Richard Yap has made a remarkable career out of being the stoic yet desirable Papa Chen in My Binondo Girl (2012) and Sir Chief in Be Careful with My Heart (2014). Since then, the actor-businessman has become one of the most sought-after leading men in the biz.
Yap has also expanded the breadth of his work, which spans from product endorsements to film projects and from recording music to being a concert performer.
As a follow-up to his debut self-titled album released in 2013, Yap is releasing another CD, which sees his close collaboration with jazz crooner Richard Poon. The record presents a list of 10 tracks dominated by classic pop and standards from the 50s to the 90s.
“We were the ones who chose the songs to cover…I chose five songs, which are mostly love songs from the 70s and 90s, and also another five songs for Richard. We are releasing the album this week just before the concert, which is happening this week, too,” Yap told the Manila Standard, “This is a dream project so I hope people will see this. We are going to have solo productions and then we will share the stage together for a medley. We have invited a few guests as well to join us in entertaining the audience.”
And just when we thought the 49-year-old Kapamilya star already had so much on his plate, Yap shared that he is also gearing up for another big screen outing. It’s the latest installment of Mano Po film series, a family drama that is set to compete at the Metro Manila Film Festival before the year ends.
“I just feel that I’ve been really blessed to be in this position. I guess I’ve been very blessed that I was there at the right time, at the right place and maybe at the right age, too. I have accomplished so much in five years,” Yap said talking about being offered with numerous projects one after another.
As for product endorsements, Yap is the latest addition to Manulife Philippines’ “Start Your Story” campaign. He is joining pop star Sarah Geronimo and young heartthrob James Reid in this initiative focused on inspiring Filipinos to take the first step towards making their dreams come true by protecting their investments.
“In this campaign, I share my stories on making big decisions. It is called ‘Start Your Story’ because it encourages people to begin with something that can bring change. I had to end my story of being an employee to start my story as an entrepreneur. That’s the whole idea,” Yap explained.
As an entrepreneur, Yap has learned a lot from his experiences, a message he imparts as part of Manulife Philippines’ “Start Your Story” campaign. As part of the campaign, Manulife will launch online contests and other community-based initiatives.
“We all have stories we want to fulfill in life. However, sometimes, because of unforeseen circumstances or our own self-doubts, we end up setting these stories aside, leaving them unwritten. But Manulife is encouraging us to overcome whatever is holding us back and pursue our passions. It offers us various solutions to help us make our dreams reality,” he shared.
Yap, who’s been a client of Manulife since his early 20s, has learned the importance of having a plan and preparing for both good and bad times. This, according to him, will allow people to protect the fruits of their hard work.
