Today, we are joined by one of the best young actors here in the Philippines. Actually, he's in his 20's now, but when I first met him, he was 17 or 18 years old when he did the film, Kid Kulafu. He won Best Actor in 2015 for Kid Kulafu in the Guam International Film Festival. We have with us, Buboy Villar. Hello! Hi, Buboy! This June we are celebrating father's day, aren't we? -Yes.
-So this month, we celebrate father's day, right? And Buboy is a father. Yes. Right? How old are you now, Buboy? 23 years old. You're 23 now, but when you became a dad, how old were you? I was 17 going 18 years old. Young dad. Young dad, yes. So you were a dad at 17 years old. Yes. Actually, our story was so fast and sudden. It was love at first sight for me, I really liked her. We didn't plan on having a kid that early, our plan was to just live together. At 17? At 17. You followed your heart at 17. I followed my heart even when we were apart, she was in America. And then I told her to stay here in the Philippines instead. To be with me. Let's go on adventures together, something like that. That was my mindset. Was she your first love? Sorry. Actually, she's my first true love. First true love. That's how I'd put it. First true love. Where did you first see or meet her? In a taping. For the show Half Sister. She was one of the talents there, she lived nearby and they need foreigners. She was there and the set-up was perfect, our standby area was just on one side. I sat with them, and all other talents. You found her beautiful the first time you saw her? Yes, she is beautiful. She wasn't looking at me, but I always had my eyes on her. I'm a very upfront and confident person so I know, once I look at her, I will talk to her. But that one time she looked at me, I got so shy. I couldn't look at her. So that day, shortcut to this story, I got her number. We messaged each other on Twitter and all that. Our relationship wasn't really legal. And problems came on because we were still too young. How old was she then? She was 17, too. So you were the same age. Just months apart, yes. So when you asked her to live with you in one house, how did her parents react? It took a lot of courage because she had a life in America then, and I didn't want a set-up like that. I told her to come back to the Philippines. Let's live together, I said. She was shocked. She said it wasn't that easy to uproot her life. I told her she can create a new life here. I'd like to think it's not that different. So she left her family... -She went here?
-Yes. She went here but her parents didn't know actually. She ran away? Yes. Her parents didn't know that she went here, and came back to the Philippines. Which was wrong. We both knew that was wrong. It was just what we wanted to do at that time, we didn't listen to the elders at that time. Would you say that during that time it was all an impulse? I know I made mistakes in the past, but I don't need to look back and dwell on that. Because that mistake became my own lesson. In life, bad days are inevitable. But there are also good days, sometimes a lot of it. But I can't expect that, in this lifetime, only good things will happen. First of all, thank God because I never thought I could be an actor, Ms. Toni. I was a garbage collector back then. I was from Cebu, who would've thought that a garbage collector could be a star? You really were a garbage collector. Yes, I was. Really? I used to go with my father. My father... At the break of dawn, we already make our way to Cebu. We go around collecting garbage already, because trucks back then, they would come out before lunch. So we'd be the first ones to get the good ones. How old were you then? I was 4. 4 years old. I would ride on my father's sidecar. Our sidecar would be so full of scrap boxes, empty cans. I would be the one to crush those cans. My father would ask me to pick up the cans from the streets. I'm the one who runs around the streets to pick up the pieces. 4 years old. -You collect garbage?
-Yes. So that was your means of living when you were young? That's what you grew up with. Yes. That's what I use as my strength to push forward in life. Nothing's impossible in this life. If you dream it, you can achieve it. Even if sometimes it's not exactly what you want, the Lord knows what needs to be done. How old were you when you joined Little Big Star? 5 years old. When I was four years old, I would join singing contests in Cebu. The amateur ones. People from Cebu are really good singers, yeah? Yes. That's really where good singers come from, yeah? Yes, that's right. Great singers. Yes, there's a lot of great singers. So you're really a singer? Yes. When you were young. Before I was even five, we already struggled as a whole family, we went to Manila, we don't have any contacts, any relatives. No one. So our plan before, as per our mother, was to bring me to auditions. We don't know how life is here in Manila. We were used to living in the streets of Cebu. Until we arrived here, and we saw that Manila was beautiful and never did I think that our life would start to go up from here. We started from scratch. We only had a small amount of money, Ms. Toni. How much? I think that was just around 200,000 pesos. We got that from selling our house and all my father's chickens. 200,000 pesos? That's quite big. That was quite big but... Where did you live when you got here? In Pasay. But we did not have any jobs waiting for us, with that money we had, we needed to live off of that. We were in Manila already so -other people thought...
