Fred Uytengsu: His Other Side We Hardly See

photo grab from www.interaksyon.com

Do you know him? I'm sure you do.  Who doesn't?  Mr. Fred Uytengsu is the president and chief executive officer of the Philippines’ biggest milk company, Alaska Milk Corp.  He's the big man behind the Aces (PBA team).  He's a triathlon athlete.  He's the #39 Philippines 50 Richest (2015).  But what else do we know about this man?

If you're the president and CEO of a big company, you hardly have time to do anything but work.  That's how I think.  And it surprised me that I saw Mr. Fred Uytengsu (I only refer him by his surname) at the mall yesterday and he was all suited up for an event there.  He was there for business (so I thought).  The event was a fashion show, I guessed that he is a co-owner of the store where I spotted him.  The event was open for the public, so I stayed and watched the show (actually I stayed coz of unlimited free Red Mango yogurt ice cream)  Moments later, again I saw Uytengsu, this time taking photographs using his smartphone with big smile on his face.  I wondered why!  So I followed his aim, and led to one of the models in the fashion show.  I looked at him many times while the show was ongoing (ending up watching him instead, confession101: he's one of my ultimate crushes way back then).  Then it hit me!  Those smiles (every time he took a shot) were just reflection of being a proud father.  He was there on that event not to be a president nor CEO, not even the co-owner of the store.  He was there to give support to his daughter who happened to be one of the models in the fashion show of the store.  Now, I see the other side of Uytengsu - a father, first and foremost.

I don't have a photo of him during that time, coz my husband told me not to take photo.  He was not there to be a celebrity (on his own right) but just being a proud father.  He deserves that respect.