Just on the first few seconds of Francine Diaz’s latest vlog featuring seasoned host Luis Manzano, many of us have arguably couldn’t help ourselves from laughing out loud as they filled it with their unparalleled and unfailing humor.
Their hilarious yet insightful conversation in her vlog’s “GGG” segment commenced with Luis Manzano commenting, “Si Francine, isa sa mga nagpapangiti sa’min sa ASAP. ‘Yong natural na dala mong energy, bihira ‘yong ganyan sa industriya.”
As she found it difficult to keep her composure and hold her laughter, Francine asked him if she could pass as a host. Luis told her “pwedeng pwede” and said that vlogging is actually a good training, which he and his fellow MYX VJs used to do before, as well as hosting the home shopping program.
The young actress formally quizzed the I Can See Your Voice host how he’s been doing, to which he retorted by wishing for things to become better and for all of us to be able to recover from whatever we’re going through. He then described the married life as “learning,” as he and wife Jessy Mendiola realized that everyday is indeed a learning experience for both them.
He may tend to always goof around in his television programs and vlogs, yet Luis emphasized that he can actually be serious and full of wisdom, such as in this kind of interview. But he went on to exhibit his comedic side anew by jestingly showing off his amazingly fast Math skills to prove that he’s also intelligent.
For those who are planning to get married, he advised them to get ready since it’s going to evolve into something else as time goes by. Thus, it’s better for him if the couple started out as friends because the main goal of marriage is companionship and being happy with each other no matter what.
Being in the local entertainment scene for two decades now, Luis confessed that he actually hopes to score a “Best Actor” trophy. However, he figured out that he’s a more competent host than an artist, and acting is really not his forte. Nonetheless, he was able to snag a “Best Supporting Actor” award for his performance as a gay in the 2009 drama flick “In My Life”, which he top-billed alongside his mom Vilma Santos-Recto and John Lloyd Cruz.
While he has already focused on hosting, the 41-year-old TV personality revealed that he’s still offered acting jobs. In fact, a movie reminiscent of Adam Sandler’s “Big Daddy” in 1991 was pitched to him recently but it didn’t push through. Yet, he’s still hoping that before everything comes to an end, the time will come for him to be recognized as a “Best Actor.”
Francine also received a special one-on-one crash course in hosting from Luis as he thought her his technique on pronouncing words correctly, particularly Tagalog and English words with repeating syllables – which is by saying the word while moving his hands for syllabication. He jested that it’s the reason why he’s an award-winning presenter.
Luis also agreed when she interjected that they could pass as “tropa” if they’re only on the same age, as he perceives her “cool” and one of the “genuine friends” in the industry, which is really rare to find, so it’s a blessing.
When asked for his advice for up-and-coming artists like her, he initially joked “maligo” or to take a bath. But in a serious note, he gave two pieces of advice. First is that life in showbiz is like a wheel, because it’s not every day that you will be on top and there’ll surely be instances when you’re going to be at the low point of your career. Second is that learn to respect and appreciate the people around you – from the staff and crew up to the actors and producers – and to keep in mind that being an artist doesn’t give you the license to look down on others.
For the last question, he told Francine that 10 years from now, he would like to imagine taking on the same path as his “erpats” Edu Manzano, who continues to thrive in the industry as an actor and host. He reiterated the advantage of hosting by saying, “’Yon ang lamang kahit papaano sa hosting, na kahit madagdagan ka ng mga taon, e meron kang mababalikan na hosting.” He also observed how age tends to add credibility to a person, as seen in his dad and King of Talk Boy Abunda, because of the level of experience they have. He’s hoping that he’s going to be still busy and have a family that he could always return to.
They then proceeded to the fun “Lie Detector Challenge,” wherein she asked him intriguing questions while his right hand is placed on a toy lie detector apparatus.
She gave him two warm-up questions, starting off with “yes or no” and “Kung gwapo po kayo, siyempre maganda ako. Yes or no?”
It was followed by “nagawa ninyo na po bang mag-cheat?”, alluding to his crying moment during his wedding with Jessy last year, which became a meme after netizens concluded that men who cry on their D-Day tend to cheat in their wives. He proudly uttered “no” and pretended not to get electrocuted, much to Francine’s delight.
He also confessed having a huge misunderstanding with his best friend Anne Curtis that lasted for six months up to one year. Luis recalled that it was because they used to both object on one another’s love lives and vowed not to talk with each other while they were still in those relationships. The I Can See Your Voice host then recalled having a huge crush on Toni Gonzaga, which began while they’re filming the 2006 ABS-CBN series “Crazy For You.”
When asked if he ever disliked a fellow artist, he said “wala”, but explained that there are instances when he’s not on the same wavelength nor his personality or beliefs is totally different from a colleague.
Luis divulged, too, that just like his other colleagues, there was a point in his life when he considered quitting from showbiz because of how the industry could be dirty and nasty, especially when artists get embroiled in controversies. But what made him decide to go on is the happiness his presence could bring to his fans that provides fulfillment to him.
With regards to the gossips he got involved in, he emphasized that those are “gray area” or are not completely true. He elaborated that there are actually four types of truths for him – “your truth,” “my truth,” “the real truth,” and “the truth according to” – and recalled some of the fake news he got ensnared in.
And lastly, he confirmed that he indeed is still a Kapamilya “as of this conversation.” Even though I Can See Your Voice has already ended, he disclosed that he’s going to do other projects under ABS-CBN, such as ASAP Natin ‘To.
Francine wrapped the video by revealing that their collab on her channel is going to have a part 2 and showing a sneak peek on what the viewers are going to expect. Watch this video to see for yourself the fun yet insightful conversation of Francine and Luis!