Having inherited the good looks of both his parents, actor-politician Dan Fernandez and Sheila Ysrael, many showbiz fans eagerly anticipated seeing their son, Danzel Fernandez, join the entertainment industry and follow in their footsteps.
And that is what he did but in a different field.
Just like his father, Danzel has also stepped into the political arena.
He has been serving as a Board Member for the first district of Laguna, after securing his seat in the 2022 elections.
With his responsibilities as a public servant, will Danzel still be able to do showbiz?
"Oh no, wala na," he told PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) in an exclusive interview on June 21, 2024.
The interview was held at the grand opening of Watsons Philippines' first-ever Greener Store in San Pedro, Laguna.
Explaining his career shift, he said, "Because back in 2018, that was like a one-time movie yun e.
"That was the Metro Manila Film Festival back in 2018. Yung Otlum na movie.
"Then after that, the pandemic hit 2020. So bumalik ako sa pagiging content creator and stuff.
"But you know, with life getting in the way, I went to politics. Kaya I don't see myself anytime soon going back to showbiz.
"Kasi really, ang dedication ko talaga ngayon is in public service.
"Pero yung hobbies ko of creating content, it's still there. Pero not as much as before na."
Read: Danzel Fernandez plans to follow in dad's footsteps in politics
DANZEL FERNANDEZ: YOUNG POLITICIAN
For Danzel, being a young politician is a journey of constant learning, particularly given the stigma that the younger generation faces in terms of readiness for public office.
Speaking about empowering young leaders, Danzel told PEP.ph, "I think there's this stigma na if you're young, you're not yet ready to serve.
"But personally, what I'd like to believe is that as early as now, kailangan, we try to build or develop the young ones e.
"Kasi like, we always say, you know... the very famous line, as cliché as it sounds, 'Ang kabataan ang pag-asa ng bayan.'
"How can we embody this if we don't really mold the younger generations?
"So yun lang ang masasabi ko. Sometimes, it's even the younger ones who are more willing to serve, who are more willing to seek changes.
"Let's be more open to that idea."
For his part, Danzel says he makes a conscientious effort to listen to his constituents and understand the unique dynamics of each city within the district he serves.
"Iba kasi ang mga dynamics ng mga tao sa bawat city. And clearly, as public servants, we try to do our best to adapt to the different changes sa society.
"Kaya ako, being a young politician, I really try my best to listen sa mga tao, listen to the community members, para I could better help them."
READ MORE:
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- Dan Fernandez clarifies townmate Alden Richards is not endorsing him