Finally, we got a chance to talk to the guy that our fellow Filipinos go to whenever they feel poorly treated and unheard. I am excited to talk to him and know his story. What usual complaints does he get? And how does he feel whenever people call him their idol? Does he still get scared of death threats? And of course, we'll finally find out who's more beautiful in person, me or Alex? So this is where we hear all the complaints, right, sir? This is where all the action happens. Monday to Friday. But can you tell us how a regular day looks like for a Raffy Tulfo? Well I really start my day at 6am. I have an hour for exercise, using the treadmill, stretching, breathing exercises, then I read the news. I go to work and start "Idol in Action" at 10:30am through 12 noon. Then I have two hours before going live on Wanted sa Radyo, so I eat lunch before this. Then I'm done by 4pm. I then have an hour and a half to prepare for the news. And after that, I head home. I go to bed around 11:30PM. And then you do it all over again. Monday to Friday. Even in the pandemic, it seems like your schedule never changed. -Yes.
-So you work seven days a week or do you have a day-off? I have day-offs. Saturdays and Sundays. That's a day for your family? Correct. Sunday is strictly for my family. Our family day. How many years have you been in this industry? About 24 years. 24 years. Now my age has become apparent. We all know Sir Raffy Tulfo for twenty-four years now, in action and doing public service on TV and on radio. But it seems like we don't know much about your real life, I've read that you were from Davao? My mother is from Davao Oriental and my father is from Batac, Ilocos Norte. Where did you grow up? We keep moving because my father was in the military. Wherever he's assigned, we're there with him. But in my case, because I was the poorest amongst all of my siblings, because there was ten of us. Ten? Yes, ten. I am the eighth. So I'm the one who's given lesser attention. The neglected one. So besides the fact that we keep relocating, I get passed on to my other relatives just so I can go to school. -So that's how it is.
-Yes, a lot of my relatives have provided for my schooling. When you were young, what was your dream? I wanted to be a newscaster. I remember that whenever I see a newspaper, I'd get it and read it. Because my brother, Mon, at that time, was inclined to doing radio broadcast. He was an announcer. So I see and hear my brother reading the news, then we hear him on the radio, so we try to copy him. Until I was in high school, I remember my classmates who would make fun of me, call me crazy and delusional. Why? Because I pretend to be like a disk jockey on the radio. I talk like them, read like them, that's why they laugh and make fun of me. They'd even hit my head and say, "Hey! You're crazy!" And a time came, now, they said, "We make fun of you before, but look at you now..." Then I say, "Maybe it's good you did that because I was challenged to really do it after..." I proved that my dream wasn't crazy. Because you are here now. I just wanted to fulfill my dreams, that's all. What unforgettable experience did you have as a kid? Whenever I get beaten up for discipline. That's a good experience. I will never forget that. So you experienced this kind of strict discipline, how exactly did your parents do it? A slipper, a shoe, by a hand, a belt, Even with branches of a guava plant, that stick-like part. Were you hard-headed as a kid? I really was and I was disobedient, that's why I feel I deserved to be disciplined. Who's the most hard-headed among you and your siblings? Four of us. So, among the four-- You Sir Raffy, Mon, Erwin, Ben Tulfo. Among the four of you, who's the most hard-headed? When we were young? It'd have to be my older brother, Mon. He's the hardest to control? Yes, he was. According to the teachers and the principal who knew him. How are you as a student? I'm an average student but at the same time, a rebel. That's why I wasn't able to finish college. So you've experienced being suspended in class? Of course I was suspended. I couldn't forget that time in high school when I was so hard-headed. I do regret doing those, that's why I tell my children to never be like that. Because we were so rude as kids, we had a really strict teacher, we called her a "terror" teacher, me and my friends would call her out and we even gave her the dirty finger. Why would you give your teacher a dirty finger? We were so annoyed at her because she was so strict. She gets angry with unnecessary things, at least for us, and I think she doesn't give us good grades. So one time when she was walking, I gave her the dirty finger. And she apparently saw from my reflection from an adjacent mirror. So she reported us to the school principal. I didn't know because I was in the classroom already. I was called to the principal's office and I went there. When I got there, I saw my father. Oh, no. My heart was pounding so intensely. I went to my dad and gave my respects, and as I was doing so, he hit me. He repeatedly hit me in front of my teachers. How old were you then? I was in third year high school, so around 14 years old. In the end, both my teacher and the principal didn't know how to stop my father from beating me up. That's how my father does it, on the spot. My mother, on the other hand, she wanted all of us, my siblings and I, to become priests. She wanted all her sons to be priests. There were seven of us, five have been sent to the seminary. It was just me and Mon who did not. So the five went to the seminary? 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Yes, five. One of them even reached the regency stage. Where he gets one year to really decide if he'll push through with being a priest or not. What my brother did is that he got a girlfriend. So that just confirms that he really did not want to be a priest. He was just coerced. Erwin went to the seminary, too. Your mother's name is "Caridad," which means "charity." -Yes.
