Elmo Magalona at Twenty One

I sat down with Elmo Magalona at McDonalds in Katipunan Quezon City for his birthday charity April of last year and for his guesting on The Morgan Show. Unlike other celebrities who opt to celebrate their birthdays by partying with friends and family or having big vacation sprees, the son of the late Master Rapper, Francis Magalona, chose to celebrate his birthday by not focusing on himself but rather on what he can do for others. His birthday charity was with the young scholars of Our Lady of Pentecost Parish which has been organized by the Francis M Foundation and GMA Artist Center.

Dressed in a simple white long sleeves and black jeans, the Villa Quintana star felt natural and had no problem with interacting and making the scholars laugh. He facilitated the Born to be a Hero Workshop session for the young scholars. He was gamely posing for selfies, checking and signing the drawings made by his young guests and joining them for parlor games. One look and anyone would be able to see the genuine happiness that’s plastered all over the face of the birthday boy.

This year, Elmo had a pre-celebration by starting a clean-up drive at the Las Pinas Paraňaque Critical Habitat and Eco Tourism Area last April 25 together with his fans and some volunteers from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). Together with the volunteers, Elmo dutifully raked and sorted the garbage under the heat of the unforgiving sun. 

Growing up as a Magalona

Hailing from a family of well-known artists in the local showbiz industry, Elmo Magalona is still your average 21-year old sans being a showbiz royalty. As surprising as it may sound, Elmo admits to being shy and having a lot of insecurities growing up. He hinted that this might be caused by the pressure that accompanies being a Magalona and making a name of his own that is apart from that of his father.

Elmo has already carved a name of his own both as an actor and as a musician. With his work as an actor, singer, rapper, model and product endorser as well as his command of different musical instruments like the guitar, drums, harmonica and beatbox, he is well on his way to proving that he is a great artist on his own right.

Happiness and Positivity

When asked about what his birthday wish would be, Elmo said “happiness and positivity”. In his birthday speech, he said that the youth are our world’s future and that it is important for everyone to be positive and stay positive. 

“Because through positivity, we will have creative ideas that will help in our country’s development’ Elmo said during the event. He also reasoned that focusing on the negative things in life and the negative things about ourselves could be the downfall of our future. 

Elmo also stated that positivity has helped him to overcome his shyness and insecurities. Like how these traits had helped him, he knows that these traits too would help the shy and insecure teens to come out of their shell as they grow up.

A Very Special Birthday

It’s not just the daily inspiration that he gets from his co-actress Janine Gutierrez that made Elmo’s birthday super special. Elmo has also thanked the scholars of Our Lady of Pentecost Parish for making his birthday unforgettable.

Elmo is very happy that he got to celebrate his birthday through a charity event. In his birthday speech, he acknowledged that he is very fortunate to experience this and he is also thankful that he had been given the chance to make others happy. He also thanked his family and fans for their support and for their efforts in making his birthday extra special.

Plans for the future

Apart from doing what he loves most – singing and acting, Elmo said that he has always wanted to travel. He rarely travels and if he does travel, it is always work-related. He wants to travel and start his explorations with the Philippines first. Now that he’s 21, he wants to travel around the country and visit places like Palawan, Bicol and Bohol. 

Here is the interview I had with him when he guested on The Morgan Show!