PSA: David Licauco Likes It *Hard* In Work Life And Romance

He arrives at the shoot, a modern-day knight clad in jeans, a loose t-shirt, and retro-cool sunnies, greeting everyone with a nonchalant boyish charm, indifferent to the fact that he’s working on Valentine’s Day. It might be an unofficial holiday and love was everywhere in the air—but for once, David Licauco is embracing his singlehood with pride, grateful for a milestone once unimaginable to him.

In a classic full-circle moment, he returns to the Summit Media studio as a Cosmo Bachelor, a title he had to earn from a nationwide audition seven years ago when he was a literal newbie dressed as a topless man flaunting his washboard abs in fitted shorts. I mention this, and his smile reaches all the way to his eyes, a gesture that will make it difficult to take anyone’s eyes off him, try as they might. “I feel special, of course, kasi you’re interviewing me right now, and we had a shoot,” he giggles. “Never ko inexpect yun, kasi dati nag-oaudition lang ako sa Cosmo Bachelor. Right now, I’m here, and there’s a solo cover pa.”

His energy towards his work is so positive, it’s quite hard to believe that he was on the brink of quitting his acting career not too long ago to focus on his businesses. Then it happened—the almost mythical win when he decided to postpone and try one last time for Maria Clara at Ibarra. The decision couldn’t be more fateful of an oversight—because, as you probably know, the show gave him his breakthrough role, catapulting his career to a whole new level of stardom. He’s all the internet could want now, and unlike before, he’s nowhere close to done.

David Licauco for Cosmopolitan February 2023

The Ultimate Internet Boyfriend

One might mistake him for an overnight success, but David’s rise to fame has been a product of close to a decade of hard work and dedication ever since he ventured into acting in Vice Ganda’s hit movie The Amazing Praybeyt Benjamin back in 2014. Fast forward to nine years after the string of modelling and acting stints under his belt, it only took one massive project for him to watch his Instagram follower count exponentially rise, giving a quick search of his name in the Gen Z app TikTok millions of views and engagement—a clear cut sign that he is *finally* on his way to making it big in an industry which hasn’t always been generous to him.

Despite being in the limelight for quite some time now, David admits to still being stunned by all the support. “Growing up, I never really imagined or dreamed of being an actor. When I entered showbiz, it was already out of this world for me. So now that I’m part of the teleserye that is successful, kumbaga, far-fetched already.”

Contrary to his on-screen partner Barbie Forteza who played the damsel in distress Klay, David’s role in the hit Rizal novel-based series is a well-off entrepreneur born into male privilege and outdated beliefs. Playing this character, though, he tells me, is a matter of imagining his own experience dealing with misconceptions. “Fidel kasi is the type of guy na strong on the outside but actually soft on the inside. I feel like I’m that type also, that when people see me, I’m intimidating and mysterious, but in reality, I’m a big softie,” he says, debunking people’s definition of masculinity that doesn’t involve letting men be vulnerable with their emotions.

With the legions of fans dedicating their love, tagging him in an endless stream of fan-made clips and memes, it might be hard not to get carried away. Still, David tries to be polite about it, nearly unsure of how to handle the compliment. “I’m just trying my best to keep it real and take it day by day. Medyo nagiging busy din ako with all the things that I’m doing showbiz-wise. Everything’s been overwhelming, so I’m just living in the moment lang.”

Sticking to his humble demeanour, he’s mindful not to let his newfound popularity get to his head. “I don’t wanna think about it. Kasi syempre, it's just that siguro nga, it all boils down to the role I have in Fidel that’s why people think of me as the man of the hour. I’m unsure if I deserve it; I just try my best to perform.”

When choosing roles, he also doesn’t box himself into one particular image—he's open to experimenting with genres and characters that his management will deem him to be effective at portraying. After all, entertainment is business—a field he’s born to thrive in. “For me kasi, I’m also a businessman, so whatever gives me money, that’s it. Right now, I feel like Gen Zs like me for being Fidel, for being pa-cute and not on the sexier side. So I’m just riding the boat, but let’s see.”

Man of Business

Born into a Chinese-Filipino family and the second eldest of four siblings, David was indirectly influenced to pursue entrepreneurship, albeit his family was never imposing. In fact, his “creative spark” stemmed from his ex-girlfriend, who advised him to take short-form classes when the pandemic lockdowns began. “That’s when it all started. I started studying. It was she who influenced me to study short courses abroad. Marketing, etcetera—all about business.”

Now, David is a proud owner of three establishments: Sobra Cafe, which has two branches in Alabang and Quezon City; Kuya Korea restaurant; and health and wellness brand As Nature Intended. He also once owned a construction company.

It shouldn’t be surprising that his ventures are thriving—especially now. Proof of the upward sales trend in celebrity businesses, he’s grateful for the massive traction brought by his star power. “For me, yung acting and yung showbiz, also helped my business. Like marketing, yung brand equity mo, it’s higher when you’re an artista. People respect you more. So luckily, they’re all extra nice to me because of that.”

That’s not to say that things have been smooth sailing for a guy like him, who wears many hats. During our chat, I occasionally spot a flash of kindly exhaustion in his eyes. “It’s been really hard, honestly. As you can see in the face,” he laughs. “But if you really want something, it will take time. I just always stick to my why. I’ll just do my best, whatever it takes for me to successful.”

