Alfred Vargas
These days, the actor who shares the most personal stuff about himself is the one who gets the most followers,” said Alfred Vargas, noting that a lot has changed since he took a break from show biz in 2009 to pursue a career in politics.
“The industry is very different in the sense that it has now become very personal as a result of social media,” he observed. “I noticed that people like it if you share stuff to them that makes you appear more human and less unreachable. It’s so unlike in our time when our managers forbade us to be seen in public.”
Alfred is currently working on an advocacy film that he said he “fell in love with because it’s so well-written.”
“Kaputol” is based on a 1980s short film by Mac Alejandre, who turned it into a full-length feature with screenplay by Ricky Lee and cinematography by Lav Diaz. It also features Cherie Gil and Angel Aquino.
“Cherie and I play siblings here. I’m an indie actor, and she is my director. It’s a film within a film,” Alfred said of the project that is currently in postproduction. “I can’t say too much about it, except that it’s about the situation of the desaparecidos, the power of film, and the love for family.”
In real life, Alfred is married to Yasmine Espiritu with whom he has two daughters—Alexandra Milan, 8; and Aryana Cassandra, 7. The couple is expecting a son in January.
“This is the most difficult pregnancy for Yasmine,” said Alfred, adding that Yasmine was hospitalized for 14 days during her first few months. “She would vomit everything that she ate. While it was one of the hardest moments for us as a family, it also brought us closer together.
“I’m grateful that God finally gave me a baby boy,” said Alfred, currently the representative of the fifth district of Quezon City.
Alfred is currently advocating for the creation of special education (Sped) centers in all schools in the country. “A lot of parents of kids with special needs prefer not to send them to school anymore; but I believe that they can still become active members of society,” he pointed out.
Alfred, who lost his mom to cancer a few years ago, is also promoting the creation of an integrated cancer control program in the Philippines. “There has to be a government body that will handle everything about cancer—from research to prevention, from treatment to posttreatment. Other countries have this,” he stressed.
Alfred left show biz for politics at the peak of his career. While it had been a tough decision to make, he said it was the best that he has ever made. “I still get to do projects that I care about. The hard reality here is that show biz still pays more,” said Alfred, who was last seen on television in the recently concluded drama “Kambal Karibal” on GMA 7. “I try to work on one TV show a year; that’s already enough to sustain my family’s needs for a year while I’m busy with my personal calling.”