Coco endorses politician for a measly trip to Boracay?
Matinee idol Coco Martin generated a kind of mass hysteria when he visited three schools in Manila last Thursday, March 7.
He was actually a side attraction, if that term could ever apply to the actor, now a primetime TV star and sought-after endorser of products galore.
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In fact, he went on his university tour as guest and endorser of senatorial aspirant Sonny Angara (Team PNoy).
Youth idol
They school-hopped, first visiting Philippine Normal University (PNU), followed by Technological University of the Philippines (TUP) and then Philippine Women's University (PWU).
At every stop, the scene was the same. Students would remain politely seated at first.
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Then, the politician would announce, “Siya ay isang youth idol na naranasan ang hirap, nagsumikap, at nagtagumpay," before giving the floor to Coco.
‘Raket’ to help lola
That was when students, especially girls, would erupt into a frenzy—some rushing the stage and clambering on it to try and get a hug from the star of the ABS-CBN teleserye “Juan de la Cruz.”
To amp up the mania, Coco prepared two hit songs, "Umuwi Ka Na Baby" and "Sa Isang Sulyap Mo" to sing to his fans.
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"Nung nag-aaral pa ako, kahit anong raket pinasok ko para makapagtapos at matulungan ang lola ko," he told the crowd, who were already agog by his famous dimpled smile and know him for the expression “Yun, o!”—the tagline he utters in one of his commercials.
Coco, who once waited tables as a working student, was raised solely by his grandmother.
Shared education advocacy
Asked what it took to get the actor to support his candidacy, Angara said, "It was an easy choice because we shared the same advocacy on quality education and for someone as popular as Coco promoting our ideals, the power of a good message is multiplied 100 times."
Sonny's wife Tootsie is said to be a close friend of an executive behind the rise of the highly recognized former indie and now mainstream TV and film actor. It was through that link that Angara was able to develop a friendship with Coco.
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Coco was not paid for his services, joining the likes of Aga Muhlach and Charlene Gonzales, Richard Gomez and Lucy Torres, and singers Dingdong Avanzado and Noel Cabangon who have shown up at admin rallies for free.
'Boracay lang ang bayad’
“Ito, walang kapalit ito,” Angara reiterated. “Ililibre ko lang si Coco sa Boracay sa victory party kung sakali kasi hindi pa daw siya nakakapunta d’un.”
The Aurora representative vying for a Senate seat has said in the past that he supports the advocacy of Martin, which is to provide free educational materials to poorer students.
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"Bukod sa galing niya sa pag-arte, dapat hangaan din ng kabataan ang paninindigan niya sa kanyang pag-aaral," said Angara, who pushed for the Universal Kindergarten Education Act.
It’s been said that when Coco was first approached by a talent scout, he delayed accepting the offer so he could first finish his degree in hotel and restaurant management.
