He's now known as an "Internet superstar," popular music VJ then DJ, and commercial model in demand.
But when Ramon Bautista was a kid, stardom did not figure in his dreams. In an exclusive interview with PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal), he said, "Pangarap ko po talaga maging astronaut kaso lang, walang space ship dito..."
So, the boy who never considered himself "artistahin" lived the life of an average Ramon during his college days at the University of the Philippines in Diliman. "Mahiyain ako nun. Sobra. Andiyan lang ako sa isang tabi, walang pumapansin," he recalls.
Until he made one decision that changed his life forever.
He narrates: "Si RA Rivera po, classmate ko ng college, same po ang course namin. Dati po, iba yung course namin pero, nakita po namin ang papanget ng gawa ng film students kaya nag-shift kami.
"Kasi 'kala namin, kaya namin yung ginagawa nila. 'Tapos yun nga, nagkatotoo...kaya nga talaga naming makagawa ng panget! 'Tapos ako yung artista niya, 'tapos artista ko rin siya sa mga project ko. Para kaming 69, ganun."
The works found their way to cyberspace.
"Gumagawa-gawa kami ng mga short film. Si RA Rivera nga ang direktor. Pinasikat niya ako at pinangakuan niya ako ng kasikatan.
"Naalala ko, nilagay niya sa mga music video ni Dan Michael, yung master magician, dun sa Internet. Napanood niyo na ba yun? Dun Nagsimula ang lahat."
(He spoofed David Blaine, the American illusionist famous for his street and close-up magic, according to New York Daily News. Ramon gave a comic twist to his tricks, which do not always go as planned, by ignoring the baffled reaction of the people.)
It didn't take long before he realized, "Ang dami na naming fans!" He quickly adds with a laugh, "Ang yabang, 'noh!"
BEYOND INTERNET. His magic paved the way for his own program, The Ramon Bautista Show, with the defunct MTV. His style was wacky and side-splitting. His deadpan humor fascinated the viewers, including advertisers.
Next thing he knew, he was endorsing the big commercial brands—Nescafe, Petron, McDonald's, Adventure, Smart—and even the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and Ako Mismo campaign.
Ramon Bautista appears brazen in most of his projects, but he says he's just enjoying what he does. "Enjoy lang ako sa ginagawa ko. Ang labas, parang alam na alam ko. Parang ang galing-galing. Pero minsan, hindi ganun ang dapat kalabasan. Ang nagiging labas, katawa-tawa, kaya okay na," he explains.
Remember his McSaver Moves?
