Donny Pangilinan. Photos by Armin P. Adina
MANILA, Philippines — Kapamilya heartthrob Donny Pangilinan is one of the hottest young male stars as of the moment, who appears to have hit the genetics lottery jackpot being the son of tall and attractive parents, Anthony Pangilinan and Maricel Laxa. But he shares his own personal struggles in keeping up with the expectations of his fans.
“Whenever you can rest, you should rest. That will always be the number one thing,” he responded when INQUIRER.net asked him how hard it is to be “pogi” or attractive at his launch as the newest celebrity ambassador of a skincare brand recently.
“It’s really hard to maintain clear skin, especially when you lack sleep and you’re always under the sun,” added the young star, who at that time just came from filming work that packed up at 3 a.m. “My role now always does activities outdoors, and he’s under the sun all the time,” shared Pangilinan, who is currently working on the e-sports-themed movie “GG” with his mother.
The busybody that he is, Pangilinan even spent time with his fans after facing members of the media. He shared an intimate moment with a select group of lucky followers in a meet-and-greet session where he gamely answered their questions.
He later greeted a huge gathering of enthusiastic fans that huddled at the Watsons store at The Block, where he chose three lucky followers to play bottle flip with. He even took the time to personally thank them for their support. He also posed for photographs with them, which tested the security guards’ wits.
Having to always face crowds, and dealing with many people because of his work, Pangilinan said it is imperative upon him to take care of himself.
“It’s the face and the body that you go out in, to meet people every day. Just being able to know that your skin is healthy, and you’re ready to take on the day, especially if it’s this hot, or if the environment is not so clean, at least you know that you’re making sure that you’re keeping yourself on track,” he said.
“I think we should just break the stereotype that skincare is only for girls. I think everybody should take care of their skin. It’s also healthy to do so,” added Pangilinan, who apparently learned this lesson the hard way.
Donny Pangilinan. Photos by Armin P. Adina
He shared an experience as a teenager that he really regrets now. “There was this concert I was waiting for so long, I was going with my friends. The next day, I had a really huge pimple on my nose. I didn’t know what to do, and I made the mistake of trying to pop it. And it got so much worse. And I just remember the whole night, it may have gotten infected. I clearly remember it being such a hassle,” Pangilinan said, adding that he also encountered “backne” (back acne) as a runner when he was still in school.
Currently, his pimple problems are caused by his consumption of protein shakes and extended working hours during filming. “There really are times that I’d get breakouts, and it’s inevitable. I really do try my best to take care of my skin,” he said.
“I think it’s also important to moisturize the skin, put sunscreen, that is number one, sunscreen. And whenever you feel that something’s coming out, you have to treat it already, as opposed to when the pimple is already out. Prevention is better than cure,” he added.
Pangilinan, however, is slowly proving that he is more than just a pretty face. His 2022 romantic-comedy film “An Inconvenient Love” with on-screen partner Belle Mariano received the “Best Asian Feature Film/Telemovie” award at the 2023 Contentasia Awards in Bangkok, Thailand, last week. EDV