00:01First candidate, Mr. Amhela City.
00:30Sino nga ba siya?
00:32Si Richard Jermaine Perkins, o mas kilala bilang RJ, half Pinoy, half Irish Canadian,
00:38ay pinanganak at lumaki sa Angeles, Pampanga.
00:42Tell us first about your childhood.
00:43I grew up in a family of all girls.
00:47And kasama ko po yung mga lola ko po, tsaka titas ko po.
00:50Dito naman po sa Pinas, mas nag-enjoy po ako.
00:53Kalaunan, lumipat ang kanilang pamilya sa Canada, kung saan niya ipinagpatuloy ang kanyang pag-aaral.
00:59Pero hindi daw naging hadlang ang pagiging malayo niya sa Pinas sa pangarap niyang maging one of the stars.
01:07Umuwi siya sa bansa taong 2019 para subukan ang kapalaran niya sa show business.
01:12RJ, tell us about your struggles, your sacrifices, para ma-attain mo itong dream mo na maging model or actor.
01:21Not a lot of people know this, but as of the moment, I'm alone. I live alone.
01:25So, for me to pursue this whole path, they weren't really that supportive, I would say.
01:31So, it's been more of a solo dream. It's not a path that they would want me to push.
01:35Hindi man daw pabor ang kanyang pamilya, ang natatanging sumuporta raw sa pangarap niya, ang kanyang lola na si Mama
01:43Mai.
01:43Yeah, my lola has been a big inspiration to me and she's also one of the very first people that
01:48persuaded me to join the industry ko.
01:50When I was very young, I was very shy. In every family gathering, she would tell me,
01:54Jay, dance, sing in front of the crowd, in front of the family and everything.
01:59And from that moment on, sabi ko, this is the kind of path I want.
02:04One thing that my lola said before she passed away was, she wants to see me one last time on
02:09the screen and sana make it.
02:11Sa edad na labing apat, sumali siya sa isang talent search na nagbukas sa kanya ng pinto sa entertainment industry.
02:19Bata pa lang, alam na raw niya ang kalakaran sa industriya.
02:22Na para sa marami, mahalaga ang pisikal na anyo ng isang artista.
02:27Mula sa kinis at kulay ng balat, pati nasa hubog ng katawan.
02:31Yun nga lang, sa pagod at pagpupuyat, na isang tabi niya ang sariling kalusugan at nauwi sa sobrang pagkapayat at
02:40unhealthy lifestyle.
02:42When I entered the industry and I became very skinny, I wasn't, you know, eating properly sometimes.
02:48There was times I would forget to eat.
02:50Nakadagdag pa nga raw sa stress niya noon, ang kritisismong natatanggap niya mula sa ibang tao.
02:55I think growing up because I was a foreigner, I'd usually get a lot of words thrown at me.
03:00Bakit?
03:00Sometimes when I would go to school, they would say, I don't normally belong there.
03:05They would always say the meanest things.
03:07What was the worst part of the bullying?
03:09The worst part about it was, it did get to me at some point.
03:13How bad did it get?
03:14It went to the part where I took a break from pursuing my dream for three years.
03:19Ang pagkakataon na sumikat, pansamantalang naudlot para kay RJ.
03:23Bumalik sa Canada at ginugol ang kanyang oras sa pag-aaral at pagtatapos sa koleyo.
03:29Ang pangarap ng pamilya niya na makatapos at makakuha ng corporate job,
03:34natupad ng pasuki naman niya ang industriya ng real estate sa Canada.
03:38They honestly wanted me to have a regular job, live a normal, quiet life.
03:43Like office job?
03:44Office job or anything that comes by in any offer.
03:47Pero ang tawag ng entablado at ng kanyang mga taga-suporta, pilit siyang hinihila pabalik ng Pilipinas.
03:54During over the course of three years, there would be moments where they would say na,
03:57balik ka na, balik ka na sa industry.
04:00And I said, I don't know yet.
04:01I don't know if it's my time.
04:02Taong 2022, nang muling umuwi sa bansa si RJ para hanapin ang lugar niya sa industriyang pinapangarap.
04:11At dito na nga siya nagpasyang pumasok naman sa mundo ng pageantry.
04:16I was the very first candidate that got released.
04:19And my friend called me right away, screaming over the cell phone, saying he's so happy that I finally went
04:24back.
04:25Dito na nagsimula ang kanyang karera sa Mr. Pampanga 2026.
04:30At sa gitna ng kanyang pagbabalik, muli siyang sinubukan ng panahon.
04:35I was on a motorcycle riding on and then I turned to the right.
