He’s one of local showbiz’s most sought-after actors, enjoying both critical and box-office success. But to Dingdong, his dual role as father and husband will always trump any role he’s played for reel. As long as what he does matters to his wife and children, everything else will follow.

By BÜM D. TENORIO JR.

His presence on the silver screen underscores excellence. Dingdong Dantes, Best Actor awardee many times over in several local award-giving bodies, owns his craft with unyielding fervor.

His piercing eyes express a gamut of emotions when the camera captures his closeups. He can even act just with the stiffening or softening of his shoulders — yes, just with his shoulders as his back is turned to the camera — as evidenced by his evocative mid-shots in the critically acclaimed Firefly, adjudged as Best Picture at the 2023 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF). His long-shot angles are the long and short of his totality as an actor — resilient, dignified, effective, sincere, valuable. And bankable.

No doubt, with the unexpected P1-billion earnings of the time travel tearjerker Rewind, where his character in the film forged an alliance with God to rectify his mistakes, Dingdong is the country’s current box-office king, a clean, clear confirmation of his bankability as an actor.

From strength to strength

Certainly, everything that is happening to him now is a galaxy away from when Dingdong, now 43, broke into the scene as a young commercial model. He was only 13 when he was introduced to the celluloid world via “Anino,” an episode in Shake, Rattle & Roll V. At 17, he quickly earned a spot in the showbiz firmament when he played Iñaki in GMA’s youth-oriented show T.G.I.S. that paved the way for Dingdong to become GMA’s “Kapuso Primetime King,” where his teleseryes in the past like Ikaw na Nga, Twin Hearts and the phenomenal Marimar, opposite the then up-and-coming Marian Rivera, who eventually became his wife, were certified hits.

In Rewind, Dingdong partnered with Marian, his wife of nine years. The onscreen chemistry of the couple, DongYan to their legion of admirers, made viewers cry inside the movie house or by the steps of the theater soon after watching the movie. According to MMFF, where Rewind and nine other films were submitted for exhibition during the Christmas season last year, the DongYan-starrer became the first Filipino film to surpass P900 million at the box office from the time it was shown on Dec. 25, 2023 until the end of January 2024.

Although Dingdong and Marian have proven that their tandem is phenomenal at MMFF 2023, the couple, Dingdong tells PeopleAsia, “will not be joining the festival this year” for family reasons. At the moment, however, he is shooting a film with Charo Santos.

“We kind of lost some quality time away from our kids during the Christmas season last year (because we were promoting Rewind). In the duration of the MMFF, Marian and I were always out. We explained to Zia (eight) and Sixto (five): ‘Mga anak, ngayon ipapahiram muna namin ang aming mga sarili sa mga manonood sa season na ito.’ (Children, we would devote ourselves to the viewing public just for this season.) Thankfully, they understood us even if they knew it would take time away from them,” Dingdong says.

“If life has a ‘rewind,’ I will go back to those moments when I married Marian, when Zia was born, when Sixto came into our lives. Those moments are memorable. Nothing comes close to the meaning those events gave my life.”

No Christmas movie

But this early, the box-office couple have assured their children that Christmas season this year is for them. “My wife and I are thinking that maybe there would only be 18 more Christmases that they will truly enjoy with us, that they will truly love to celebrate with us. After that, they will be preoccupied with other things,” says Dingdong.

A complete family man, that’s what Dingdong is. That’s why he matters.

“The best indicator why I matter is how my kids see me and how my wife sees me. I have a clear role to be a father to them, and I strive constantly to be the best father to my kids. And the same way as a husband. Kung nagagampanan ko ng tama ’yung roles na ’yun, in that order, syempre sa pagiging asawa, tapos pagiging ama, everything else will follow. Kasi halimbawa yung role ko sa pagiging artista, susunod na lang ’yun, itong dalawa ang una. Pag pumasa ako sa kanila, alam kong magiging okay na ’yung iba,” says Dingdong. (If I could fully fulfill my roles first as a husband, then as a father, everything else will follow. Because my role as an actor comes after my role as husband and father. If I pass their standards, I know the rest will be okay.)

