Miggy Tolentino (center) says he intends to come up
with programs that will promote productivity.
The running joke is that the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) is good for nothing but mounting basketball tournaments.
True enough, sports fests will still be part of actor-dancer Miggy Tolentino’s plans, should he win as SK chair in Barangay 34 in Caloocan City. But that’s further down on his list of things to do. His top priority, he stressed, is education.
“I have been coordinating with a school about possibly providing scholarships to deserving youth,” Miggy, who’s part of “That’s My Bae”—the resident all-male dance group of the noontime show “Eat Bulaga”—told the Inquirer. “I want to give them books, school supplies, uniforms and shoes.”
Aside from that, Miggy said he also intends to come up with projects that will
improve cleanliness in their barangay, as well as programs that promote productivity among young people. “I don’t like seeing them loiter on the streets or turning to vices,” he said.
He has always been interested in working for the SK, and had planned to run as councilor in the past. However, youth council elections had been postponed a few times to allow for reforms in the SK law. The May 14 polls were the first since 2010.
“I didn’t really dream of becoming an actor—I simply wanted to finish school and help my family,” he added. “Being helpful is something innate in me. I always try to put myself in someone else’s shoes.”
Last year, Miggy figured in a brawl over a basketball game in his barangay. Asked if he felt that incident had a negative impact on his image, the 22-year-old television personality said: “We all make mistakes; I’m not perfect,” he said. “And despite what happened, I’ve always tried my best to help
others any way I can.”
Miggy said he sought his “Eat Bulaga!” family’s blessing before he made the decision to run. “Everyone was supportive of my plans. I told them that, if I win, I would have to be away from time to time, so I can do my job in our barangay,” he said.