-When you lived in Pasay, you were just renting out a house? No. We bought that small house maybe it's as big as, depending on a person's height, for a normal height, it's just like seven stretched out arms, that was how small our room was. How many were you living there? Around 12 to 15 people. Really? Yes, because... my brother's partner is there, too. My nephew, they all went with us. So everyone was there. You fought to survive. Yes, we did. And that's it. We were in Luneta then. My mother told us that since we didn't have a house yet, we could stay in Luneta. My mother and I would go out. I went to ABS-CBN that time. My mother told me that there was an audition of Little Big Star. The guard by the audience entrance told us that the auditions were over. The final casting was taking place already. The auditions were a week ago. My mom pleaded and said we went through the trouble to come here from Cebu. Give my son a chance, she said. The guard said it's impossible because there were a lot of auditionees. Son, sing for him! I used to sing a lot of songs from the band, Aegis. Where were you? At the audience entrance? Yes, by the audience entrance. I just follow wherever my mother went. If my mother tells me to sing, I just do it. You were 5 back then? Yes, 5 years old. So there, she made me sing an Aegis song. "Basang-basa sa Ulan" was the song. I sang it by the audience entrance. The guard was so shocked because I was so little but I could sing like that. He told us he'll let us in but he told us to keep it a secret that he let us in. He left it up to us with how we could get further inside. So you got in? We got inside the studio... and since my mother wasn't the shy type, she'll do anything for rice, or anything for us to eat. End of the day, I got in. I sang and they made me sing four soungs. Four times, four different songs. It was fine with me. After that, they contacted me and told me they'll be shooting our house... then they said I'm in for the competition. My mother was so shocked too, I did not really understand the situation, so I didn't really mind. I was five years old and all I could think about was playing and having fun. Like give me chocolate, then I'll sing. As simple as that. They took photos and videos of our house and that's where it all started. -Every Saturday.
-Did you win? Every Saturday, I would compete. With God's grace, I was hailed the grand champion in the Little Division. Little Division. How much was the grand prize? During that time, it was 250,000 pesos and a scholarship at St. Augustine. That was great for a 5-year-old, you were able to help your family at an early age. Yes. So it was a good decision then for you and your whole family to move to Manila because your luck was here. Yes. My mom was so persistent to give us food to eat. Rice to fill our hunger everyday. That's all that she thought of. Something like that. So you took home a lot of rice then after winning? Think about it, our huge family who were living in Pasay, and we joined this singing contest. In this singing contest in Pasay, we used different surnames. Why? So that the organizers won't know that we're one family and they might disqualify us. So the ending was... Did you win? I won the grand prize. Then my mother was the first runner up, the wife of my brother was third runner up. So we got all the major prizes. All of us took home some rice. We were new back then in that barangay. -Nobody knew us yet.
-You took all the prizes? We got all the prizes then the neighbor found out. And said that we should be ashamed. "You guys were from the same family!" You guys are all singers, yeah? -Your whole family.
-Everyone can sing, yes. So since then, okay... Your lives have completely changed... You won in the singing contest, your family survived, you had food on your table, then you became an actor then. -Right?
-Yes. Director Maryo J. got you for a role, right? Yes. Our first job together was for Callalily with Sharlene San Pedro, I was one of the extras there. Until director Maryo J had his eyes on me, because I wasn't fluent in Tagalog, I spoke in Visayan dialect better. He was amused with me when I throw lines. I pronounce the word, "green" as "gren," something like that. He's so amused by that. I wasn't good with lines so everything I say are part of an adlib. Until I became a regular in that show, So from there, director Maryo J always gets me for his shows. That's where my career started, not as a singer anymore, but as a star. An actor, if I may say. Then our paths crossed last 2014 when you did Kid Kulafu and then I was asking Paul, "What did you see in Buboy? What made you decide that he will play Manny Pacquiao?" Because it's not easy to play the role of People's Champ in a film, right? Yes, of course. Even the movements, it has to be accurate, right? But Paul said you underwent hard training for six weeks and he saw that your discipline and work ethic was so impressive. He said that all the fight scenes were done by you. There were no stunt doubles. Yes. You really worked hard on that. Actually, it was a blessing in disguise, because I did't know at first that I was going to play Manny Pacquiao. When you auditioned? Direk Paul just said I will be playing a poor kid. Carlo was the name of the character and when I met director Paul again, we had a one-on-one. He said, "You will be Manny Pacquiao." I was shocked and said, "Manny Pacquiao?!" Did you ever meet Manny? Yes, I met him at General Santos city. I was so happy to meet him. It has been one of my dreams to see him. I was even able to shake his hand and I couldn't be happier. You really went through a lot, yeah? -Yes, yes.
-It was like... I started at 4 years old, and until I was 5 years old, everything happened so quickly. Until you were 17 and you fell in love. Yes. And you met the mother of your kids. Yes. And with God's grace, all my kids are happy and well. Out of all the battles I had to fight in life, this one, I'd say that having kids was the best thing that happened in my life. Because? I saw how precious life really was. I saw myself in them. All that mattered to me is their happiness. The happiness of my family. I know I wasn't born with so much privilege. I know what we had before was enough or not even enough. There were more pieces of garbage in our house than people living in it. I grew up with that. But I don't see that as a difficulty. Because that's what's meant to happen, -that is my life.
-That's what you grow up with. What happened to me was... That was what you were used to. I cannot look back and say I was sad because I was poor and we had nothing to eat. I've never experienced a happy Christmas. Never. But God has a reason for everything. Were you able to study, Buboy? Yes. -Until what level?
-I was able to finish high school. -You finished high school?
-Yes. Your real teacher in life was your experiences in life, right? And your biggest teacher in life are also our children. True. -Right?
