DAVID LICAUCO
The Modern Gentleman
From being an ordinary man who never dreamed of becoming a star to becoming “Pambansang Ginoo,” David Licauco is now ready to confidently embrace the spotlight and prove that fame can never change the man that he is.
Text by: Abbygael Hilario
Photos by: Cyrus Panganiban
Shot on location at Citadines Millennium Ortigas
While everyone was busy preparing and setting up for the photo shoot, a good-looking man entered the room and said softly, “Hello!” He then started shaking the hands of the people in the room, offering a firm handshake and introducing himself to each one. From the way he spoke and conducted himself, one could easily tell that he’s a genuinely nice guy.
Up close, David Licauco is better than advertised: he is that humble, handsome, at times awkward, fellow that you would want to root for (or maybe bring home to introduce to your parents!).
But David will be the first to clarify he’s no superstar. In fact, before he became an actor and received the moniker ‘Pambansang Ginoo’ he was an ordinary guy who lacked confidence and never dreamed of entering showbiz.
“Never ko in-imagine o naisip o dream na maging artista kasi feeling ko masyado siyang far-fetched 'cause growing up, ’di naman ako ’yung parang guwapo sa school. I was just an ordinary basketball player na tamad-tamad, so ’di ko lang talaga inisip talaga ’yon,” he answered.
It just so happened that an opportunity knocked on his door unexpectedly, and David just gladly welcomed it.
“But you know, dumating ’yung opportunity and nandito na ako. Nakakatuwa lang na sa buhay, ’yung mga opportunity biglang darating and it’s really up to you kung iga-grab mo siya and kung sisipagan mo para ma-reach ’yung full potential noong binigay sa’yo na opportunity,” he added.
Like most celebrities that came before him, David’s first taste of the Entertainment industry was through his modeling career.
“Well, nagstart siya noong sa modelling. I remember, I was walking in Boracay tapos tinanong lang ako if I wanted to become a model. That time ’di ko naman naisip na parang I was capable of being a model kasi hindi naman nga ako pogi sa mata ko. Para lang sa’kin that time, ah, kasi sinasabi nila sa’kin dati, parang may dating kasi malaki ’yung katawan, parang gano’n, so parang wala siya sa utak ko na may hitsura ako,” he recalled.
Just like other aspiring artists, it was not an easy experience for David. According to the Kapuso star, he had invested so much time, effort, and hard work, before he could finally enter the modeling industry.
“Nag-attend ako ng mga several go-sees na tinatawag, ’yun kasi ’yung yung tinatawag sa audition sa modelling, and then mga VTR but then, rarely akong makuha. Mga VTR siguro mga limang beses. Pupunta akong Makati, na-experience ko ’yung mga gano’ng hassle, but then, never akong nakuha. Tapos, I don’t know, it just happened. I would say, I mean, for sure hard work din talaga kasi acting talaga ’yung inaral ko pero ’yung, I don’t know really, ’yung pag-aartista, feeling ko, if it’s for you, it’s for you. Parang mix siya ng destiny and hard work. Mas maraming guwapo, (pero) konti lang masipag mag-workshop, mag-aral ng acting, at mahalin ’yung trabaho mo. So, a little bit of both.”
Eventually, David did get the attention he deserved. In 2014, the son of Jolan Alexander Licauco and Eden Sy won 1st runner-up at the Mr. and Ms. Chinatown pageant. For most pageant winners, the next logical step would be to try showbiz. With nothing to lose, David did exactly that: try his luck in showbiz.
After doing a string of bit roles for the Kapamilya network, David’s first appearance in a Kapuso show was in the 2016 GMA drama series Sa Piling Ni Nanay, which was directed by Gil Tejada Jr. and Omar Deroca, and starred Yasmien Kurdi, Katrina Halili, and Mark Herras. Even if it was not the lead role, it gave David a preview of how challenging and stressful showbiz work could be.
“First guesting ko was Sa Piling ni Nanay. So ’yon ang pinaka first TV appearance ko sa GMA and ’yung role ko was a police. That time it felt like ’yung showbiz environment was big, alam mo ’yon? Kasi parang coming in, bata ka, feeling mo ang laki-laki ng mundo, pero ’pag tumanda ka, mare-realize mo na parang lahat naman tayo gusto lang talagang kumita at makauwi ng pera para sa minamahal natin sa buhay,” he recalled.
