In both instances, Albert Alvin Lopez Antonio III denies that his nickname came from a chocolate beverage and nor was it derived from Chuckie Dreyfus. Chuckie Antonio clarifies, “My siblings and I, all our nicknames start with a Ch. Yes, I do love the chocolate beverage, I think I have guzzled so many of them, growing up, and I also know the actor we are talking about.”
Handsome, no doubt a leading man material, an impeccable dresser, with a cosmopolitan demeanor. Rich and educated, this former Circle of 10 finalist, could have been in the exclusive top one percent category of John Lloyd Cruz, Gerald Anderson, James Reid, and Daniel Padilla had he pursued the entertainment industry full time.
Thus I cannot help but wonder why he bid his showbiz dreams goodbye.
Antonio replies with a sheepish smile, “I really want to be of service sa mga kababayan ko. It has always been my calling.”
He comes clean, “I did some modeling in the past especially during my Circle of 10 days. But, it was more like of a side thing ko lang dati. Hindi rin naman ako marunong umarte,” Antonio chuckles and carries on, “It’s important for me to help people.”
“Maraming nagtatanong kung artista ako at saka sinasabi sa akin na dapat mag-artista ako, kasi ginugulo ko raw buy ko ,” adds Antonio. “I have regards for actors, they inspire and make many people happy with their movies and television shows. I appreciate the fact that they use the cinematic arts to bring their messages of hope and learning to the audience. You know, hindi ko lang talaga siya cup of tea.”
Prior to being in politics, he credits his love for sports— basketball, swimming, and soccer—as instrumental to his emotional and intellectual growth as a man.
Chuckie explains, “Sport teaches you discipline, that you have to work hard to be able to reach your goals. You get bruised, hurt, pero laban pa rin. You get all sorts of criticisms, minsan sacourt, trash talk pa nga pero you don’t mind it. Yung focus mo is to win. Being an athlete, it made a well-rounded and grounded individual, and a better man, I guess.”
He is currently in his last term as barangay councilor and now runs as councilor for the third district of Quezon City as an independent candidate.
“I really want to help the community. I have a vision po kasi na I want to pursue and I want to be part of this generation. I want to show the people or youth that we can be active especially when it comes to government na kaya nating gumawa. We can make a difference. We can be a part of the development. Similar to our Southeast Asian neighbors.”
He enthuses, “When I had my masters degree in Singapore, Masters in Management with Specialization in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, I was able to experience hands on how the youth were so involved in business, government, different industries, technology. I think that model, I can make use of it para sa development of the youth sector.”
Asked him if being good-looking helps him in his campaign, Antonio blurts out a hearty chuckle, “I think it does help because in a way, charm is a great ice breaker and you immediately get warm and kind reactions from the people but, I don’t know if being guapo is enough to translate warm reception to real votes.”
