From a Tricycle Driver to an actor: Coco Martin lives the dream with his love for bikes as the beginning

Certified primetime king Coco Martin proves that he’s not only a multi-talented actor but also a person with a lot of inspiring stories to tell especially during his teenage years, wherein he went the great lengths in pursuing his ambitions. As the celebrity ambassador of the country’s no.1 motorcycle manufacturer, Honda Philippines, Coco Martin is truly a testament of what “The Power of Dreams” can do in changing lives.

A symbol of action and adventure, it’s not surprising that owning a motorcycle is often one of the bucket lists of most young men. But in Martin’s case, a motorcycle was not only a dream, it also serves as a reminder of his humble beginnings and fun memories of his teenage years,”Natuto akong mag-motor noong high school ako. Laki ako sa lola. Ayoko sana maging pabigat sa kanya gusto ko sana makatulong, kaya sa gabi ‘pag ginagarahe na tricycle namin, ako taga linis at taga hugas nito. Syempre dahil bata ka, nag kaka-interes ka dun sa motor at pangarap ko talaga magka motor nung bata pa ‘ko.” For someone who was highly-energetic and always curious, Martin says that he learned to ride a motorcycle in a cemetery and he remembers it with fondness every time he shares his story, “Pag tulog na lolo ko, isasama ko yung kaibigan ko. Ang ginagawa namin pagkatapos ko linisin yung tricycle, itatakas ko ‘to. Dahan dahan nya ako tinuturuan. Unang tinuruan nya ako ‘nun sa sementeryo.”

With the help of his friend, Martin felt that this part of his childhood fostered so much joy and was a welcome break each time they would take their lolo at a public market, using their tricycle. “Sa sementeryo ako unang tinuruan, tapos [sunod] sa may Uniwide sa Quirino hi-way, sa parking lot ‘dun. May tindahan kasi kami noong araw kaya kapag ang lolo ko namimili na ng mga paninda namin, hindi nya alam ako at yung barkada ko, umiikot-ikot kami doon sa parking lot. Syempre, dahil bata ka pa, mababaw palang kaligayahan mo. Kaya nung umiikot-ikot kami dun, sobrang saya ng pakiramdam ko ‘nun. Tapos, hanggang sa unti-unti na ako natuto.”

Martin has always been a hard worker, street-smart, and always on-the-go when it comes to anything that will elevate the life of his loved ones. And through his motorcycle skills, he was able to provide himself with a chief source of income while in college. “Nung talagang marunong na akong mag motor ang ginagawa ko, ‘pag gabi, bumibyahe ako ng tricycle para may pang baon at hindi na ako humingi sa lola ko.”

He adds that funny how their neighborhood thought a motorcycle was a palpable display of status symbol as it perceived like owning a sports car during their time. “Yung mga kaibigan ko kasi sa lugar namin noon sa Novaliches, magkaroon ka lang ng tricycle sobrang big deal na ‘non, para ka ng may sports car. Kaya nung nag simula na akong mag motor, ramdam na ramdam ko na iba na yung dating kapag nag da-drive na ako ng tricycle namin. Kaya sobrang pangarap ko talaga na magkaron ako ng motor.”

ON LIVING THE DREAM

As one of the celebrities who surely knows what it means to rise from the ranks through perseverance and persistence, Martin proved that nothing is impossible for someone who’s focused on making his dream come true. “Noong nagkaroon na ako ng trabaho, isa ito sa mga pangarap ko na tinupad ko, ang magkaroon ng sarili kong motor,” Martin recalls.

Aside from achieving his dream of owning his own motorcycle, becoming the official Honda Philippines celebrity ambassador is a big blessing that he didn’t see coming. “Nung nag ta-tricycle kami, Honda na rin ang gamit ko. Pangarap ko talaga maging ambassador ng Honda at hindi ko talaga akalain na mangyayari kasi pag sinabi mong Honda, alam mong may kalidad at alam mong angat ka pag ang motor mo ay Honda,” Martin proudly shares.

Now a happy owner of several Honda motorcycles, one of Martin’s favorite among his collection is ultimately the X-ADV, which for him brings a lot of excitement and great experiences. “Unang-una, ang nagustuhan ko dito ay hindi lamang dahil sa bilis ng takbo kundi kumportable din dalhin dahil sa front and rear suspension nito na alam mong matibay at safe, kaya isa talaga sa pinaka favorite motorcycle ko ay ang X-ADV.”

For Martin, work and play come together as he and his friends start their day with an early morning quick ride to kick start their day. “Pag nag mo-motor ako, kasama ko yung mga kaibigan ko sa FPJ Ang Probinsyano. Sila John Pratts, pag papunta na kami sa trabaho, kasi almost 1 hour yung [layo ng] lugar na tinitirahan namin from location [kaya] sinasabay na namin. Gumigising kami ng maagang maaga, mga 5AM, madilim pa bumibyahe na kami papunta sa shooting location para sabay yung trabaho at kasiyahan namin sa pag mo-motor.”

Coco Martin’s success is a proof that there’s power the moment you start dreaming. Just like Honda, he’s a symbol of courage and conviction to imagine, and make dreams a reality. Indeed, it’s only just the beginning for someone like him who believes that “you’ll never know where your dream will lead you.”