For Joem Bascon, being a hands-on dad tiring but fulfilling

From left: Joem Bascon, Gido, Meryll Soriano and Eli —Photos from MERYLL SORIANO/INSTAGRAM

Now that he’s a father, Joem Bascon no longer fusses about where to go or what to do after work. He just wants to head straight home.

“Gusto ko nang umuwi at mag-alaga ng bata!” he told reporters in a recent visit to a taping location for the GMA 7 primetime drama series “Asawa ng Asawa Ko.” “Back then, I would stay out and meet with friends. Now, after work, I go home, do errands and play with my kid.”

Gido, the 37-year-old actor’s son with partner Meryll Soriano, is now in preschool. Joem makes sure to go and watch over him whenever his schedule permits.

“On my free days, I bring him to school. Even if I haven’t had any sleep, I go just so I can see how he’s doing,” said Joem who’s also a stepdad to Eli, Meryll’s 16-year-old son with her ex-husband, Bernard Palanca.

Because Gido is a “pandemic baby,” Joem couldn’t be happier that his son now gets to socialize with other kids his age. “We’re told that the problem with pandemic babies is that they were mostly stuck at home, so they have a harder time interacting with others. At least, he now gets to play with other kids … It’s a small group, there are about eight of them,” he said.

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If he were rich, Joem said he would have taken a break from show biz and started his own business. But for now, acting it is, and he can only hope to continue getting projects and work without sacrificing time for his family.

“Back then, go lang nang go, accept lang nang accept … But now, I also have to consider time for my family. I’m now in my late 30s. Meryll and I are not getting any younger. We’re no longer at our physical peak, so we really have to choose the projects we accept. We hope to stay healthy, so that we can continue saving up until our kids finish their studies, so we can continue providing for them,” he said.

Gido is quite the ball of energy. “Nakakapagod! But at the end of day, when I’m hugging him, or watching him sleep, nawawala ang pagod ko. I just want to hug him all night, but that’s not possible when he’s awake,” he said, laughing.

It’s way too early to tell what Gido’s interests would be when he grows up, but he seems to have the makings of a future actor—at least that’s what Meryll thinks, Joem said. “But of course, we want him to have a normal childhood … away from the limelight. We want him to experience going to school, playing outside and getting dirty. Whatever his decision is in the future, we will support him.”

Bascon (left) accompanies son Gido to school.

Character development

In “Asawa ng Asawa Ko,” Joem plays Leon, the ex-leader of the rebel group Kalasag. Recent story developments saw his character mellowing. However, the surprise reemergence of his ex-wife, Hannah (Kylie Padilla) throws him for a loop.

“At first, when we talked about our character, I thought he was going to be a straight-up villain, someone meant to make the other characters’ lives consistently miserable. But somewhere along the way, I read the script and saw that I was given a different arc. I was glad because that meant I would be able to show something different,” he said.

For Joem, working with an actress like Kylie is an honor. “We’re happy that she gets to share her talent with us. She’s so easy to work with,” said Joem, who couldn’t help but be in awe of his new costar’s expressive eye. “It’s hard trying to look straight into her eyes … She can create subtexts just in the way she looks,” he said.

Kylie’s inclusion in the soap is a good thing for the cast, Joem said, because it keeps him and the other lead stars (Jasmine Curtis-Smith, Liezel Lopez and Rayver Cruz) on their toes.

“I was nervous at first because we have been working on the show for a year now. I knew that the arrival of Kylie’s character will change the dynamics. We had to change our approach. Anyway, teleseryes aren’t straightforward. They can change, depending on what resonates with viewers or what the producers want,” he said.

Prior to this drama series, Joem was content playing supporting roles as they meant a steady flow of work for him. That “Asawa ng Asawa Ko” turned out to be an unexpected success—on primetime, to boot—was a pleasant surprise.

“I’m very thankful. For the longest time, I was at ease with whatever project that came along, but now, I play someone that people follow. When I’m outside, people call me, ‘Leon,’” he related. “It feels good being given a chance to be on primetime again.”