Interview: Piolo Pascual on Canon

Posted on August 17th, 2011. Written by Rico.

Last July, Piolo Pascual became the latest Canon ambassador. In this interview provided by the camera manufacturer, the celebrity endorser talks about his relationship with Canon, his various advocacies, and his wish for better environment and education.

How do you feel that you are the newest Canon ambassador?

I feel so honored to be the new endorser of Canon. It feels good to be a part of something that you trust throughout the years. I have always believed in Canon as a brand, that I was very excited to represent it as early as the negotiations began. Honestly, after I signed the contract and while I was opening the gifts you gave me, I couldn’t help but feel like a boy inside.

Has Canon always been your brand of choice? If not, why did you shift?

I have always been a Canon user from the beginning. I have always believed of the brand’s quality, and have never saw that kind of quality in any other camera brand.

What do you like most about the brand?

I think the best thing about Canon is its uncompromisable quality. I’ve always believed that Canon puts its best into developing products that last and deliver the best results. i have been using my cameras for the longest time now, but they have never failed to come up with great shots every single time. Canon is one of the few brands I know that really is worth the investment. And as far as I am concerned, I am glad to have invested in brand that really delivers.

Among the sub-brands (IXUS, PowerShot, EOS) what do you like or identify with the most? Why?

Of course the EOS. I own a 5D. And it’s the best! I don’t think it’s capable of any bad photos. It’s very powerful; it takes the sharpest and clearest photos. Then again, I also own a PowerShot G10. That’s the one I usually use when I travel, since it’s handier. And when I do some underwater photography, I just put it inside a waterproof case.

As you may not know, the Canon IXUS line represents “style & substance”. As a matter of fact, we think it fits you well, in you in a sense that you have a lot of advocacies. This year you’ve already participated in a marathon run for Kadugo Run (Blood Donation Program) and you remain to be an avid supporter of efforts that aim to alleviate the country’s education and environment plights. Among these causes, what is closest to your heart? Why?

Honestly, I really do have a lot of advocacies. Most of them concern my other endorsements and usually they involve athletic activities, like running, tri-athlon, to name a few. But maybe right now, my advocacy towards the restoration of Pasig River would be one of those on top of my list. I want to be able to use my celebrity status into creating something that will change our country for the better. In this case, I want a clear future for Pasig river to the point that our fellow Filipino will be proud of it.

We did a little bit of research about another of your advocacies, Hebreo 12:1 Foundation. Can you talk about it more and the role you take part in it?

Well, I am the president of Hebreo. It was a foundation that my mom and I started a few years back. Basically, this foundation aims to give less fortunate children access to a semblance of a quality education. We all know the poor state of our education system, that is why with Hebreo, we want to be able to help these children have at least basic training and learning. Through this effort, I also believe that it will help give them more opportunities in the future. We try and help them through grade school, then high school, and college. But it isn’t really that easy, because of many reasons like dropout. Nevertheless, we try our very best to teach them at the very grassroots of their education.

With all your commitment to society, what is your vision for the Philippines?

Well my vision for the Philippines is to make it much loved and appreciated again by our countrymen. Many — even our own — believe that our country is ugly, dirty, polluted, and the like. Then again, I want to change that kind of thinking. I want them to see how beautiful our country is; and that truly blessed we are with what we have. I want them to see the beautiful destinations we can offer; that they’re not just nice but more affordable as well.

How do you think being a Canon endorser can help you realize/achieve this vision (even just a little)?

Having that as my vision, I think as a Canon endorser I can be able to show them that through my photography. I always travel around the country and make it a point to always capture something worth sharing and appreciating. Through the photos i take, I will be able to show the whole world of how truly beautiful our country is.