04:38As soon as we turned to the right, there was a car that swerved right at us.
04:44He collided with us and we ended up falling, me and the driver.
04:48Ang sanay pag-rampa na uwi sa hindi inaasahang pinsala ng kanyang kaliwang paa.
04:54So what happened to you?
04:55I sprained my left foot in the process and I had a little bit of cuts and there's even like
05:00a sugat here but I remained from the glass and everything.
05:03Kahit mahirap, pinilit niyang gumaling at makalakad agad.
05:08Pero hindi niya inaasahan na sa kanyang pagpapagaling,
05:12ang magiging kapalit ang biglang pagdagdag ng timba.
05:18Dahil sa ginamit na steroids sa kanyang gamot.
05:21In that process, it made me bloat more.
05:24It made me add more water weight than I was supposed to pull.
05:27In a span of what?
05:29In that one week po.
05:30One week?
05:30Yes po.
05:31Dahil dito, napadalas din ang pagbisita niya sa gym.
05:34So anong goal mo ngayon?
05:36Right now my goal is to hopefully cut down to a linear physique in the sense where I'm more fuller
05:41with muscles.
05:42I'm not gonna go back to being skinny skinny but I wanna have more muscles, more into-the-hunk kind
05:47of type po.
05:48Pero para kay RJ, hindi dapat maging hadlang ang dagdag timbang sa pag-abot ng pangarap.
05:54When I gained the weight, I was actually even much more happier.
05:57I always remember what my lola used to say where when she saw my cheeks were squishier and fuller, she
06:02would always be so happy.
06:03Kaya naman itong Abril, si RJ,
06:06First candidate, Mr. Amhela City.
06:10Loud and proud rumampa ng buong-buo ang kumpiyansa sa sarili.
06:15Para kay RJ kasi, ang totoong kagandahan nakikita sa kung gaano ka ka-proud sa iyong katawan.
06:26At ang mas nagpatabaraw ng puso niya,
06:29ang malaman na maraming netizen ang nag-yes to body positivity.
06:34Tapos ngayon viral ka.
06:35Ano yung reaction mo sa mga feedback sa'yo?
06:38Overwhelming and at the same time,
06:40it's beautiful to see so much people reaching out about their stories on how I inspired them.
06:46Saan ka pinaka natuwa? Anong comment yung pinaka parang nakapagpataba ng puso mo?
06:50I remember someone reached out through messaging me and yung sabi niya po was,
06:56I've dealt with my weight for a long time and I've been bullied for being overweight.
07:00After seeing you walk that walk, I feel so proud and confident.
07:04Tapos nag-post din po siya ng photo afterwards there po.
07:07And it was so, sobrang nakakatuwa po.
07:09Wala na nga ng mag-viral, marami ang na-curious sa ating confident na kalahok.
07:15Kilalanin pa siya sa ating next round,
07:18ang question and answer portion.
07:20Ano ang favorite mong pagkain?
07:22As a true Kapampangan, I would love to say my favorite food is sisig.
07:26It is the best in Angla City, Pampanga.
07:29Ano ang iyong hobbies?
07:31My hobbies, I would like to say, are photography.
07:33I also do dancing and acting on the side.
07:36Singing for a good time.
07:38And other than that, I do love pottery.
07:41Sino si RJ kapag walang nakakakita?
07:43I am still the same old kid from Pampanga.
07:50Someone who, behind all the cameras, I'll still be the same old jolly kid po.
07:57Hindi man daw mapapanood ng Lola niya ang pageant o anumang oportunidad pa ang sumunod,
08:03alay pa rin daw itong lahat ni RJ para sa kanya.
08:06To my mamamay, who's in heaven already, thank you.
08:13I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you.
08:16Thank you for pushing me to go on to that audition at 4am.
08:19And thank you for always being my number one supporter.
08:23I miss you dearly and I love you a lot.
08:26Ang tanging hangad daw ni RJ, maging inspirasyon siya para sa iba,
08:31na mahali ng kanilang sarili, ano man ang hugis ng kanilang katawan.
08:35Honestly, ever since I started the industry, Sabi ko,
08:37I don't want to do it for myself or do it just because of what's in store in the career.
08:41I want to do it because eventually, I want people to look up at me the way I look up
08:45to these other people.
08:49Dahil sa totoo lang, hindi kailangang maging perpekto para humanga ang tao.
08:54First candidate, Mr. Angelo City.
08:58Kailangan mo lang ng lakas ng loon.
09:01Naipakita kung sino ka.
09:03At doon, mas nakikita ang tunay na ganda.
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