Starting over

QUEEN-size bed in a blue, blue room Photos by Andrew Tadalan

On his way home from manager Becky Aguila’s office last March, young actor Neil Coleta figured in a car mishap on Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City.

His 2011 Innova was badly damaged in a collision with another vehicle. Fortunately, Neil and his uncle, who was driving, were unharmed.

Neil counts himself lucky that he survived without a scratch. “I’ve been given a new lease on life,” he said. “[The incident] renewed my faith. It happened right before Holy Week. It reminded me to hear Mass more frequently.”

It signaled a new beginning, too.

He had just decided to buy a new condo unit at the time. He had to think twice as a result of the mishap. “I had to have my car repaired first.”

HE HAD the L-shaped sofa custom-made, and handpicked the living room décor.

As it turned out, the other driver owned a car repair shop and took care of everything. “My Innova looks good as new,” said Neil.

After Holy Week, Neil moved to his new pad at the Capri Oasis in Pasig. “I bought brand-new furniture,” he pointed out. “New home, new life.”

He bought new appliances, too. “The only old thing I brought from my old unit was tabo for the bathroom,” he said, laughing heartily.

The refrigerator is a gift from his manager; the air-con in his room, from realtor Virgie Belir.

With the help of a professional designer, Neil picked the light fixtures, decor and paintings. He found most of the paintings, including the “Last Supper” now hanging in the dining area, at SM Megamall.

Earth colors

DINING set is a mall find.

He wanted lots of browns and earth colors, and wooden pieces, to imbue the 48-square-meter unit with a warm, comfy feel. “The place looks big … I got a corner unit.”

The stuffed toys and framed photos in his room are gifts from fans. He also brought to the condo some of the toy cars in his collection. “Most of them are in our house in Cavite.”

Neil had the L-shaped sofa custom-made along with the bar (which doubles as a shoe rack in the meantime).

Furnishing his home taught him a lot about shopping. “I bought the curtain rods for P1,000 each in a mall,” he recalled. “I later learned that they cost only P179 each in a grocery store.”

He prefers yellow to white fluorescent lights, he said. “White lights make me feel lazy and sleepy; yellow lights make me feel energetic.”

Neil made sure to get a queen-size bed “so that I can roll around while asleep.”

He plans to show off the unit to his dad on Sunday, Father’s Day (he has previously brought his mom). The complex has swimming pools, a basketball court and a gym. “My mom is happy that I have invested wisely,” the actor said.

His parents still live in their old house in Cavite, which Neil hopes to renovate soon. He seldom has time to drive that far, but his nephews and nieces visit him quite often. “Last summer, they had fun swimming in the kiddie pool,” Neil said.

Sealing the deal

The amenities sealed the deal for Neil. Capri Oasis will soon have a laundromat and a water-filling station, and it’s a stone’s throw away from major malls, schools, hospitals and TV

HE SHOOTS hoops in the basketball court when he’s not working.

studios. It’s near the TV studios, too.

Oh, and there’s the sun deck. He plans to buy a telescope, “so I can go stargazing at night.”

Neil became popular via a series of Nestea TV commercials. Now, apart from his daily afternoon soap opera, “Aryana,” on ABS-CBN, he is in the cast of the movie musical, “I Do Bidoo Bidoo,” produced by Unitel Pictures.

In “Aryana,” he costars with comedienne Pokwang, whom he describes as  “cool, a no-nonsense pro, but she jokes around with everyone off-cam.”

In “I Do Bidoo,” he gets to perform with Gary Valenciano, Zsa Zsa Padilla, Ogie Alcasid, Eugene Domingo, Sam Concepcion, Tippy dos Santos and Jaime Fabregas the songs made famous by the Apo Hiking Society.

Until now, he can’t believe he’s been cast in the movie. “I’m honored to be performing two big Apo hits: ‘Mahirap Magmahal ng Syota ng Iba’ and ‘Kaibigan.’”

He has certainly come a long way from his humble beginnings as a wannabe who had to endure countless go-sees. “This is a dream come true,” he said. “I never imagined that I’d get to own a condo unit at my age (20).”

He used to rent condo units in the middle of the metropolis. “My first pad was beside the LRT along Taft; the second, beside the MRT on Edsa.” Of course he often slept and woke up to the honking of cars and the humming of commuter trains.

Peace and quiet

Now, he said, he enjoys peace and quiet 24/7. He has become a homebody, too. Unless it’s for work, he avoids staying out late. “Instead of partying, I’d rather stay home and sleep.” Or “hang out” with Chloe, his Chihuahua, a gift from a friend.

NEIL in front of the compound’s country club. He still can’t believe he owns a condo unit at his age.

“She is so well-behaved, she hardly even barks.” Neil said. “I can leave her at home and she will not touch anything, apart from her favorite toys, my Angry Bird figures.”

Views of nearby mountains are a big bonus for Neil. Another perk is that his room leads to a terrace where he practices his trumpet-playing, whenever the mood hits him.

During Living Stars’ visit, he played Whitney Houston’s “Saving All My Love for You” and Chuck Mangione’s “Feels So Good” on his new trumpet, a birthday gift from his manager.

He started playing when he was in Grade 3. He was a member of the Citizen’s Brigade (marching) Band of Dasmariñas, Cavite.

The stint taught him perseverance, more than anything else. “We marched under the heat of the sun—those were long parades, sometimes from Edsa corner Taft to SM North Edsa.”

It also kept him fit. “I had to stay healthy because I needed lung power. We were not supposed to get sick. Rain or shine, we performed.” He usually made P350 for three days of work. “I didn’t mind,” he said. “The training was priceless.”

He had to play the saxophone, trombone and clarinet as well. “The band members had to master other instruments, in case others didn’t show up.”

Once in a while, he visits his old band mates. “I help out … with their uniforms or other needs.”

He has traveled far from home, but makes certain he looks back.