-And you got the heart for public service from her, yes? That's right. My mother is very generous. She always tells us this story when she was in elementary, her parents were quite well off and my grandfather who was Japanese, was also a good merchant. My mother would steal some items from their store so she could give it to her less fortunate classmates. Even her packed lunch alongside the items she gets from the store, she would always give it away. And as she grew older, I witnessed her generosity first hand. My father was an officer at that time, he was the provincial commander in Zamboanga City. I saw my parents giving away our supply of rice to those soldiers who need it more. So you grew up seeing the selflessness of your parents? Yes. My mother would even pawn her jewelry, so that she'll have money to share to those in need. You really got the heart for public service and generosity from your parents. Helping, Giving what you can for the less fortunate, we got that from our mother. She understood that she came from a well-off background, but she still wanted to give and serve. Our father however, was not as well-off, he was frugal and did not really share. That's the balance, I suppose. One of them is giving, one is not so much. Correct! One is generous, the other one is stingy. One Ilocano, and one Visayan. "Bisakol," as they say. So that's how they're called. Do you speak any different dialects? I know how to speak in Visayan, Chavacano, of course Tagalog and a bit of Ilocano dialect. I also know the Mandayan dialect. It's the deeper Visayan dialect in Davao Oriental. Can I ask for a sample? Can you translate, "You are so beautiful today, Toni." How would that be? In Visayan dialect? Yes. In Visayan, that's easy, "Gwapa ka jud...ka-ayo." That's the superlative already. "Ang ganda mo talaga." Alex might get jealous. I think she'll honestly be fine with it. So there's no sibling rivalry between you two? No, that's not really an issue for us. We also get scolded when we do that, so no. Now that you've seen Alex and I in person, who's more beautiful in person? Oh, that's easy. So we can finally find out. Hands down. It's Alex. -No, I was kidding.
-I feel like complaining now. You both have very distinct types of beauty. Didn't I tell you that your beauty is eyecatching? If people see you in a mall, they'd take another look at you for sure. Catch me. Catch me! So when I saw you a while ago, I said, "Wow!" I was expecting that you and Alex would look so much alike, but you have sharper features. Maybe it's because of my jaws. -They really are prominent.
-Or maybe because this [chin] is really "sharp." It really is. I really do have sharp features. No, no... You're okay. Okay! I passed. Much to your viewers' delight. I think you'd choose to be with me while going to a grocery rather than my sister... Without a doubt! I got into a scandal when I was with her. I did watch that... I wanted to become invisible because I felt so shameful. I didn't want a scandal. Actually, she's been doing what she did to you to our mother ever since. I was so shy. But she was so relaxed. She goes, "Hello!" and I go, "Alex, don't. Don't!" It doesn't bother her, that's her personality. That's why people like her. How old were you when you first got a girlfriend? Around 14 years old. 14? 14 or maybe 13. 13? Yes, 13 years old. How do you court girls? First thing you do is to write a letter and give it to someone who will give it to the girl. That was how you did it before? And then buy a piece of ChocNut and give it to her. That was the only thing I could afford back then. Yes. When she asks who gave it, I'd carefully raise my hand. And now you're a couple? Not yet, I had to court her more. I would even write a poem. A poem! The effort to write a poem! What types of poems do you write? "Roses are red, violets are blue, but not as pretty as you." I'd never forget that. Did she say yes after that? Yes, because of that. You have to write with profound words. I forgot about the rest. Then they would eventually respond and write it on a piece of paper, When I see that, I'd think to myself that that's it. I would put it under my pillow then sleep soundly with it. For real. That's the style before, now, it's totally different. Now it's all about text messaging. But because of social media, your audience grew bigger. Yes, right. Your viewership was boosted and people had a better awareness on the program that they can approach whenever they wanted to be heard. Yes, that's because of Facebook and YouTube. That was a big factor to the success of "Raffy Tulfo in Action" What are the common problems in the country as reported in your program? Two things. Labor and family issues. A cheating husband or wife. Or rebellious children. For the laborers, usually it's about how they are not given their proper wages. That's the number one complaint. At first, the complaints were about the police and barangay chairmans who would beat up people. Then came in the complaints from several laborers. Then personal problems came in, especially with overseas Filipino workers. OFW wives would complain about their hard-headed husbands who'd spend the money irresponsibly. Some husbands would complain about their OFW wives who would cheat on them abroad. Until it all got a lot of buzz. The program became huge. Right. What do you like most about what you do? That moment everyday when I see people saying thank you with a smile on their faces or people who say thank you with tears welling in their eyes. That's a really, really good feeling. It probably is the reason why I am here in this world. It's hard to describe. You make a difference in the lives of people everyday. That is fulfillment. The fulfillment of doing good and continuously doing so for the people. It's a good feeling to help solve their problems. The ones who thank you with a smile or tears on their faces, those two, are the best feelings in the world. Don't you get tired of the complaints you hear sometimes? You'll only get tired if you do not love what you are doing. But if you do love your job, you will enjoy it and the all your efforts will be worth it. You're not really going to feel the stress, although, sometimes you will, but again, if you really love what you do, and you have the eagerness. And when you wake up, you just look forward to going to work. When peole call you their idol, how do you feel? I am very happy and I feel flattered. I am thrilled to be given that title and respect that's why I give these people the respect they deserve as well. That's why I try to meet their expectations all the time. Maybe they really see the sincerity in what we do here, the help we give is genuine, the people will know that. They can't be fooled. They know when you're taking them seriously or not. In our case, they see that our program is truthful and worth their trust. Do you get death threats? A lot. In that twenty years? I couldn't keep count. Don't you get scared of these threats anymore? At first, I was. I get really nervous. And I was anxious to show that when I was starting out. But now, it's nothing. I've grown numb to it. I was able to muster enough guts. Whatever insult or threat that would come my way, it doesn't bother me anymore. Raffy Tulfo is fearless. There's no reason to be scared, because in my case, I want to protect the people who are voiceless and maltreated. So you have that fight in you that keeps you going. That urge to help those in need. You'll do everything you can. Even if it means losing your life, you'll do it to give justice to the oppressed. But if there was one thing that you're afraid of, what would it be? Growing old. -Because I don't want to.
-You don't seem like you age. Maybe, just like everybody else, I don't want to grow old and not leave a legacy behind. What do you want people to remember about you? When I'm gone, I want people to say, "Once upon a time, ...there's this guy named Raffy Tulfo, who did tremendous things in our lives and the lives of many Filipinos."
