The Doctor’s Boy

By Robbie Pangilinan

The Philippines’ “King of Talk.” A known publicist. Famous host. Most
sought-after talent manager. Public relations expert. A professor.

Boy Abunda is all these. And a whole lot more. He is a friend, a son,
a lover, an enemy. A dreamer, a daredevil, a workaholic, a careless
and carefree soul. He is also “the doctor’s boy.”
The “poor boy” from the town of Borongan, Eastern Samar is always
heard thanking Dr. Manny Calayan, founder of the Calayan Surgicentre
Corporation and renowned beauty doctor to the stars. Boy Abunda is
indeed Dr. Calayan’s boy, a loyal client who trusts Calayan, because,
in his own words, “Calayan is trustworthy.”

Boy begins his day at 12 noon. For him, breakfast is lunch, dinner is
merienda, and midnight snack is dinner. Despite his tight schedule, he
manages to squeeze in his regular brisk walking around UP, and of
course, his Tenor and Gold Facial Treatments at Calayan Surgicentre.

The Tenor Treatment is a non-surgical facelift that uses radio waves
to transfer heat energy to the deep tissue in the skin. The skin
becomes tighter, firmer and toned because the heat boosts collagen
levels. The Tenor Facial lifts the skin smoothly and subtly, and is
perfect for reducing eye bags, wrinkles and dark circles.

The Gold Facial Treatment, on the other hand, is for skin tightening
and pigmentation. It is also an anti-aging treatment. As its name
suggests, the main ingredient of the procedure is 24-carat gold, one
of the softest metals easily absorbed by the skin. It reduces fine
lines, facilitates the removal of toxins and wastes, improves blood
circulation to bring a glow to the face, enhances skin elasticity,
accelerates cell renewal and reverses oxidation damage.

Undergoing these treatments does not mean that Boy wants to turn back
time. In his profession, millions of viewers see his face everyday. He
just wants to appear fresher on screen. He also does not go for
surgical procedures. With a laugh he says he does not mind having more
hair.

In addition to the facial treatments, Boy always prays and thinks
positively. For him, beauty is believing.
“Claim beauty like you were born with it. You have to own it. No one
defines it for you,” says one of the most powerful figures in
Philippine entertainment. He also reveals his other secrets: smiling,
drinking a lot of water, and breathing deeply.

The hardworking Boy does the best he can both as a professional and
as a person because he is a staunch believer that credibility is
beauty. Every waking minute for him is full of work, laughter, prayer
and love. He works every day like it was the last, never settling for
mediocrity or doing things halfheartedly.

Always unafraid, Boy wants to explore and conquer the unknown. He
admits he will go “wherever the wind takes me.” If he is not in
showbiz, he would be “in Imperial Samar dancing with the waves.”

An outstanding teacher awardee of the Philippine Women’s University
where he is a part-time professor teaching Radio and Television, Boy
says that Boy A on the spotlight is Boy A behind the cameras. An
honest-to-goodness real person who learns from his mistakes, is open
to other opinions, gets back up after a fall, and believes that life
is about making it from one moment to the next.
Asked how he uses his talents for the good of other people, the
Doctor’s Boy says, “I give. I share. I teach. I learn. I listen.”
That’s where his true beauty lies. #