His experience in the Kapuso serye made David realize a few things about whether or not he was really up for it and willing to pursue an acting career.
“Siyempre ’yung struggles sa acting, mahirap naman talaga umarte, and ’yung late matatapos, mga 3 a.m. or 4 a.m. Until now naman nahihirapan pa rin ako pero at least ’yon aware na ako kung bakit siya nangyayari. Kasi siyempre, sa production maraming nangyayari. At the end of the day, budget pa rin ’yung iniisip natin. Sa lahat naman ng industry, minsan nakaka-stress. Minsan nababadtrip pa rin ako kasi nga late matapos but then ’pag naisip mo kung bakit nangyayayari ’yon and bakit kailangan mangyari ’yon, wala kang magagawa kundi intindihin ’yon.”
From his minor roles, many can say that David really made some tremendous growth as an actor. This was after he got the role of Fidel, a reliable friend and a charming man in 2023’s most talked-about Philippine primetime series, ‘Maria Clara at Ibarra.’ While he didn’t start off as amazing, David grew into his role and over time started to show more and more of his promising acting talent.
Whether by accident or design, David’s character Fidel eventually developed chemistry with the lead of the show, Klay, played by Barbie Forteza.
The audience, who had been following Maria Clara at Ibarra since Day 1, was quick to pick up on the spark between Fidel and Klay. Eventually, in a matter of weeks, David and Barbie found themselves on the center of every fan’s radar. Nothing could convince the “shippers” otherwise: they simply loved seeing Fidel and Klay together.
David quickly became a trending topic on social media. He became primetime TV’s hottest heartthrob.
Needless to say, the sudden overwhelming clamor and support for Team FiLay (a portmanteau of their characters Fidel and Klay), brought in some big changes in David’s life.
“Malaking pagbabago honestly. Kasi before, kung nasa labas ako narerecognize ako sometimes na ‘Hey, artista ’yan,’ ‘Hey si David ’yan,’ pero hindi naman sila nagke-crazy about me. But now, since maganda nga ’yung Maria Clara, maganda ’yung role ko, maganda ’yung partnership namin ni Barbie, magaling ’yung mga directors, total collaborative effort siya kaya naman nabuild si Fidel that’s why nagustuhan siya ng mga tao because of the whole team, the writers, producers, lahat. So definitely, nagbago talaga ’yung life ko when it comes to my private life. Kasi kumbaga mas dumadami fans mo, mas gusto ka nila makilala, gusto nila malaman ’yung past mo, gusto nila malaman kung sino dine-date mo ngayon,” he said.
David completely understands that it comes with the territory and that fame, no matter how glamorous it may sound, has its trade-off. What he’s particularly excited about are the bigger opportunities that may come his way because of the FiLay phenomenon.
“I just have to be careful, I guess. Kasi this is the job that I’m doing, that I have, and as a go-getter, I want to maximize this as much as possible kasi hindi naman lahat ng tao nabibigyan ng ganitong opportunity like I mentioned.”
To this day, David is still not used to all the attention. In fact, he’s still adjusting to the moniker given to him by his fans, “Pambansang Ginoo.”
“Well, I don’t know. ’Yung mga gano’n kasi na nicknames, parang di naman siya pumapasok sa head ko. For them, gano’n ako but then for me, I’m still David like from way back. Pero siyempre, I can’t help but feel flattered din kasi hindi naman nga lahat nabibigyan ng gano’ng nickname ’di ba? So, I just have to try my best to live up to that name and hype that I’m getting right now.”
"Actually, before Maria Clara, naisip ko na rin na baka it’s time for me to hang up and retire na sa showbiz kasi I want to focus on my business and my family’s business."
Aside from being an actor, David Licauco also excels in his other role, which is being a businessman. At present, he manages multiple businesses including Kuya Korea, a quick-service restaurant serving Korean fare in UP Town Center, and Sobra Comfort Food, a casual dining restaurant in Molito in Alabang. As his fans would know, David earned a degree in Business Management from De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde.
David shared how demanding operating a food business has been. That’s why he has always had a hands-on approach to his business because he doesn’t want to leave anything to chance. David admittedly has a lot to learn and improve on in terms of his management style and strategies.
