Get up again, child

to a small group of Press people over lunch last Wednesday at ABS-CBN's The Loop. Dominic is currently eyeing a seat in the Paranaque council.

Right now, says Dominic, he's not sure what party he'll be running under or how far his political ambitions will take him. But if he gets elected, he plans to make the welfare of children one of his major causes. At the interview, he talked excitedly about putting up a foundation to be called Bangon Ulit, Bata (Get Up Again, Child) or BUB for short, which will work with Paranaque's street children.

“There are so many children on the streets,” says Dominic. “And they need guidance. We'll try to give them work and basically, just get them off the streets.”

But nursing his political ambitions doesn't necessarily mean Dominic will give up his showbiz career.

He is quite busy these days, with two regular shows. Aside from Bituing Walang Ningning, Dominic is also Lucy Torres' co-host in Shall We Dance on ABC-5. According to Dominic, the people of Star Magic (formerly the ABS-CBN Talent Center) don't mind if he accepts shows outside the network occasionally. He was also seen recently in an episode of Nagmamahal, Kapamilya. He will also soon be seen in John En Shirley and Your Song.

Dominic says that he is grateful that his career is still active. Introduced as a member of Star Circle Batch 4 along with Jericho Rosales, Dominic may not be a big star, but at least, he manages to stay busy and get good offers.

Bituing Walang Ningning is one of them. His role as Larry La Calma has made such an impact on people that during a visit to Davao for the Kadayawan Festival, Dominic heard people calling him “Larry” and asking him about Lavinia (Angelika dela Cruz), his co-star in the series.

He could be getting bigger roles and more lucrative projects, but Dominic says that he's happy with what he has. “For me, it's not so much about the money. It's more about the fulfillment I get from what I do,” he says.

Aside from his showbiz commitments, Dominic is also busy with his businesses. He has his Thumbs Up ice cream, which has more than 30 outlets in various malls around Metro Manila. He is also connected with the Nestle Creamery along Aurora Boulevard in Quezon City.

Dominic also still finds time for his two other passions: racing and biking. After days of work, his hobbies help him relax. He also loves tinkering with cars and is into the restoration of vintage cars.