THE ALLURE of modeling has long been a muse to many. For them it’s a stunning departure from the ordinary, an industry that gives one a chance to travel, meet diverse and interesting personalities—a fantastic world of opportunities. But behind the glitz and glamour that we see, are the real creatives that work in the background.
Meet Valeriano “Chicoy”
Tomol III, the man who legitimized model management in Cebu, as they say.
“I enjoy this kind of work. I love what I am doing, and this is fun for me. Believe me, when I was young I really wanted to become an astronaut, to be the first Filipinoin space, and I’m sure there are a lot of Filipinos in space already. I even wrote to NASA but they never replied,”
he reveals.
Recognized as the forefront in Cebu’s modeling scene, his Models’ Association of Cebu (MAC) developed prominent names like Yedda Marie Kittilstvedt-Romualdez,
Anna Maris Igpit, Marjay Ramirez, Melanie Ediza, Karla Bautista and Stephanie Señires, to name a few. He made modeling what it is today, and made these beauty queens household names.
Beyond the lights, his passions and how he keeps up with the changing times, Chicoy credits two things for his success: the way his father raised him to be thorough and precise, and more importantly his attitude and demeanor.
He is also embracing fatherhood. “I recently told my son, young as he is, that his GODly decisions and good deeds are my successes as a father,” he says. And he continues being hands-on “dad” to his constants. Here, he tells the Play! pool about the things that keep him going.
How does one become a successful model?
One of my mentors, (pageant director) Jackie Aquino, told me that I should look for models that have the brains and not just with pretty faces. We are looking for thinking models, not just the proverbial bimbo. The modeling industry here in Cebu is very physical.
I have three tenured models who help mein assessing the ladies.
As it has always been, MAC isn’t just a business, it’s family.
What’s your take on the current modeling agents in Cebu?
You know what they always say nga, kuya we want to emulate you. Ma-h’ug ko nga sometimes I’d give them tips here and there, but there are some wayward agents who insist on doing something that borders on the indecent. Naa man gyuy ingon ana nga offers, like there was this bachelors party and my usual answer is: “We are a legitimate modeling agency and not an escort service.” Mao ra gyud na, dili na ko mangaway kay stressful kaayo mangaway.
Does it mean that Chicoy has mellowed down?
Siguro because of old age (laughter). Or maturity. It’s a combination of many things. I am the most apolitical person on this planet, and you know my family is intopolitics also, so in some ways kapoyan baya ko. But I have friends who are in politics, like Yeddah, so it’s creating the much needed balance.
What made you enter the modeling scene?
Since high school and college I have been an admirer of beauty.
Women are beautiful in all sizes and forms. There was a time when I was asked by the late designer Reynaldo F. Santos if I can be his assistant, not exactly as a designer, but if I’d be interested to venture into the world of fashion, and I said yes. I don’t have the talent as a designer so for meit was a new venture, though when I was young I had greatorganizational skills, systematic kaayo ko nga pagkatawo. So in that job I was exposed to fashion and models. Back then it was only my good friend Protacio, who was running GAP agency. I got to meet Manila directors like Jackie Aquino who told me that there are many talents here in Cebu that are at par with Manila and that I may
try to professionalize it.
I was lucky that I had Roger Alferez as my business partner because he went through the trouble of making things legitimate, running around for the permits and licenses. I’m proud to say that we’re the first legal modelling agency here in Cebu.
MAC has been through a lot all these years.
It’s a milestone because we’re more than 25 years in the industry. Since we started, all in all, like a hundred models went through MAC and I do keep track. I’d bump into one of them and it’s like, Hi Chic! Now it’s Kuya Chic! Madugay mag Tito na sila because they’re now getting younger, most of them are sons and daughters of my
former models so mag Tito na gyud. A lot of things have changed… before, with my models, I get to be invited during family events, even part of their personal succcesses.
In your more than 25 years as the model agent, what have you observed in the local modeling scene?
I remember what Madam Stella Araneta said, that in this day and age, if you’re still ugly then that’s your fault. Meaning Binibining Pilipinas will frown on you if you haven’t fixed your nose so para nako it’s really a question on how realistic you are in seeing yourself.
We do have progressed a bit in terms of clients and standards but sometimes you can’t help but hear these horror stories about agents and models na para nako these incidences shouldn’t have happened.
It shouldn’t be like that anymore. We should have learned our lesson throughout the years.
How do you maintain these standards that you’ve set for the agency?
Well if you know me you would know that I’m a stickler for discipline and professionalism. The industry knows us for the longest time that MAC models are never late. Never. I would always set my time 30 minutes in advance. And our stand right now is the model’s job is to wait for clients, not the other way around. Mao bitaw na for some clients when they call me and would request for a go-see at say 2 p.m., I always tell them of a needed prep time of at least an hour or two because a go-see to us is a major production. Dili gyud na pwede nga mo-show ka ngadto nga nag tsinelas lang ka. Also case in point when we had a fitting with FIDA and there’s this model who texted me if she can go to FIDA in her uniform. Ako siyang giingnan, “Yes you can, pero you will be putting MAC in a bad light. After all they hired us as models, not as medical interns. So why would you wear your medical uniform in a fitting?”
What happened?
