Asian Journal- The Filipino-American Community Newspaper

IF I WERE to name a truly class act in Philippine showbiz, one of them would have to be Richard Gomez.

For me, he is the reigning Adonis of his generation in Philippine cinema. He fits the bill of tall, dark and handsome. To boot, this goodlooking model-actor is also one of the nicest guys around!

I remember meeting him for the first time during his first American holiday with then-leading lady Snooky Serna.

Instantly, Goma (as he’s fondly called) and I hit it off. I recall showing him around LA during that visit. I think I took him to Beverly Center, which was the hotspot for shopping back in the day. He also stayed at my house while he was here.

Since then, he’s been a good friend. He had a special guest appearance on my show Reflections 4 with the help of Mary Ann Pagsibigan.

I remember Goma spending two of his Christmases with us here in LA. Once he joined us at the salon and visited with my Mom which was so nice of him.

Another Christmas years later, he attended a party held at my house with his new bride Lucy Torres.

One endearing trait of Goma is that he has no qualms about where we eat. We would set up outside my house before and share meals with friends kamayan-style.

I think I relate to him as a person because of his humble beginnings. He worked at McDonald’s before breaking into modeling and showbiz.

As a celebrity, well, there is much to celebrate about Goma. He is an accomplished actor, product endorser, athlete and leader.

He’s won awards for his acting performances for critically acclaimed movies such as Dahas and Hihintayin Kita sa Langit. He has also starred in a string of hits for Regal films, making him a truly bankable leading man with the help of long-time mentor Douglas Quijano.