Are you a fan of Pio Alvez? Well, you're in luck. Here's the first look at his latest interview for First Class travel magazine. Are you ready?

INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT

He smiles and stands up when he sees us approach. “Hi,” he says with a firm handshake. In under 5 seconds, it's easy to see exactly why hundreds of thousands of fans have fallen for this man's charm.

Pio Alvez has boy-next-door good looks, an incredible singing voice and acting chops to match. He's been fairly successful in the industry so far, not withstanding recent troubles. Things seem to be looking up for him, though, based on what we saw when we caught up with him on the set of his latest project for Abracadabra Coffee in Baguio.

Baguio's Ili-Likha Artists Village has a unique beauty and charm-- not to mention delicious food-- that makes for gorgeous Instagram pictures and keeps visitors coming back for more. Pio for one, is taking advantage of an on-set delay to try the food and conduct this interview.

In the middle of savoring his Puto Bumbong Pudding, he says, “This is my favorite thing about traveling. The food. This is why I don’t have abs.” He then smiles impishly, a hint of dimples showing. “But seriously, I like everything but the travel delays.”

His love of traveling is well-known and well-documented on his Instagram profile.

Does he enjoy traveling for work too? “Yes, I do! Most of the time, that is. (laughs) I like it better when I don’t have to be shuttled around from one place to another in less than 24 hours, though.”

Out of the places he's traveled to for work, Liliw holds a special place in his heart. “I was in Liliw, Laguna a lot—maybe three, four days a week—when we were filming my last teleserye, Muli’t Muli Ay Ikaw. My character’s family was in the footwear business and we shot most of our scenes at the town proper.”

“What I liked about that place was how chill it was. The nearby old structures like the church and some of the house were preserved rather well and it was just interesting to see the old and the new coming together. It was perfect for the story of our teleserye too because one of its central themes was how an old, sort of dying industry was trying to catch up with the times.”

“I was never bored there, to my surprise. Even if I felt like time moved really slowly in Liliw, we always found something to do. It involved a lot of food (laughs), which was why I gained so much weight shooting that show! We also got to visit Kilangin Falls at one point, which was amazing, because not a lot of people—even the locals—have been there, and the place was just gorgeous. Of course we had to trek for a while, but it was all worth it. You should give it a try!”

All of this traveling makes for many memorable moments, but the one that stands out for him was a particular moment during a trip with his brothers. “[It was in] Vietnam, five years ago, I think? My brothers and I went on a YOLO backpack trip and were exploring the Cu Chi tunnels. These are interconnected underground tunnels which the Viet Cong used as their base, hiding places, and supply routes during the Vietnam War. But although the entire thing was really interesting, the trip was memorable for me because my eldest brother Isagani got himself stuck in one of the tunnels while we were touring. (laughs)"

"So the tunnels were pretty narrow, right? But kuya, the gym rat, had pretty massive arms and at some point he couldn’t move forward anymore. Kuya Datu had to shove him out, and he had to sit out the entire tour, poor guy. Thinking about it always makes me laugh.”

He's also met some interesting and very nice people during his travels. “If I have to choose a favorite, it would be our foster family in Liliw because we stayed at their house for a long time. Old couple in their 60s or 70s. Their kids have already moved out a long time ago, so kakalog-kalog sila sa bahay. We became their kids for the duration of our filming. I still visit them from time to time, and Nanay Goyang, the sweet old lady that she is, would always cook minani for me when she knows I’ll drop by.”

Of the many, many places he's been to, one of the places he wants to go back to is Bacolod. “I was there early last year for a promotional thing but I couldn’t go exploring the place because I had to fly back to Manila the day after. I really wanted to go visit The Ruins, and the Seven Falls of Mambukal. Thank goodness I was able to enjoy their food at least!”

Another thing that draws him to Bacolod? “Imay’s in Bacolod! (more laughter) It’s a restaurant where I stuffed myself with baked scallops because they were so cheap! Sadly, like I said, I wasn’t able to do some exploring when I was there so I’d really like to see what else Bacolod has in store.”

So, where to next for this globetrotter? “Believe it or not, I’ve never been to Coron and I’m dying to go. A family friend got married there around 2 years ago but I couldn’t come because I had prior commitments. I saw Kuya Datu’s photos and man…that place is magical. Also, I’m a try-anything-once kinda guy and I really want to go cliff diving for the heck of it.” ◊

30 seconds with Pio Alvez

1. Do you consider yourself adventurous? YES.

2. Do you like planning trips or do you prefer winging it? I prefer winging it. But that only happens when it’s a personal trip.

3. Top 5 must-have travel items
A comfortable pair of shoes
My 007 bag – my friends call it this because they say it has everything
Chocolate
Phone/camera
My credit card, haha!

4. Go-to pasalubong for your family and friends? You can never go wrong with food.

5. Favorite travel partners My brothers.

6. Most memorable meal (what, when and where): Why must you make my life difficult? (laughs) My most memorable would be our last meal at Liliw on the last day of our shoot. Boodle fight, baby. And it really wasn’t just about the food, too. It was more memorable because of the people at that table.

7. Most awe-inspiring place you've been to? Top of my head, I’d say Kilangin Falls. It’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve been to in recent memory.

EXCERPT

Of the couples on the dance floor that night, Pio and Audrey were the youngest. Either SFM’s employees and guests thought the 70s OPM medley was strictly for the baby boomers at tables 3 and 4, or they simply couldn’t be bothered to let go of their phones and have a little fun.

