DAVID LICAUCO joined showbiz three years ago but it’s only now that he has actually been noticed by the viewing public for his role as Fidel in “Maria Clara at Ibarra”.
“Ngayon din lang napuri ang acting ko,” he says. “Dati kasi, yung namba-bash sa’kin, sabi, ang bano kong umarte maghubad na lang daw ako.
"It’s good I didn’t give up that easily and after three years of trying to hone my craft, heto, nakakabasa na ako ng good comments about my acting.”
He wants to thank Barbie Forteza for agreeing to be paired with him.
“Kasi sobrang galing ni Barbie sa pag-arte. Macha-challenge ka talaga to always give your best. Kung ako ang tatanungin, si Barbie lang talaga ang gusto kong makatrabaho sa ngayon.
"Buti nga at may Book 2 ang series namin, so magkakasama pa kami ng matagal kasi naging suwerte talaga for me ang pagtatambal sa amin.”
It’s good Barbie’s real life beau, Jak Roberto, doesn’t get jealous of their closeness in the show.
“Wala naman siyang dapat ikabahala kasi I know my boundaries kay Barbie. I have the highest respect for Jak.
"From the start, sinabi ko na kay Barbie na napakabait na tao ni Jak.
"We got to work together in ‘Heartful Cafe’ and I saw na he’s genuine, totoong tao siya, masipag and he really worked hard to get to the leading man status he has today.”
He adds that he and Jak have become good friends and they always greet each other warmly when they see one another at GMA.
“I really admire him as a person at wala akong balak na lalandiin ko si Barbie. Hindi ako ganun.
"Alam ko nang in a relationship yung girl, I will still try to make a move? I’m never like that. Yung relationship namin ni Barbie, strictly sa trabaho lang.”
He says he is unattached right now and is very negotiable.
“But I prefer it that way. Focus muna sa trabaho kasi ngayon pa lang bumubuwelo nang husto ang career ko.
Hayan nga, for the first time nagkaroon kami ni Barbie ng endorsement as a love team, Ishin Food Supplement for skin whitening and boosting our immune system.”
So why did Ishin get David as an endorser?
“When we started the brand, we wanted to get a Korean celebrity to help endorse it,” says Shirleen Albino-Bautista, Ishin owner and CEO.
“But nang mapanood ko si David with Barbie in ‘Maria Clara at Ibarra’, I felt puedeng-puede siyang endorser namin. Ang ganda ng skin niya.
"So bakit kukuha pa ng Korean actor, e nandiyan naman si David na magiging mas effective pa dahil sa kasikatan ng love team nila ni Barbie.
"Also, meron din si David na restaurant na Kuya Korea sa UP Town Center, so bagay na bagay talaga siya.
And we proved to be right, kasi grabe ang positive response kahit ng distributors namin since we announced na sila ni Barbie ang magiging endorsers ng Ishin.
We are very happy with our partnership with David and Barbie para mas lumakas ang sales ng Ishin.”
Meantime, David has finished two new movies. He has a Valentine movie, “Without You”, co-starring Shaira Diaz and directed by RC de los Reyes.
He has also completed a youth movie perfect for this coming summer, “Go, La Union!’, with other hunky young actors like Derrick Monasterio, Ruru Madrid, Enzo Pineda and Teejay Marquez, directed by Phillip King.
