Bryan Revilla wants nothing to do with the attention associated with him being the son of a popular actor and politician. For the longest time, despite having a family name, which is synonymous with power and fame, he preferred to work behind the scenes.
I met with 35-year-old Bryan on Tuesday. It was drizzling all day and the traffic situation was terrible. He arrived at the venue an hour before our scheduled meeting. For him, punctuality conveys that you are organized, and dependable, and you value everyone’s time.
Even before the staff at Super Sam—the restaurant on Scout Tobias that served as the venue for our intimate gathering—approached me for my order, Bryan had already transferred to my table. He greeted me with a smile and a fist bump.
Bryan is running as the first nominee of Agimat Partylist in the 2022 national elections. But our conversation started with his foray into filmmaking. For his first project, he helmed a documentary about his grandfather. It aired on GMA News TV in 2020.
“It was a very personal project. I wish I did it when he was still alive because I still had a lot of questions. Sayang, so from then on, whenever I have a goal, I really work on it immediately. I start working on it because we will never know when the time stops or when it’s game over,” he said.
The eldest son of Senator Ramon ‘Bong’ Revilla, Jr. and Mayor Lani Mercado said that it took a while for him to enter politics because he believes that it’s only now that he’s more prepared and well-equipped. And just like his takeaway from directing his first documentary, he wouldn’t want to let this opportunity pass.
“I’ve been working behind the scenes, but this pandemic, with my parents’ effort to help our people around the country, I’ve kind of had a first-hand experience and got fully immersed in public service,” Bryan explained.
“There were so many considerations because if you’re running for a public office, you have to be mentally, spiritually, and physically prepared because it’s an act of selflessness,” he went on.
Bryan grew up in a political family. His grandfather, the late action star, Ramon Revilla, Sr. served the Senate for 12 years. His father has been in politics for 26 years and has been a senator since 2004. His mother is the incumbent mayor of Bacoor, Cavite.
“We come from a lineage of public servants, from my grandfather, my parents, my brother, my uncle, lahat naman sila subok na sa sebisyo. People see what our family has done in Cavite, what Bacoor was compared to what it is now. That’s something I’m part of,” Bryan said of his family’s track record which he plans to bring to the table in case elected.
A graduate of Consular and Diplomatic Affairs in De La Salle College of Saint Benilde, Bryan says that more than the family’s political tradition, he believes that politics is his calling. He has been working in Bacoor’s rehabilitation program for drug surrendered.
Meanwhile, talking about Agimat Partylist’s main agenda, Bryan said that their focus is economic recovery, workers’ assistance, and economic growth.
“At the moment, we are pushing na maisabatas ang Hazard Pay at Risk Allowance para sa public and private health care workers. Also, we had grassroots consultations with our constituents. There, we decided to expand the help that we are rendering to our countrymen who are in need,” he stated.
Just like his parents and grandfather, Arts, Entertainment, and Film Industry is part of his agenda.
“Kailangan may batas a kumakalinga sa mga manggagawa natin sa larangan ng kultura, sining at arte kapag panahon ng krisis at pandemya. We are all given the challenge to mature more and upgrade for our people. I want to provide this type of service or even improve it,” he ended.
