We love to surround ourselves with a lot of people but the reality is, not all of them make a positive impact on our lives. There are the occasional Debbie Downers and Negative Nancys who find their ways to drain us of our own hope and outlook in life. Magandang Buhay hosts Jolina Magdangal, Karla Estrada and Melai Cantiveros had a chat with Empoy Marquez who opened up about his childhood and shared how he was able to deal with toxic people and stay happy in the face of adversities.
Empoy has made people laugh through the years with his hilarious demeanor and spunky persona. But viewers were surprised by the acting chops that he showcased in FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano as Domengsu.
Karla, Jolina and Melai welcomed Empoy on Magandang Buhay with a birthday cake and a video greeting from his parents. His mother, Cecil Ramos, appeared first and said, “Thankful ako sa pagkakaroon ng anak na katulad mo. Mapagmahal, may takot sa Diyos, mababa loob at higit sa lahat matulungin. Wish ko lang sa’yo anak, more birthdays to come and more blessings and good health.” While his father, Rolando Marquez stated, “Thank you sa lahat ng suporta mo. Happy birthday at ingat ka palagi.”
Empoy was very touched with their gesture and pointed out that he was grateful for the kind words, even if his parents are no longer together, but clarified that he is in good terms with the both of them. “Salamat sa inyong greetings kahit na medyo ‘scattered’ ‘yung family natin,” he said.
Empoy shared that he spent his birthday at the National Children’s Hospital to bond with the less fortunate. This is something that Empoy likes to do annually but admitted that he hasn’t had time to do it in the previous years. He is glad though that he finally found the time to visit again. When asked if he had anything that he still wanted in life, Empoy disclosed that hopes to find a life partner someday.
The comedian was surprised when his good friend Teddy Corpuz came on the set, who spoke about their friendship over the years, which started even before the Rocksteddy frontman joined It’s Showtime. The two are really close that Teddy would make an effort to be there for Empoy whenever he needs to get his shots, but was too afraid to go through it alone. “Kasi ayaw niyang magpa-injection. As in ayaw niya. Takot talaga siya sa injection sobra,” Teddy emphasized. Teddy would comfort Empoy and tell him to look into his eyes when he would have to endure it.
When it comes to dealing with negativity, they both turn a blind eye to it and just focus on the positive side. Teddy stated that that’s why they get along because they are the type who don’t really pay much attention to things like that. He also told Empoy not to give up on finding a life partner, and assured him that it will happen at the right time. Empoy stressed that he admires his friend for being a family man.
But life hasn’t exactly been a bed of roses for Empoy as he has had a taste of how it feels to live in dire straits. He also recalled the time when he would pay his friend to watch TV in his home because he didn’t have a set of his own. Empoy can now look back at those times with a smile on his face because he can’t believe that at the moment, he is the one being featured on television.
On the topic of bullying, he talked about his experience of being made fun of, because he was known for not taking a bath when he was younger. “May time kasi na hindi ako naliligo,” he admitted. He continued on by explaining, “’Pagka papasok ako sa school 6am, ‘tapos gigising ng 5am. Paano ako maliligo eh sobrang lamig ng tubig.” He also admitted that was also tormented by others because he came from a broken family.
In the end, Empoy told the viewers to guide their children and educate them about bullying. He stressed that youngsters don’t really know what they are doing, but when they are much older, they will look back and realize what they did was wrong, or just laugh at it.