-True. They will teach us the greatest lesson in life. What's the best lesson your children have taught you? First of all, we should take good care of ourselves, because if we don't, what will happen to our children? What about their future? I don't want them to grow up the same way I did, but even if they experience what I experience, I won't judge them. It doesn't work that way. We all have unique paths and experiences. My 3-year-old daughter talks like a teenager already. Sometimes, when I'm in taping, lock-ins especially, the last one I did was Owe My Love, she said, "Papa, you don't miss me anymore. You don't go home anymore." I've never had a conversation like that with her. I cried, for the first time. That was a first for me. Which? I wasn't really fond of my father because he used to hit us. It's as if the feeling of being a dad or what it takes to be one, I am experiencing now. I could say that it's fulfilling. It's hard but fulfilling. What do you mean by that? Fulfilling because I have a daughter who's so sweet, she would look for me when I'm gone. Because no one really bothered to look for me before. And it hurts because I'm not there. I need to work for them. Sacrifice. Sacrifice for them. How are you and your kids' mother? We're in good terms. She misses the kids too. Where is she? She's in America right now. Where are the kids? With her parents. I couldn't take care of them because I have to leave the house even in a pandemic. And I found a new venture which is to put up a small pares kiosk. with God's grace... it's all working out. I think you were able to buy diapers from your profit. Yes, actually the expenses for vaccines, diapers, milk, it all comes from that business. And what I get from vlogging, I invest that for other businesses. I strategically think about those. That's great. Where did you learn that? Did anyone teach you that? Life. It really is life. And also the pandemic. When this pandemic started, I said to myself, nothing is really stable with anybody's life. What's the greatest lesson you've learned in love? Because you learned to love at a young age. At 17. It hurts to expect so much. It hurts to commit to something that is uncertain. But there are still some things that have to happen for us to learn. We are blind if we don't see those lessons. With what happened to you and your partner, when you separated... Who decided on breaking it off? We were together for almost four years. That was my longest relationship. And of course, she'll always be the mother of my kids. I loved her so much. But of course, we were still young. There's still a lot for us to learn. We aren't perfect, anyway. Before, we would say that maybe things could work out. But it is what it is, this is life. But I'm still thankful for that, because how different would things be without that experience? I might not get to know myself. I might not be able to think of these things I'm telling you now. So I take all my experiences, the good and the bad, and I am thankful for all of them. Because I learned. What's the biggest lesson you learned from being a young dad? For other young dads, they would escape from their problems in life. I can't bear that. Why? Why would we leave a kid, someone who came from you? So when I heard my child's first cry, I said "That's my kid!" At 17. That's my kid! When the curtain opened, I said, that kid is so white. Doesn't look like me. But that's mine! Looks like a foreigner, the only one. Yes. When that happened to me, I contemplated for a bit before I went up to see my wife. I said, "I really am a dad now." I am a dad now. When your children grow up, what's one thing you want to teach them about life? What would you tell them? They need to have courage. They shouldn't let the problems drag them down. They should always smile, because that's what makes them truly beautiful. Always look at the positive side of things. Don't dwell on the negative things. If there's one thing to be really thankful for in this life, what would it be? This life. The Lord gave me this life because he knows I can do it. Any parent would want a better life for their kids compared to what they lived. What's something your kids are experiencing now that you've never experienced? That their father is present. I never experienced being with my family for a valuable amount of time. Because I grew up with an alcoholic family. My father was always drunk. Every night, he would hit us. Even my mother. We see our mother being hit so hard as she hits our walls. Our walls were not made of cement, it was some sort of thin wood, but we see our mother's head bashed through that hard. When your father is drunk? When he is drunk. But I don't want to judge them. I don't want to. I was mad at my father before, for a long time. I cursed him. When I became a father, I realized that no matter... how mean your father was, you will still find yourself forgiving him. My mother would always say that I should not let my father stay with us. but I said, he's old already and I am a parent, too, now. Like her. If I were in that situation, even if I was the worst dad in the world, I would still grow old. With regards to my children, my mindset is, do I want to die knowing that my children hate me? That hurts. So I went to my dad, and I said, even if you weren't really a father to us, just promise us that you will change your ways. As a person, not a father even. I see you as a father and you weren't really a father to us, or yes, you made sacrifices before, thank you because you gave life to me. But still, fix your life. I don't want you to have a hard time. Because that's why I worked hard all these years. For my mother, my family. I want to give them a better future. I don't want to be the one to tear this family apart. They should see that. And I always pray for them to see that. Even if we did not grow up in the best place, we were street kids and we're impulsive, like daydrinkers and all that. We are all in one home. With your father? Yes. You did not resent your father? Not anymore. -You forgave him?
-I forgave him. What's your dream for your kids? Simple. For them to be happy and contented with their life. I just want to be there for my children. No matter what. I learned that you need to fight and persist in life, I can't give up because there's still a lot to experience in life, and it's a long way to go. Like what Buboy said, even if we can't change the past, we could still change our future stories. The lack of love from his father may have been a struggle, but it became his motivation, to make his own children feel the love he never felt.
