February 10 ------ In past election cycles, Dingdong Dantes, who once served as commissioner-at-large at the National Youth Commission, has figured in online discussions and wish lists of potential candidates from showbiz. When asked about online comments suggesting that he should or could have thrown his hat into the political ring, Dingdong laughingly reacted, “Huwag natin ibalik sa akin, andun tayo sa mga current na andun. They are the ones with the eagerness, drive and passion. They are the ones willing to take the risk and give their commitment to this very difficult job.
“The question is, what is really the intention? How pure is the intention and (what is) their capability? Yun lang naman yun. It's really about them. “Again, of course, lahat naman ng ito ay nasa kamay ng mga botante. I just hope we become more discerning. Let's be more discerning and look beyond all the fanfare. That's the most important thing. “Do your research. Find out if these people are truly deserving — whether artista or not."
The STAR recently got to speak to Dingdong for the collab podcast, “Meet the Press,” on Spotify powered by the Pod Network. He also shared his and wife Marian Rivera's joint checklist for selecting the country’s next leaders. "No. 1, the integrity of the candidate. No. 2 is their track record. And No. 3, their empathy for the people," he said. Despite past speculations about offers to run for public office, Dingdong said, "We still have a lot to do that, I think, requires my full attention, and wherever I am needed, that's where I will go. Like right now, it's very clear that my role as an actor is there, there’s still a lot to be done as an actor, my role as a father and husband… That's very clear to me." Besides, public service can be carried out through other means.
Dingdong, who is a Lieutenant Commander in the Philippine Navy Reserve, said, "In fact, my involvement with the AFP, that's public service already. So regardless of the magnitude, for me, it's really (about) how you do it. Kung paano mo na ma-manage yung oras mo sa pag-gawa nito and your commitment. “Dito kasi sa pagiging reservist kahit papaano, it's not a full-time thing. Kumbaga nagagawa ko siya ng maayos and it's manageable that's why I'm committed to this.”
The Kapuso primetime king also sees being part of AKTOR: League of Filipino Actors as a way to contribute to society. "What we do in AKTOR, as part of the community of actors, in a way, that's also public service. So, mas okay na ako na ginagawa ko mga bagay na ito na alam kong ma-e-execute ko ng tama (So, I'm more OK doing these things, knowing that I can execute them properly),” he said. As chairman of AKTOR, Dingdong said that this 2025 will be a big year for the organization. According to him, “2025 will be very busy, hectic and big for AKTOR because this is when we will launch our biggest project to date — the project database — among many others. Right now, we are focusing on the three pillars of being a proud AKTOR. “That's our vision — that we will all be proud AKTORs, and when you say it, (it means) you are a paragon of professionalism, a nation builder and a community champion. And of course, these three pillars will be strengthened through programs."
AKTOR is set to enhance its welfare programs in collaboration with MOWELFUND and PhilHealth. "The konsulta program is something that we will all have to look into dahil libre ‘to na makukuha natin and not so many people know about this yet. If you are part of the organization, we will administer all of these for you,” Dingdong added. “The benefits right now, nasa P1,700 per person, per year… we are able to administer that through the organization, among many others.” He continued, “We will also have HMO package na hindi natin nakukuha because we are freelance workers. Things like these we are able to provide for our members, either for free or at a minimal cost."
AKTOR is also prioritizing education, with former ABS-CBN president Charo Santos-Concio pushing for stronger learning initiatives. "Ma’am Charo, being one of our board advisers, is advocating for a stronger educational component in AKTOR. Because of course, if you want to be a proud AKTOR, you have to be a proud professional also and proud performer." They will offer various workshops and modules to upskill the members, not just acting-wise. Additionally, efforts are underway to work with an academic institution for the Expanded Tertiary Education Equivalency and Accreditation Program (ETEEAP), providing members who have not completed college with an opportunity to earn a degree.
Lastly, Dingdong is proud to share that the upcoming AKTOR Database aims to connect Filipino actors with more opportunities worldwide. It will be similar to a Linkedin account and that members will be the “architects” of their pages. "This will serve as every AKTOR member's global calling card. Of course, globalized na lahat pagdating sa exposure ng actors, performers, as well as opportunities. Suddenly, we get cast in different streaming platforms and films. We want to expand on that,” Dingdong said. “The goal is to have on board all the working actors in the Philippines, not just here in Metro Manila but also regionally. This will also be in collaboration with existing studios and management agencies.”
Source: philstar.com
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