He didn’t mind. The only thing that mattered now was that he was holding Audrey’s hand, and that she was laughing as they fumbled with their footwork while attempting to dance the swing. Soon, they gave up trying and simply moved their bodies to the music, still laughing as they did so.

The classic VST & Co. medley came to an end, and the band segued to a more contemporary song, one that made Audrey go, “I think you like this song.”

Surprised, Pio pulled her closer, hand firm around her waist like he demanded an answer. This sort of nearness shouldn’t feel new to him, but it did, somehow. If only he could hold her like this until he found out why.

“I do, actually,” he said, keeping her body pressed to him. “How’d you know?”

“I saw Dramachine in your music library.”

“Ah. Busted.”

“I’m guessing Datu’s influence?”

He laughed at Audrey’s intimation, twirling her when the vocalist began singing the chorus to Sugarfree’s Prom. “He played it non-stop back then,” Pio revealed when she spun back into his arms. “It was inevitable.”

“Knew it.”

“So you went to college with my brother. Who would’ve thought.”

“Datu Alvez was an upperclassman. A batch higher.”

Pio did the math in his head. Despite Audrey’s youthful looks, she was actually four years older than him.

Wow. That’s actually pretty hot.

“Let’s talk about kuya some other time,” he proposed, lifting a hand to her hair. All the dancing had messed up her soft curls, and he took it upon himself to smooth them in place. “How are you feeling?”

“Okay,” she replied. “Better.”

“Good. FYI, your ex-boyfriend has been checking us out since we hit the dance floor.”

“Really?”

“Mm-hmm.” Their playful swaying had since relaxed, uncaring of the tempo they were supposed to be dancing to. “Really. His date—who looks really familiar, by the way—left the table a few times, but I don’t think he noticed.”

“Who even knows what’s going on in that head of his anymore.”

“I do,” he said, matter-of-factly. “Sometimes we’re just very simple creatures, Audrey. We’re territorial. We don’t like other people hovering over what is ours, or what we think is ours. Your hotshot ex is probably feeling the same way, getting all worked up because someone else found what he chose to leave behind.”

“Oh no. Are you going to pop a vein?”

“Is that a joke?”

Audrey shrugged. “It is if you laugh.”

He managed a chuckle. There was nothing funny about the thoughts that ran in his head, and it took him a moment to check himself. This night was not about him.

With a quick glance at their table, Pio saw Luigi’s date tinkering with her phone. She looked bored, and it didn’t take a genius to see why. Luigi Blanco was too busy keeping tabs on his ex to care.
“What was our ground rule about kissing, again?” he asked, finding Audrey’s eyes on him when he looked back at her.

She blinked. “Only... if absolutely necessary.”

“And who decides that, again?” He brought a hand to her cheek, gaze falling on that pretty freckle above her lip. God. Why it had to be there of all places was the universe’s way of testing him. Eyes up, Pio.

“We didn’t really think it through.”

Of course, they didn’t. They started laying ground rules five minutes before he entered the mall parking lot. Upon his request. Even then, Audrey wasn’t very participatory. Like she thought they didn’t need it.

Maybe she didn’t, but he did.

Because that face. Those eyes, those lips. This dress, by god, this dress. He liked it the moment he saw it, liked how it draped over her curves, liked the way its neckline allowed a peek at the ink below her left collarbone. It was wispy and graceful, a word in Baybayin he knew he would be looking up as soon as he gets a moment, just because.

Christ.

Pio made sure Luigi was watching when he swayed Audrey to the music. “I’m going to kiss you now,” he said, smiling when he saw a fleeting look of surprise in her eyes when he gazed back at her.
That was the only thing she did—look at him in surprise—and nothing else. She didn’t squirm away from his hold, make a face, or say no like he expected. And he was ready to back off too, if she did.
But she didn’t, and he leaned in, the split second it took to close the gap between them he used to glance on Luigi Blanco. Oh, he was watching, all right. And by the looks of it, he wasn’t liking the show.

Pio pressed a kiss on Audrey’s forehead, closed his eyes, and smiled.

Take that, Douche of Makati.

ABOUT THE BOOK


Like Nobody’s Watching
Tara Frejas
Genre: Contemporary Romance / NA
Release Date: October 24, 2017
Book Cover Design: Miles Tan
Photography: Chi Yu Rodriguez
Model: Fred Lo

SYNOPSIS

It's all fun and games until someone catches feelings.

If there's something Pio Alvez is good at, it's pretending to be someone he's not. On stage and on-screen, the actor has mastered the art of becoming the characters he plays, and his new role should be no different. After all, how difficult would it be to pretend to be smitten with a beautiful, intelligent go-getter like Audrey Alonzo?

Perhaps it's more difficult pretending not to be.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tara Frejas is a cloud-walker who needs caffeine to fuel her travels. When she’s not on work mode, she keeps herself busy by weaving her daydreams into stories.

Aside from her obvious love affair with words and persistent muses, Tara is very passionate about being caffeinated, musical theatre, certain genres of music, dancing, dogs, good food, and romancing Norae, her ukelele. She owns a male bunny named Max who sometimes tries to nibble on her writing notes.

Fun fact: She's a Piscean. Go figure.

Connect with her on:

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Website: http://tarafrejas.com
Email: author@tarafrejas.com
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