the interviews were winding down, Xian then had to pose for photographs. He gamely stood up to pose in various corners of the gallery. In his own way, he is bringing back the old school gentleman, who doesn’t have to be a bad boy or a rebel to be a true man. He is a throwback to the image of the man of the house. He may have the looks of a model but he also has the steady character and clear head of a role model.

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BDO Mobile Banking App features security measures that exceed industry standards, such as: encrypted transmission of data to protect customer account information, one-time-password for authentication upon registration of device, and verification of user ID and password every login. With easy access through BDO eBanking, every Filipino can do more. For more information on BDO eBanking, go to www.bdo.com.ph