Alden Richards Bonds with Dad, Shares Life Lessons He Learned from Him
Alden was born on January 3, 1993 in Santa Rosa, Laguna, as the second child of Richard Sr., a native of Laguna, and Rosario Faulkerson, a native of Pampanga. Mr. Faulkerson Sr took the sole responsibility of being the only parent in the family after her wife passed away more than 5 years ago. He served as Alden’s guiding light when the young actor started to embark in showbiz.
Alden’s dad recalled the challenging road his son has taken before he became one of the most sought-after Kapuso celebrity today. Mr. Faulkerson shared that joining various male pageants in Laguna opened the doors for Alden to become a part-time commercial model. He added that after winning Ginoong Sta. Rosa 2009, his son took the first steps in joining showbiz by trying his luck in “Pinoy Big Brother: Teen Clash 2010” and “StarStruck.” Alden failed to make it in both reality shows.
It was when Alden auditioned for and bagged the role of “Joma” in the Kapuso afternoon fantaserye “Alakdana” opposite Louise delos Reyes that he started to be under the “showbiz” radar. As a matter of fact, the young actor won his very first award in the said afteroon soap – Outstanding Breakthrough Performance by an Actor at the Golden Screen TV Award.
After bowling, Alden and his dad talked with some bloggers and members of the press. The 21-year-old heartthrob proudly shared how supportive his dad was during his journey to stardom.
“Supportive [dad] but very quiet. Quiet pero since I’m his kid, may certain moves and gestures kami na gets na namin e. We’re talking with body language. ‘Yun ang gusto ko kay dad, di matanong. He’s just always there sa likod namin, all of us magkakapatid, for support. ‘Yun ang gusto ko kay dad, pinabayaan niya ako sa showbiz on my own, to explore it on my own. Kapag mayroon akong mga bagay na di maintindihan sa choices, decisions, I ask him. Pero ‘yung plus sa kanya, never nakialam ang dad ko. Kapag mali, dun lang siya nag-rereact. If it makes me happy and my brothers and sisters happy, he’s always there. Siguro one of the best dads,” his description of his dad.
But is Mr. Faulkerson a strict and disciplinarian kind of a father?
“Sobra. When we were kids meron kaming curfew. We can go out after lunch but make sure na nasa bahay ka na ng alas tres kasi after three, lock na ‘yung gate. So there’s this time talaga na ‘yung mga kalaro namin naglalaro sila sa labas tapos nandun lang kami sa gate magkakapatid nakasilip sa kanila, that’s how strict my dad is kasi there were certain instances na dumating na nasagasaan ako ng tricycle, nadisgrasya, nakagat ng aso, yung mga ganun, yun yung pine-prevent niya, even my mom,” he said.
Mr. Faulkerson Sr. added: “But now na andyan na siya sa age na 21, support na lang ako. nag-ga-guide na lang para magkaroon sila ng confidence hindi ‘yung gawin mo ‘to, gawin mo ‘yan.”
Alden also talked about the unforgettable moments with his dad:
“Lahat ng significant happening sa buhay ko nandun si Dad, nandun siya always. Sa mga awards night my dad is always there to support me. Nandun siya lagi pag awards night, aabsent siya sa lahat ng appointments niya just to be there. Siguro ‘yun yung one of the efforts na na-appreciate ko and one of the most unforgettable because ‘yung motivation niya para makasama sa akin sa mga ganung klaseng events, nandun ‘yung dedication kung baga,” he shared.
But just like any father and son relationships, Alden and his dad also had their share of “differences” and “misunderstandings.” The heartthrob explainechis latest Instagram post featuring him and his dad at the FAMAS after party with the caption: “We may have our differences but you’re still the best:”
“Differences in a way, inevitable na magkaroon ng misunderstandings. Laging dumadating ‘yan pero at the end of the day after ng lahat ng challenges that come to us, come and go, come and go lang ang problema. We still love each other, that’s what matters. At siguro isa ‘yun sa mga reminders ni dad sa amin na we can choose our friends but we can’t choose our family. So we should stick together and love each other at our best kasi kami kami lang ‘yan, towards the end kami kami lang yan,” he explained.
The one trait about his dad that Alden tries to emulate is the way he handles money.
“Siguro sa budgeting, how to handle my finances. Bago pa lang ako mag-start mag-showbiz, bago pa lang kami mag-earn ng money, my dad always tell us na you always have to find the right things na pag-gagastusan. He always say think first before we spend. Siguro kaya ganito na lang ako into mag-monitor ng mga finances ko because of that. Sa iPad, nandun lahat ng expenses ko everyday, lahat ng lumalabas hanggang parking, hanggang sa pagtip dun sa boy na nagpapa-atras ng kotse mo kapag aalis ka ‘dun sa parking lot, that’s always counted. Ang pumapasok, nakalista din so in a way, nakikita ko ‘yung balance so I won’t go overspending. And I always save 20% from my salary. 20% goes to savings kahit magkano siya,” he shared.
“So dati I was able to invest in a new car, and dati nase-send ko ‘yung sister ko sa college, then if ever my grandmother and grandfather need something for, let’s say, gamot or hospitalization, I’m always ready. Kasi I save money for emergency purposes. Hindi ako gastador, kung gagastos man ako siguro parang reward lang sa sarili, let’s say bili lang ng relo or bagong gadget, ok na ‘yun pero not exceeding P20 thousand. Under twenty lang,” he added.
Mr. Faulkerson Sr describes his son in one word: “thoughtful.” Alden, on the other hand, describes his dad as the “best.”
Check out some of Alden and dad’s bonding moments here:
#AldenBondsWithDad