Fatherhood is not a mere role for Dingdong; it’s a responsibility. It’s a sacred duty for him to be there for his kids.

“A constant lesson I teach Zia and Sixto is to believe in God and to be God-fearing. And to make God the center of our family. Everything that we have — our health, our children’s education, the food on our table, our jobs — all these are from God. And it is important that our kids embrace that,” says Dingdong, who also hosts GMA shows Family Feud and Amazing Earth. “Second is to be kind to people. I’d like to believe Marian and I are successful in reminding our children that relationships are more important, more lasting than material things. The relationships that we cherish and treasure will really last to become our wealth as we get older.

“Lastly, syempre, mahalin nila ang kanilang mga magulang,” (They should love their parents) he says, adding that he is “the liberated dad; Marian is the disciplinarian mom.” He also spoils Marian — “with excess love.”

“It’s not bad to give my wife excess loving. It is my ultimate desire to make her happy every day. My love language is service. Anytime she needs me, I’m there for her. But what is more important is I know how to anticipate her needs. That’s how I show my love for her,” he says.

On the topic of children loving their parents, Dingdong knows that he and his wife need to set an example. So as parents, they continue to do good things that will inspire their children to follow suit.

As a celebrity entrepreneur, Dingdong ventured into Dingdong. ph, a tech solutions startup “that unifies digital marketplace and logistics for riders, merchants and consumers.” From a delivery service, Dingdong .ph has progressed to become a motorcycle taxi service.

Because he has been given much in life, Dingdong’s heart knows how to return his blessings. For more than a decade now, his YesPinoy Foundation helps children of fallen soldiers have access to education. And at the height of the pandemic, the foundation geared up to help more people by providing education-to-livelihood projects to Dingdong riders.

Recently, as a reservist, Dingdong graduated as a Naval Combat Engineer Officer of the Philippine Navy. His being a military reservist is his way of giving back to the country and at the same time his way of teaching Zia and Sixto the importance of loving the Philippines.

“Growing up — because many members of my family were in the service, with my grandfather as the pioneer in the family to serve in the First Philippine Army Constabulary — I also wanted to wear the uniform. Early on I knew it was volunteerism empowered by the doctrines of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and those who would like to become a reservist need to undergo proper training to wear the uniform.

“For the people in the military, it’s very, very sacred and not anyone can just wear it. So I went through all those with a clear purpose, of course, of serving the country. Isang karangalan sa akin na makapagsilbi sa ating mga kababayan (It’s an honor for me to be able to serve our countrymen),” Dingdong explains.

In the navy

He adds that his expertise in the media, say, directing and documentation, is what he contributes to the Philippine Navy. He also shared his YesPinoy with the military to become the engine for building programs. Now, Dingdong’s YesPinoy is also creating a disaster resilience program for the military to empower those in the barangays around the Philippines. He’s now gearing to have “at least one reservist per barangay who is trained in disaster resilience because anytime any barangay can face a disaster.”

Dingdong’s heart is a repository of kindness because he has been shown kindness by life. His life, he reflects, is many times filled with precious gifts. In a heartbeat, he can count these three precious gifts: Marian, Zia and Sixto.

“If life has a ‘rewind,’ I will go back to those moments when I married Marian, when Zia was born, when Sixto came into our lives,” he says, his eyes registering a thoughtful smile.

“Those moments are memorable. Wala nang mas bibigat pa sa kahulugang naibiigay sa akin ng mga araw na ’yun. (Nothing comes close to the meaning those events gave my life.) So, I want to go back to those moments. Those three moments are magical. Many times I ask myself, ‘Do I deserve these precious gifts?’ The answer is yes,” he concludes. And Dingdong Dantes, the man who also wanted to become a pilot when he was a kid, is now gliding graciously in his career, in his advocacy, in his life with sincere kindness as his engine. No doubt, he deserves those precious gifts — and more.