She replied: “Okey, Kuya I’ll go home now and change.” Ana ra ka simple. They don’t call me a dragon for nothing. Also, time is important, that’s why I am very particular with punctuality, being on time. Moreso right now nga grabe kaayo ang traffic, you should do something about time management because mao gyud na akoang greatest fear, ang pangitaan ko sa client kung asa na ang model. Mas maka-take pa nako gamay nga dili ko mabayran sa client, ayaw lang gyud nang pangitaan ka kung asa na ang model.
What’s an ordinary day like for you?
I’d wake up at five in the morning and pick-up my son, because we live separately. I’d wake up that early to avoid the traffic and then straight to school. After I then go straight back to the house to check on my emails and sometimes to check on my girls. I cannot survive without checkingon my girls. I’d call them my constants because they keep me sane. I mean I am crazy but I can be very, very crazy if it weren’t for them—Melanie Ediza, Melissa Basubas, Stephanie Señires, Maria Karla Bautista, Marjay
Ramirez and Guia Estrella Chua. And then I’d make sure nga mobalik ko sa school for lunch with my anak because makita gyud nako nga he’s happy when I am there. Sometimes when the mom is there, he would look for me daw and funny thing is normally I would have meetings. Mo- beg off gyud ko that I have to attend to something very, very important. Biyaan nako sila and wala lang sila kahibaw nga akoang anak akoang giadto. Then again I can always come back, which I do, if they want me back for that meeting.
What can you say about the “sulutan” among modeling agencies?
Consistently it has never happened that a model has transferred from MAC to another agency because wala siya ganahi sa MAC. It’s always nga akoa siyang gipapahawa because I have problems with him or her. Consistently also, daghan kaayo nga mga models nga namalhin from other agencies to us, and they have never looked back since.
Who is your role model?
It has to be my father. We have the same name. He taught me the value of being punctual, discipline and openness. That you have to be open to everyone as well as embrace a person’s faults. You don’t put someone in a box and label them. Mao bitaw malooy ko sa uban like this one nga nag-anorexia gyud siya because she was desperate to become a model. When some teens email me about wanting to become a model and they’re just 5’4” I’d tell them upfront that modelling is not the only thing they can do. I have a sister who is 4’10” and she is a brilliant lawyer. Focus on what you’re good at. There’s more to life than modeling.
How can some people be desperate to get into the scene?
Na-stress ko lately because there’s this text of a young lady claiming she was 16 and quit school because she wants to be a model. She really wanted to become a model, like nahuman na siya sa tanang workshops sa different modeling agencies except for MAC, because we are a bit expensive. I said I am not accepting her because she’s clearly in the wrong direction by quitting school.
My point? What kind of parents would approve to have their kids quit school for modeling? Because there’s more to life than becoming a model.
Modeling can only take you to a certain age. After that you have to have a fallback. The shelf life of a model is very short, mao bitaw na I always tell my models that if you want to do this make sure to always commit with your school because it’s important to have security. Matingala ang uban models why they’re not given assignments and it’s because my business partner Roger would know that they’re slacking off in school. Failing grades in school won’t cut it in MAC. The direction now is we’re so bent on being popular and para nako is you don’t have to be sikat to be happy. You just have to be realistic, contented and accept the
endless possibilites of whatever it is that you can do. Be yourself and accept your reality.
I never thought that I’d become a father. Though dili by blood, for all intents and purposes, he is my son.
Embrace whatever that comes to you and accept it as a blessing. Prayer indeed can move mountains and I wouldn’t be in this position if dili ko mag sige og ampo.
Chicoy with son Rainier Josef
Have you always embraced fatherhood?
Always. I had the most hands-on father who’d wake up early in the morning to go to Pasil para mangompra. I got it from him—having a sistema or organization in everything I do. Probably because I was seeking for a father-figure and my fatherleft when I was young and it was a tough time for all of us. I had this realization 10 years ago when most of my models would look up to me, confide in me personal issues and treat me as their father and ganahan ra sab baya ko. That experience made me ready pag-abot sa akoang anak. And me being a sentimental old man, whenever I bump into my models now having their own families, having “graduated” to becoming wives, businesswoman or expats, seeing them and knowing that they are well is more than enough for me. They always come back.
What can you say about models riding on their social media mileage and followers?
For one it helps them in their career. On the flipside it’s all about the right packaging. It might be a bit of help to some though I’ve known of some nga they have a strong following but when I get to work with them dili man diay sila ingon ana ka terrific orfabulous. Social media is powerful because before it was girls wanting to become a flight attendant, now it’s girls wanting to be models. Social media can be misleading and deceiving to the young so it should properly be monitored and filtered because young people really don’t mind the content, they just read the headline. I see no harm in self-promotion because after all you’re a model, but you as a mature individual should know when to tone it down because you might set a bad example. As a person who runs a modeling agency I have a social media responsibility not just to my models but to those aspiring to be models.
How do you see the future of MAC?
It’s encouraging because aspirational daw kuno ang MAC, and if you have the budget, then you’d go for MAC (laughter). Despite hearing the horror stories I’m sure eventually the local modeling scene will become more professionalized. The clients now are aware that go-sees are a very important thing and clients know the standard rates. I’m a very optimistic person. I see the good side of everything.
