Thursday, July 3, 2008

Rocky Salumbides and Lesley Mobo: Male Cinderella Stories

I was watching TV Patrol World earlier this week when a really catchy story glued on my attention. A former balut vendor and construction worker was currently making waves as a model.
I was like "hey, who could that lucky balut vendor be?" In all due fairness to my beloved balut vendors (I used to eat this [dish?!] almost daily, until I found myself having rashes and asthma attacks), I never saw anyone that was tall and bulked up or even one possessing a fair complexion. I was like "hey, there are moreno models as well."

The name of that balut vendor/construction worker-turned-male model was Rocky Salumbides (image on the right side). According to the blogosphere (especially those that fall into the GLBT tag), Rocky is a native of Cavite City and, as mentioned earlier, has engaged himself in manual labor before being discovered as a model. He competed in the MTV Fashionista competition in 2004 and was chosen to represent the country in the Best Model of the World competition in Istanbul, Turkey.

After being a popular sight in the Manila Fashion Scene, he tried his luck in the international scene by submitting his portfolio to Elite, an international model management agency, which gave him ramp assignments in Singapore. Since then, he has modelled for Versace, John Galliano and Jean Paul Gaultier.

Pretty much like Lesley Mobo who came from humble beginnings on his native Visayas, both guys have actually made it big after experiencing some circumstances that almost prevented them from dreaming big. Lesley is now one of the up-and-coming designers in London, which is one of the fashion capitals of the world. He went home to Manila a few months back and had his own fashion show. Just how would a kid from the Visayas make it big in London?

I know it all starts with a dream. I once joked to a friend, who is now enjoying a scholarship in Hawaii, that "some people dream while others can only do halfway." To dream is cheap. But the execution of it is a whole new different story.

Meanwhile, let me accomplish my dream while I let you listen to this track by Eurythmics called Sweet Dreams (are made of these). Thanks!

9 Responses to “Rocky Salumbides and Lesley Mobo: Male Cinderella Stories”

Anonymous said...
July 3, 2008 at 6:19 PM

nako, makapagmodel na nga rin! hehhe. kulang nga lang sa height. hehe.

kaya nagdodoctor ako.

pero saludo ko sa mga pinoy na talaga namang kinakarir ang trabaho sa abroad.


bulitas said...
July 4, 2008 at 1:01 AM

astig!
inspiring stories.

hey i love that eurythmics song!
panalo!


Jerick said...
July 4, 2008 at 4:03 AM

thanks bulitas and ced! may all of us three achieve our dreams. treat me when you two get your first millions from your own pockets and not from parents!


Anonymous said...
September 25, 2008 at 9:56 PM

magingat kayo kay rocky... user daw yan!


Jerick said...
September 25, 2008 at 9:59 PM

thanks anonymous for the warning! you made a lot more curious. lol. mind dishing out more details? e-mail me na lang. jk.mailme at gmail dot com!


FRANCIS said...
April 3, 2009 at 10:39 AM

NYEK! be careful of this rocky salumbides. he is not as simple as he seems. he makes use of people. he is dating a filipino designer named VIC BARBA for obvious reasons… MONEY. Its been an open secret in the filipino fashion industry.


Anonymous said...
June 6, 2009 at 2:26 AM

hi. I once met rocky way back c0llege days in iligan city,mindanao.he was an HRM student in IMCC.. as far as ive kn0w hm,hes a simple pers0n,very friendly,silent,smiling,we often see each other at a mass evry wednesday and sundays,hes a very nice pers0n,i cud say we r cl0se 2 each other,hes my frend and he do has so many frends in dat skul..i jst dnt beliv dat he dated a guy jaz 4 m0ney.i dnt thnk dats r0cky...m hapi 4him..h0pe 2 hear frm him so0n...


Anonymous said...
May 17, 2010 at 11:51 AM

haha sa corpus christy ako ga simba sa iligan.. hahaha! naalala mo pa yun? ok lang yan. karamihan naman ng tao talagang may sasabihin at sasabihin eh. kung totoong manggagamit lang ako? di na ako mag papagod mag trabaho. mang gagamit na lang ako siguro mas madali yun kay sa mag trabaho at mag tipid ng pag kain. naa pa ka sa iligan karon anonymous?- rocky salumbides


Anonymous said...
June 5, 2013 at 7:17 AM

basta ako wala ako paki alam kahit anong sabihin nila sayo kuya rocky.. idol na idol kita... oo nga nmn bkt pa mag tatrabaho ng mabibigat na trabaho kung may mas madali nmn ..


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