ALFRED VARGAS was at the GMA Gala Night as an actor and later, at the SONA at Batasan as a politician as he’s a QC District 5 councilor.
He looks so debonair and dashing in both events, with him wearing a Chyna Mamawal creation at GMA Gala and a Francis Libiran creation at the SONA. He also wore Marikina made shoes to help the local shoe industry.
His wife, Yasmine, is now pregnant with their fourth child and it’s a difficult pregnancy as she’s often feeling dizzy and throwing up a lot.
“She’s making a lot of sacrifice to make sure our baby is safe,” he says.
“She can only move 15 minutes a day and most of the time, she’s just lying down, watching TV or reading.
"I really salute all mothers kasi hindi biro ang pinagdaraanan nila while pregnant.
"The doctors say our baby is okay so we have to be really careful about their condition which is aggravated by anxiety caused by hormonal changes due to her pregnancy.
"Hopefully, mas bubuti ang kalagayan niya in the coming months. She’s due to deliver by late December pa or early January.”
Alfred and his brother, Congressman PM Vargas, had lunch with selected members of the entertainment press. They
now have their own youtube channel, “Vargas Tries, Pwede!”, where he confided that he underwent a period of depression when his weight ballooned to 251 lbs.
“Talagang I lost my self esteem,” he says. “When I faced the mirror, hindi ko na kilala ang tao sa salamin.
"It was a wake up call for me. I felt so old kasi people kept calling me Tito Alfred. Dati, Papa ang tawag sa akin, now Tito na.
"So I had to change my lifestyle. I’m not doing it for vanity but for my own good health, so I’d live longer para sa mga anak ko.
"I went back to the gym and did intermittent fasting, so ayun, I’ve since lost 50 lbs.
"And now, I really try to maintain my weight at ayoko nang lumaki uli nang ganoon kalaki.”
If you would watch his youtube channel, you’d see Alfred sharing his journey to physical fitness with the help of experts like Kate Robles and Raven Cruz.
His fans can make personal request if they want to see Alfred do anything.
“Bahala sila kung ano ang gusto nilang i-try kong gawin,” he says. “Gusto nyo ba akong maging magsasaka? O teacher? O barangay tanod?
"Basta samahan nyo kong subukan ang iba’t ibang trabaho at larangan dito sa ‘Vargas Tries, Pwede’ and I will really try my best to do it for you.”
His teleserye, “AraBella”, has ended. So what’s next for him at GMA?
“May bago raw silang assignment for me by September, kaya lang, I want to focus muna on my wife’s pregnancy para damayan siya.
"Also, natapos na namin yung movie namin with Nora Aunor and Gina Alajar, ‘Pieta’. Isasali naman sa Metro-Manila Filmfest and I hope it will qualify.”
What about the past movies his film company has produced like “Supremo”, “Tagpuan” and “Kaputol”? Has he offered them to streaming channels?
“No, not yet. Ang ‘Supremo’, which is about Andres Bonifacio, nire-request pa ng iba’t ibang schools, so ayoko munang i-alok for streaming.
"Ganun din yung two other movies. Right now, I’m in negotiation for another movie with Direk Joel Lamangan. Gusto ko ituloy ang pagpo-produce to help people in the industry.”
And Alfred has not forgotten his studies as he believes that learning is something you should do continuously.
He is now taking up his doctorate on philosophy at the UP College of Public Adm and Governance, majoring on Urban Planning.