“Honestly, pinakamahirap na negosyo talaga is food, because it’s a B2C, business to consumer. Every day, ’yung quality check, mahirap siya. Marketing is also hard kasi nga start-up eh. Hindi naman siya like franchise na everything is there, ready na. So, from the ground up talaga siya. ’Yung leg work, na-experience ko lahat.
David started small, collecting orders from a few customers residing in a condo building in BGC, Taguig City. “Nagstart lang kami sa isang condo sa BGC. Ako ’yung nagte-take ng orders, ako ’yung nag-a-ayos ng packaging, nagba-box, lahat-lahat. Ako nagbu-book ng orders. Minsan ako ’yung nagluluto. So, mahirap talaga siya, sipag ang kailangan. I feel like kung mahal mo naman ’yung ginagawa mo, gagawin mo ’yung lahat para maging successful ka. And s’yempre, kailangan mo non-stop learning every day. Like every day pa rin, tina-try ko ’yung best ko na magbasa ng libro, manood ng mga business podcasts, specifically about restaurants.”
However, wearing many hats in life takes a lot of work and time. Now that David is in the limelight and peak of his career, he must juggle his time to attend to all his commitments. Asked how hard it is and how he does it, David gave a straightforward answer.
“Medyo mahirap na siya ngayon, to be honest. Dati, kaya eh…. Tapos ngayon parang, one way or another, meron talagang may mako-compromise. Kasi, we only have twenty-four hours in a day and ’yung showbiz is a tedious job, like, all day talaga siya. But then, as much as possible, I try na kapag nasa taping ako, nagwowork ako ng business. But siyempre, hindi pa rin siya full-on because I believe na ’yung creativity natin, it comes from being bored. Obviously, if you’re in taping hindi ka naman bored. Kumbaga ’yung ideas ko na dating pumapasok palagi na about business, hindi ko na siya nagagawa ngayon. I don’t know, I just have to go with the flow I guess, and try to enjoy every step of the way, and see what happens,” he answered.
Not many know that before ‘Maria Clara and Ibarra’ came, David actually thought of retiring from the entertainment industry so he could focus on his businesses.
“Sa showbiz naman kasi parang ano eh, hindi ko naman siyang inisip na forever na gagawin. Siguro kapag kinasal na ako, titigil na ako. Actually, before Maria Clara, naisip ko na rin na baka it’s time for me to hang up [the gloves] and retire na sa showbiz kasi I want to focus on my business and my family’s business. Mahirap talaga siya isabay eh, like today, meron akong meeting pero ’di ako nakapunta kasi meron tayong ganito, so may mga case na naco-compromise talaga. So, it’s really hard to balance both showbiz and business pa rin (but) since nandito na ’ko and marami nang taong nag-invest at sumusuporta sa’kin as David Licauco na artista, parang ang sama ko naman kung bigla na lang akong aalis ’di ba?” he said.
Now that fate seems to be in his favor and he’s gradually achieving his dreams, David is doing his best to maintain what he has now.
For David, life is more than just financial success. He has always wanted more and continuously seeks growth in everything he does. He’s learned to live in the moment because he believes that people should enjoy their lives to the fullest as we all only live once.
“You know, success kasi ano, naging shallow siya for me kasi parang, once you’ve reached your goal then you want something else, you want more. Like, as humans, I think it’s a very normal thing na we always want more, na we’re never satisfied, which for me, is not a bad thing. Kasi mas maganda na nag-aim ka ng higher, higher, and higher all the time, and that’s growth. I’m all for self-growth but then sometimes, kailangan mo rin mag step back and think na, ‘Uy, kailangan mo maging grateful sa mga na-achieve mo and don’t pressure yourself too much.’ Honestly, we only live once naman talaga and we have to enjoy every moment because hindi naman tayo mabubuhay forever.”
Asked what else he wanted to achieve as a person, he answered without hesitation, “Lahat, lahat ng pwede kong makuha.”
But before he could tick that off his to-do list, David will take his time enjoying the moment and being thankful for the wave of blessings that swept him off his feet.
“I also wanna be grateful pa rin sa Maria Clara. Sa lahat ng tao behind Maria Clara, thank you kasi kung wala si Fidel, hindi rin nila ako na-interview ngayon.”
"I’m all for self-growth but then sometimes, kailangan mo rin mag-step back and think na, ‘Uy, kailangan mo maging grateful sa mga na-achieve mo and don’t pressure yourself too much.’"
