Mr. Pure Energy Gary Valenciano reflected on his decades-long health journey, from being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes as a teenager to surviving kidney cancer, during the launch of Del Monte Philippines' "Del Monte Tomatoes Once A Week" campaign on Wednesday, October 21, 2026.
As the newest face of the campaign, Gary spoke to PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) about the lessons he learned from managing his health over the years and why he now advocates preventive healthcare.
GARY VALENCIANO'S HEALTH CHALLENGES
Gary was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 1978 when he was still a teenager.
Asked how the condition changed his life, the veteran singer admitted that a lot of food became off-limits for him.
He shared, "Ang daming mga naging bawal para sa akin. I was diagnosed sa States e, sa US. Iba yung food nila doon kaysa sa food natin dito, 'no?
"So nung bumalik ako, I was only ten months sa States. Nung bumalik ako, ang doktor ko nagbigay sa akin ng free diet."
His doctor then gave him an unusual piece of advice.
Gary recalled, "Sabi niya, 'Dahil nandoon ka sa States at ngayon ka lang dumating sa Pilipinas, kailangan intindihin mo na iba yung effect ng mga ingredients natin sa mga ingredients doon sa States.'
"'So I'm giving you a free diet.' Sabi ko, 'What do you mean free?'
"'Pwede kang kumain ng kahit ano, pero learn from that.'"
That became a learning process for Gary as he observed how different foods affected his blood sugar levels.
"So kumain ako ng mga let's say, for example, pastries. Tinikman ko, sarap pero grabe, my sugar levels would go up."
Over time, he learned through trial and error which foods worked best for his condition.
"So kumbaga process of elimination. Softdrinks naging bawal, pati spaghetti noon bawal.
"Yung mga ganun kasi hindi ko pa ano e, hindi ko pa natutunan kung paano ma-balance yung sugar intake ko sa carbohydrates.
"Yung sugar level hindi ko kayang ma-balance nang mabuti."
Fortunately, Gary said years of experience helped him better understand how to manage his diabetes.
"But through the years, I've been able to learn how to balance all of that.
"And through the years I've learned how important it is talaga na to take in what is beneficial for the body."
He compared healthy eating to regular exercise, saying the benefits may not always be immediately visible.
Gary continued: "Na maaaring hindi natin maramdaman overnight, 'no, but just like workouts.
"You know, if you keep working out, you start seeing the benefits of working out and you feel it as well. So ganun din."
Gary also looked back on one of the most difficult moments of his life.
In 2018, he underwent bypass surgery. Shortly afterward, doctors discovered that he had kidney cancer.
For Gary, receiving that diagnosis was harder than the operation itself.
"Well, the biggest challenge after going through the bypass was being diagnosed with cancer a month, or two weeks after the operation.
"Dun nila natuklasan o nadiskubre, na-discover na meron pala akong cancer sa kidney."
He admitted that hearing the word "cancer" was frightening for both him and his family.
"And cancer, wala namang pamilyang Filipino ang gustong makarinig ng salitang cancer na isa sa mga family members ay meron. E, ako nagkaroon.
"So that was a challenge even just to know that I had cancer."
Despite the difficult diagnosis, Gary's cancer was successfully removed.
"Nagpapasalamat ako, you know, sa Panginoon dahil maganda, okay yung mga doctors ko at natanggal nila yung cancer na yun. And up to today, I'm cancer-free."
The singer added that his experience is one reason he is happy to be involved in a campaign that promotes healthier living.
"Pero siyempre... you could see the smile on my face now dahil, I know that now I am part of a campaign that can help others prevent... prevent cancer from becoming a part of their bodies."
GARY VALENCIANO ON Why regular checkups matter
Gary revealed that what made his cancer diagnosis even more alarming was the fact that he had experienced no symptoms.
"Wow. Naging mas seryoso ako kasi wala akong symptoms noon, e. So it was just accidentally discovered."
According to him, the cancer was detected only after doctors conducted a CT scan following his bypass surgery.
"After my bypass, nagkaroon sila ng CT scan para lang malaman kung ano yung iba pang nangyayari sa loob. Dun nila nakita."
Because of what happened, Gary now strongly encourages people to schedule annual health screenings.
"So it made me serious and maybe I should let people know na kahit hindi niyo nararamdaman, kahit wala kayong sintomas, please make sure you get an annual check-up."
He said early detection can make a huge difference when dealing with health issues.
"Just so that kung meron man problema, maaaring maaga pa at maaaring, makagawa ng konting paraan para maiwasan na maging mas grabe ang kahit anong sitwasyon o kahit anong condition na maaaring ma-discover."
Gary also urged people not to let fear stop them from getting checked.
"And being scared will not heal whatever condition you have.
"But being brave and going in for regular check-ups like what I do, every January I, go in for an executive check-up."
While he admitted that undergoing tests can be nerve-wracking, he believes knowing is still better than not knowing.
"Medyo nakakatakot kasi, di ba? Baka po ano-ano pang mga ma-discover sa akin.
"But it's good to know also that you have, there are incredible doctors out there na yung mission nila sa buhay is to make sure you're okay."
He added: "At kung may problema, we'll try and get that problem out of there in the quickest possible time."
As someone who has spent nearly five decades managing Type 1 diabetes and has survived cancer, Gary emphasized the importance of seeking professional medical advice instead of relying solely on online searches.
"Oo, hindi puwedeng Google-Google lang. Go and interact with the doctor. Tell them exactly what's going on."
He stressed that every person's situation is different, even among people with the same condition.
"Para sa ganun, malalaman din nila kung anong dapat nilang gawin because every individual is different eh. Iba-iba yung mga pangangailangan ng ibang tao."
Using himself as an example, Gary said that no two patients are exactly alike.
"So I can, I'm 62 years old now and I can go in with another 62-year-old, a Type 1 diabetic tulad ko, but his conditions may be different from mine.
"So iba yung trabaho niya, iba yung trabaho ko, so iba yung effect na yun sa katawan ng tao."
His advice is simple: "So go out and don't be afraid."
GARY VALENCIANO: MAKE BETTER HEALTH CHOICES
For Gary, the Del Monte partnership gives him another platform to help people live healthier lives.
While he is known for inspiring audiences through music and faith, he said this campaign allows him to contribute in a different way.
"Well, it means a lot to me kasi siyempre yung mga ginagawa ko is usually on stage, 'di ba? And it has to do with my performance and I, I speak about faith a lot."
This time, however, the advocacy is centered on health and encouraging consumers to include tomato-based products in their diet.
"Pero ito medyo kakaibang paraan para maging mas okay ang buhay ng tao with regard to health, which is having the Del Monte tomato-based products as part of their diet kahit once a week lang."
Gary pointed to lycopene, an antioxidant naturally found in tomatoes, as one of the reasons he supports the campaign.
"Kasi, uh, especially yung mga Del Monte products talagang may lycopene ang tomato-based products nila, and lycopene is a great way of preventing cancer, antioxidant at lahat 'no."
He even encouraged people to do their own research about its benefits.
"I would challenge those watching right now, research, you know, what lycopene is and it's all part of the products that Del Monte has na tomato-based."
Beyond performing onstage, Gary hopes he can influence people to make better choices for their health.
"So how nice na kasali na ngayon doon sa campaign ko. Not just to be an entertainer on stage, but hopefully somebody who can help make lives easier, uh, more confident, you know, uh, with what people put in."
He added: "Kasi naniniwala ako na marami sa ating mga ginagawa physically, yung resulta noon ay dahil sa mga ipinapasok natin sa katawan natin.
"So it's good if you put good into your body, you'll also come out good in the way you perform."
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