He doesn’t get any salary as commissioner. “Abonado pa nga ako, but I’m enjoying it kahit wala akong kinikita. It gives a different kind of fulfilment.” Is this in preparation for politics? “No, definitely not. I’m not cut out for that. Talagang I just love doing this kind of volunteer work. Sa OPM, we’re also holding a singing contest in cooperation with PAGCOR. 4,000 auditioned and we’ll choose 12 finalists who’ll undergo intensive training and seminars. We’ll have the finals on June 12. Next year, our project is for songwriters. We’ll start at the grassroots with Ryan Cayabyab training music teachers all over the country to teach songwriting and performing to their students. Then we’ll choose 17 finalists from the country’s 17 regions.”
Ogie and wife Regine also help the Kapuso Foundation with their Ukay-Ukay project at World Trade Center from April 15-17 where celebrities donate their unused clothes, bags, shoes to be sold at the bazaar. The earnings will be used to build 50 classrooms each year in poor barangays in the country. Mother Lily already donated P1 million to this worthwhile cause. Is it true wife Regine is now preggy? “No. Umaatake na naman ang migraines niya so I told her to rest muna. We’re supposed to visit my kids in Sydney sa Holy Week but di na siya sasama so she can rest. Babalik na lang ako agad dito in time for her birthday.”
