Singer-songwriter Ogie Alcasid shared his thoughts on hosting the Kapamilya noontime show It’s Showtime, balancing his busy schedule, and his top priority—family.
In an interview on Are You G? With MJ Felipe, Ogie described how being part of the noontime show has been a blessing for him.
“I look at it as therapy, to be honest. Saan ka ba makakakita ng trabaho na papasok ka kakasama mga kaklase mo at wala kayong ginawa na magbulyawan, magbardagulan, magdogshowan and then at the end of the day you’ll going to say thank you Lord that was good dahil tawa ka ng tawa. Laughing is great therapy,” Ogie said.
He also acknowledged how his fellow hosts helped him adjust to the show’s dynamics.
“For me, personally, it’s really a blessing. I learned a lot from them, lalo na sa OGs (original) hosts. I learned a lot kasi iba iyan sa mga ginagawa ko noon. It’s very different, the dynamics are very different, that's why I have to relearn and continue to learn,” Ogie added.
“I thank them for guiding me through the way and treating me as their own. Pero siyempre di ka pwede di banatan ng kahit kaunti. Kung pikon ka hindi talaga magwork. Just go with the flow lang and magkakaibigan kayo,” he stated.
While he remains active on It’s Showtime and ASAP, Ogie admitted he sometimes misses acting. He recently appeared as a guest on Bubble Gang, where he reunited with Michael V, former colleagues, and crew members.
“Yes I do miss acting,” he said. “Yes, I miss the energy pero hindi ko na kaya magpuyat and maghintay (for taping).”
Aside from working on cam, he also has projects and schedules outside including visiting schools to talk and share knowledge about songwriting. Despite his many commitments, Ogie said family will always come first.
“Balance is the hardest thing so to be able to do that you need to know what to prioritize and to me it is always family. Kapag si Nate may school activity I try to make sure I’m there. I don’t think I missed much. Between my wife and I, she is the one who is always present, 100 percent of the time. So, as a father and provider of the family I make sure that I have time for work but always prioritize family,” Ogie said.
He added that work comes second and his advocacies, such as supporting OPM and various organizations, come third.
When it comes to parenting their son Nate, Ogie admitted that Regine Velasquez has always been the disciplinarian.
“I talk to Nate about life but when it comes to pagdidisiplina, si Misis iyon from the start. I haven't had an experience with him na napagalitan ko. Napakabait na bata iyan si Nate. Pero sinasabi ko kay Regine na ‘Alam mo, teenager na iyang anak mo so you know magkakaroon na ng mga sungay iyan, alam mo na teenager life and then soon adulting. So, wag ka magugulat if your son kind of breaks your heart sometimes. That’s part of the mother-son or even daughter relationship. It breaks each other's hearts,'” he shared.
READ: Ogie Alcasid on having no regrets in his career: ‘I never won a singing contest’
Ogie also highlighted the importance of early discipline, saying: “Nate is at the age where he has already gone through - di na pwedeng disiplinahin pa. Disciplining a child starts in 3 to 7. If you haven't formed the traits of your child at that juncture mahihirapan ka talaga. Kaya we are proud to say na during Nate’s very early years, Regine was really very hands on and strict that’s why siguro mabait siya.”
Beyond music and family, Ogie hopes to inspire people with values that matter most to him—especially kindness.
“I really want to keep sharing things na may mapupulot sila,” he said. “God will give us so many gifts but I think the most important thing is to be a kind person. If you're a great person but not kind, wala lang, parang hindi kumpleto. Kindness seems to be scarce and a commodity na rin. So when you experience it or when you give it, it’s all worth it.”