Christian Vasquez’s meaningful connection with PLDT Home
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Actor Christian Vasquez stepped into the set enthusiastically, a stark contrast to the nervousness he once felt over two decades ago during his first PLDT commercial. With him is his son Jason, an engineering graduate who decided to forgo the board exam in favor of a career in IT.
Christian wholeheartedly embraced his son's decision, echoing the iconic line from his 2001 TV commercial, “Kung saan ka masaya, ti suportahan ta ka! [Whatever makes you happy, I will support you!]"
This true-to-life event of Christian and Jason inspired the newest digital campaign of PLDT Home.
The life-changing moment
Christian shared how his career in show business started over two decades ago. Hailing from Bacolod, young Christian took his chances at modeling in Manila, navigating the uncertainty of paycheck-to-paycheck living while auditioning for commercial roles and engaging in modeling gigs. Christian vividly recalled how living independently in Manila was difficult. “There was a time, with only a few coins in my pocket, I had to choose between buying food or buying three minutes of landline call to reach out to a relative,” he shared.
After attending various go-sees and appearing on some TV commercials, he shared that his Ilonggo accent helped him get a big break in the industry—the PLDT National Direct Dialing (NDD) Touch Card service commercial. He said it was a nerve-wracking experience—called for the project and the multiple takes it took to finish the shoot. But the project was, indeed, destined for him.
The commercial “Suportahan Ta Ka” produced by PLDT and its then advertising agency Ace Saatchi & Saatchi, changed Christian’s young life. At a time when there was no social media, the iconic ad became instantly "viral" in ways that Christian couldn’t even fathom. Unaware of his popularity due to the TV ad, he shared, “Naglalakad ako noon sa kalsada and some men from the streets would shout at me saying ‘Huy! Suportahan Ta Ka!’ [I would just walk on the streets and some men would shout at me, “Hey, it’s the ‘I’ll support you’ guy!”]
The iconic line was immediately associated with Christian.
The true-to-life sequel
Acknowledging that the PLDT commercial launched his career in show business, Christian expressed his enduring gratitude for the many opportunities that have shaped his life through the years.
Two decades later from his iconic project with PLDT, Christian has returned for PLDT’s 95th anniversary digital video, now portraying himself as the father who offers unwavering love and support for his son, Jason. He said, “Na-excite talaga ako nung tinawagan ako for another project with PLDT. Walang tanong tanong, I said YES! [I was excited when I was called to do another project with PLDT. No questions asked, I said yes!]”
Christian comes full circle with his young self 22 years ago. He now tells a real-life story of his son, Jason, who wants to postpone his engineering licensure exams and take on a different career path. Who would have thought that his very own TV commercial ad from 2001 would become a real-life story, now that he is a father.
As a dad who’s facing the same situation, Christian extends the same love and support for his son as he fondly utters, “Ti, kung saan ka masaya, lagi mong tandaan, palangga ta ka!” [Whatever makes you happy, always remember that I love you.]
True to its commitment now on its 95th anniversary, PLDT reminds and enables families to nurture the most meaningful connections through every generation. You can watch Christian and Jason Vasquez’s digital video on PLDT Home’s Facebook and YouTube.
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Editor’s Note: This article was provided by PLDT Home.