Pinoy F4

By Bayani San Diego Jr.
Inquirer
Last updated 00:10am (Mla time) 10/28/2007


FORMER boy band member Ken is deglamorized as a Taiwanese fisherman marooned on an island province. PHOTO COURTESY OF IGNITE MEDIA AND ROGER ROBLES


BASCO, Batanes, Philippines -“He’s very Filipino,” Iza Calzado describes co-star Ken Zhu of F4 fame. “He’s having so much fun here.”

The Taiwanese singer-actor was in the northernmost Philippine island-province for 10 days for the shoot of the romance drama “Batanes,” directed by Adolf Alix Jr. and Dave Hukom for Ignite Media. Ken is set to come back on the third week of November for the movie’s opening.

“He loves joking around and singing standards by Frank Sinatra. Pinoy na Pinoy,” Iza tells Inquirer Entertainment on the movie’s set on White Beach, Batanes, on Tuesday.

Co-star Glaiza de Castro agrees: “He’s cool. I only used to watch him on ‘Meteor Garden,’ but now I got to act with him. I never imagined he’s that approachable.”

Another co-actor, Coco Martin, relates that Ken “bonded” with the Filipino cast and crew. “At first he was shy. But soon enough, he started jamming, eating and chatting with us.”

Ken is no stranger to the country. It’s his fourth trip to the Philippines, but his first to Batanes—which is nearer to Taiwan than to Manila, he points out.

“My first trip abroad was to Manila. I was only 7 then,” Ken looks back. “I loved this dessert called halo-halo. Everywhere I looked there were guitars.”

The Filipinos’ innate warmth and musicality impressed him.

Associate director Armando A. Reyes recalls that Ken, Iza, Glaiza and Bembol Roco sang “Do Re Mi” from “The Sound of Music” on the set one slow day.

There was a light and jovial mood on this set.

Direk Arman and co-star Sid Lucero’s jokes broke the ice with Ken, Iza reminisces.

“Like me, Ken was also feeling his way through at first. He was tired when he got here because he came from Spain where he had topped a tai chi competition.”

Ken taught Iza a few tai chi moves because, Ken explains, the skill helps him in “communicating” with his fellow actors. “It also keeps me healthy and gets rid of stress. It calms me down after a highly emotional scene.”

Apart from singing and tai chi, the talented Ken is also a whiz in the kitchen. He wrote a cookbook entitled “Delicious Relationships” and conducts culinary workshops for his fans.

He tells Inquirer Entertainment that he intends to cook for the crew. “It’s a simple family recipe made of eggs and tomatoes.”

The actor/singer/tai chi champ/ cook is also a reflexologist.

“On the first day, after noticing that I sprained my left foot, he massaged it,” Adolf notes.

“Although he’s an Asian superstar, he’s down-to-earth,” Iza says.

“He went motorbiking on his own on his first day,” Adolf recounts.

“When I got here, I was pale. I wanted to get a tan,” Ken says.

Adolf relates: “The locals know him, but they didn’t mob or bother him. He experienced freedom here.”

Ken has fallen in love with Batanes and its people so much that he is planning to buy a piece of property here. “I love this place. It’s paradise. I’ve never seen an island as beautiful as this. Very promising.”

He is raring to come back and work in the Philippines again.

He says that, in spite of the hectic working schedule, the Filipinos “are the most heartwarming crew I’ve met. They’re like family to me now.”