Nakausap ng PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) si Chuckie Dreyfus sa pocket presscon para sa Apolaki members ng Survivor Philippines Celebrity Doubles Showdown ng GMA-7.
Ginanap ang presscon kahapon, December 21, sa The Old Spaghetti House sa Timog Avenue, Quezon City.
Si Chuckie ay dating child star na naging sidekick ng yumaong aktor na si Rudy Fernandez sa 1985 film nitong Idol.
Naging miyembro rin siya ng dating youth-oriented show ng GMA-7 na That's Entertainment.
Hindi pinalampas ni Chuckie ang pagkakataon na maging castaway sa Survivor para makabalik siya sa showbiz, upang makatulong sa pagpapagamot ng kanyang ina na may breast cancer at para na rin sa kanyang pamilya.
Kumusta ang naging experience niya bilang isang castaway?
"Life changing, actually," tugon ng dating child star.
Paliwanag niya,"Paglabas ko kasi, it's like there's...there's a lot more things, you know, better outlook in life.
"Mahalaga sa akin ang pamilya ngayon.
"You know, which is true ha, no contact with family, tapos hindi ka nakakakain nang matindi, wala talaga makain.
"So, pati gutom, nararanasan mo. Ibang klaseng gutom, ha.
"Hindi yung gutom na, 'Shit, hindi ako nakakain ng buong araw, hindi ganun, e.
"Hindi ako nakakain ng isang linggo kunwari, yung talagang ganun lang yung makakain mo."
Dagdag pa niya, "So, siyempre pagbalik ko dito, ayaw mong magtira ng pagkain.
"Pag may nakikita kang naglilimos sa may kotse mo, na humihingi, alam mo yung nararamdaman nila.
"So, parang naaawa ka.
"So, mas mahalaga sa 'yo ngayon yung pamilya, pagkain—mga bagay na hindi mo, you know, you don't...things that you take for granted.
"Ayan yung mga luxury things and yun yung everyday thing—your bed, your ano, lahat.
"Everything has more value now, e, so it's nice.
"It's very hard, pero for me, I have no regrets, e.
"Ang laki ng binaon ko pauwi dahil sa experience."
CHANGES. Malaki raw ang ipinagbago sa pagkatao ni Chuck dahil sa pagiging isang castaway.
Ano 'yong changes?
"I spend more time with family. Uhm...however way I could, 'no?
"Because there's also tapings and all, so every time na libre, I make it a point na, you know, my kids see me.
"I bond with them, I play with them. I go out with my wife as well.
"Uhm...they understand naman na because of Survivor, things became more hectic."
Napansin ba nila 'yong changes sa kanya?
"I think so," nakangiting sabi ni Chuck.
Ano ang sabi nila?
"They're happy that... One, they're very happy that I joined the game.
"Kumbaga, like natutuwa naman ako kapag 'pinagmamalaki naman nila ako.
"Other than that, uhm...they see that I'm more... I give more value to everything.
"Its nice kasi when they see it.
"I'd like to believe that they look up to me, so everything that I do, ginagaya nila."
Aniya pa, "So when I tell them na, 'Finish your food,' or I tell them to do this and that, alam nilang may pinaghuhugutan 'yon, and they understand it, and they're very supportive of it naman. So, yun.
"I guess it reinforces also the way I educate my kids now."
May dalawang anak si Chuck—isang 14-year-old boy at isang 9-year-old girl.
CHRISTMAS TIME. At dahil nalalapit na ang Pasko, may mga plano si Chuck para sa buong pamilya.
Aniya, "I have a plan to go to Bacolod, my province talaga sa Negros.
"But duty calls and all those ano, e, we have lots of responsibilities here.
"So, actually, our plan lang is take my parents with us, probably go to a hotel and spend it there and New Year as well.
"And just bond with them—go out, eat out...
"I think ano naman, e, it doesn't really matter where we spend it as long as we're together.
"And as long as we know the value of the family, I guess that's it, e."