Despite his optimism and maturity, David admits he hasn’t always been good at calling the shots. He says he’s a “frustrated basketball player,” failing to turn pro following his stint in the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) as part of his alma mater De La Salle-College of St. Benilde’s men’s basketball team. He was in limbo for quite some time, and that’s when he started to venture into acting and modelling as an escape. “After quitting basketball, I got sad because it was an extra-curricular activity. At that time, I needed something to divert my attention to. Sa school kasi uso yung pabatak batak before, tapos po-post ka sa Instagram for the girls,” he jokes.

“I feel like correlated na din yung modeling when you’re on Instagram. You attract agents, so one asked me if I wanted to be a model. And at that time, sabi ko, ‘Model, parang di naman ako cute eh.’” And yun, nagtuluy-tuloy, napunta na rin sa acting.”

Unlike his life idol Kobe Bryant, he found fame and success in a different field, but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t change his game given a chance. On why he thinks he didn’t make it to the basketball pros, he had a regretful but refreshingly honest response. “Maybe I wasn’t that good. Yeah, siguro I didn’t have the drive that I have now towards business and showbiz. Maybe back then, if I knew meditation and the concept of hard work and persistence, I’d be a pro right now. But I only learned that the past three, four years.”

In his book, talent gets you nowhere if you don’t arm it with the focus and discipline to deliver. “I feel like all athletes are all good because obviously, they’ve been playing for a while. But it’s all about mental strength. Even in showbiz, everybody’s gifted, so it’s really all about your mindset. How you see things, how you react to things, and how persistent you are as a person. Those are the keys to being successful in whatever industry that you’re in.”

Modern-day Gentleman

Call it the Pambansang Ginoo effect, but David’s talent, charm, and personality have been bewitching everyone, with majority of the internet curious about what he’s currently up to when it comes to his dating life. Despite it being just recently when he had to get used to the klieg light of public interest, he has always been too much of a gentleman not to name names of his past rumored girlfriends, one of whom is a high-profile star in a rival network. Seemingly giving clues, albeit subtly, he reveals that the sweetest thing he ever did for a girl was to surprise her in Korea.

On choosing to keep things low-key, he explains, “Siguro two factors eh. Even when I’m not in showbiz, I’ll probably be in a private relationship just because para lang walang may isali. I feel like private is better all the time.”

He’s also not the type to wear his heart on his sleeve publicly. “I’m also shy to post sweet stuff, and then my friends will see it. I don’t know, siguro I have to learn not to think about it kasi obviously, the girl will like it to be posted on my socials. But on the other hand, I’m in showbiz, and I don’t want my girl’s privacy to be invaded, so I try my best not to post.”

He notes the traits he’s looking for in a future girlfriend: Smart, knows what she wants, driven, and supportive of his dreams and hopes in life. Don't get him wrong; he's happily single at 28 because “you get to do things on your own without having to ask permission from your significant other." He sometimes craves romance, though. "Syempre, sometimes, when you're tired, when you're exhausted, you sometimes look for somebody to talk to and tell them about your day.”

If there’s a valuable lesson he learned from loving someone, it’s to guard his heart and not give his all right away. “I understand for a fact na we all want [a] challenge, even in relationships. So at the start, I try my best to be as chill as possible. ‘Cause I’ve experienced before na if I give it all right away, it didn’t really work out. So now, I try to be chill, then towards the middle of the relationship if I feel like the girl likes me already, that’s how I level up my emotions or how I am to her.”

And as for the FiLay shippers, David is thankful for the support but clears that it’s strictly just friendship between him and his leading lady. He credits Barbie’s longtime beau Jak Roberto for his unwavering support for their team-up. “I think Jak naman knows and understands kasi he’s an actor and kung meron din naman siyang show, he would do the same towards his partner. Syempre ako, I know my boundaries. Alam ko naman na they’re together in real life, so back off tayo when it comes to personal stuff.”

As we wrapped up our chat, David put his guards back up and got ready to navigate toward his next agenda for the day. As a parting question, I ask him if he sees himself acting in the long run. His response struck me a bit. “As of this moment, I intend to stay ng mga three years. Three more years. Honestly, before Maria Clara at Ibarra, I wanted to stop already kasi yun na nga; my love for business took over my love for acting. But this happened, and who am I to stop when people are counting on me? So I’ll just stay for a while.”

In the next few weeks, I am told he’s shooting a couple more features and endorsements, which continue to pour and fill his already jampacked schedule. Right now, David clears that he follows no rule book to become the kind of person he should be in the future, despite the big labels others are throwing at him. For him, it’s all about taking all the good vibes in and striking while the iron’s hot. No matter how he feels, his default setting at work is good cheer and gameness to give his best. And if we’re counting on that and his talent, the road is ever onward, up and up and up. Until he’s right on top.

PRODUCED BY: Ira Nopuente, Andie Estella

CO-PRODUCED BY: Patricia Melliza

PHOTOGRAPHY: Koji Arboleda

ART DIRECTION: Bacs Arcebal, Pau Moyano

STYLING: David Milan

GROOMING AND HAIR BY: Nathan Ferolino

WORDS BY: Cass Lazaro

Special thanks to Sparkle GMA Artist Center

Special thanks to IPW Furniture for the Groovy Club Chair