Work is his hobby

MARVIN Agustin

Marvin Agustin is a self-confessed workaholic. But his workload is enough to drive a normal person nuts.

On top of co-owning and managing 25 restaurants, a multimedia production outfit (Futuretainment) and an artist management company (MediaNation), the 33-year-old actor-entrepreneur has taken on hosting and mentoring duties for the TV5 talent search “Artista Academy.”

How does he unwind? Well, looks like he doesn’t need to. Marvin says he enjoys working so much, he considers it his hobby.

“I don’t feel like I’m working because there’s variety [in my activities],” he said during a get-together with reporters. “One day I’m hosting a TV show, the next day I’m managing my restaurants or working on a production.”

Marvin has a two-year, nonexclusive contract with TV5. Aside from hosting “AA,” which premiered on July 30, he is slated to star in a soap opera and produce shows for the Kapatid network.

Family time

As much as possible, Marvin makes it a point to keep his weekends free so he can bond with his seven-year-old twins, Santiago and Sebastian, and their mom Tetet Dy.

Recently, the family spent quality time on a five-night cruise in the Bahamas. “We stayed in Disney’s private island (Castaway Cay, which serves as an exclusive port of call for the Disney Cruise Line ships). The kids were very happy,” Marvin said.

When Marvin revealed that they all stayed in one room, some of the movie journalists couldn’t help but tease Marvin: “Any chance a second set of twins is coming?”

He shot back, with a laugh: “Having twins is expensive! You always pay double.”

Ribbed about his love life, Marvin said it’s “okay, quiet.”

He insisted that he and Tetet are not getting married and had decided to just remain good friends. “We’re close, we have a good relationship,” he said. “We go out sometimes. We promised to avoid misunderstandings, for the kids’ sake. We can’t give them a traditional family setup, but we don’t want to complicate their lives any more than that.”

Asked if Tetet is still single, Marvin replied, “I don’t know. We don’t talk about these things because I don’t want her asking me as well.”

Marvin said the 16 “AA” finalists will be trained in acting, singing dancing and other skills at Wilma Galvante’s Asian Academy for Television Arts.

“That’s where they’ll spend most of their time. They’ll take the ‘AA’ school bus every day,” he said, adding that a camera crew will follow each of the finalists outside the academy and into their homes.

(“Artista Academy” airs Mondays to Fridays at 9 p.m. and Saturdays at 9:30 p.m. on TV5.)