Promil kids all grown up: Gifted children many years later

Young CJ de Silva Promil commercial

The news of CJ de Silva-Ong’s passing has sent shockwaves throughout the advertising industry and beyond.

The executive creative director of a major advertising agency passed away on June 18, 2024, at the age of 36.

Read:Former Promil kid CJ de Silva passes away at 36

Kids who lived through the 1990s will remember CJ as a Promil Kid, one of the gifted children featured in the formula milk brand’s series of television commercials.

In the commercial, CJ was shown painting a mural, and she went on to build a career in the arts.

She graduated from the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts, received many local and international awards for her advertising work, and was also a painter, illustrator, and podcaster.

Here’s where the rest of the Promil Kids are today.

PROMIL KIDS: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

WESLEY SO

At the age of 12, chess champion Wesley So earned the distinction of being the youngest Filipino to represent the country at the World Chess Olympiad in 2006.

He became the youngest Filipino grandmaster two years later, at the age of 14, and went on to bring honor to the country in many international chess tournaments.

A Filipino-American citizen, Wesley emigrated to the United States in 2012 after receiving a scholarship offer from Webster University.

This spelled a loss for the Philippines, as Wesley began to represent the United States in 2014, and his American citizenship was finally granted in 2021.

In an interview with the US Chess Federation at the time, Wesley addressed his change in citizenship by saying, "That does not mean I don’t love the Philippines. I have good memories from there. But I did not have the connections needed to succeed in that culture.

"I wanted to go further, and there was only one country a nobody can make it. The USA!"

A native of Bacoor, Cavite, Wesley now lives in Minnesota. He is managed by former actress Lotis Key.

Read:Lotis Key: The woman behind Filipino-American grandmaster Wesley So

JIRO MANIO

Recognized by the commercial as a gifted actor, Jiro Manio proved that by winning a slew of Best Actor awards for his performance in the 2003 film Magnifico.

Jiro was 12 years old at the time, making him the youngest winner of the Gawad Urian award for Best Actor, according to his Wikipedia bio.

He was also recognized by the PMPC Star Awards, the Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP), and the FAMAS.

His star was certainly on the rise, as Jiro went on to receive acting nominations for his work in films, such as Bagong Buwan, Mila, and Foster Child; and he was making a name for himself in mainstream projects, like the film Ang Tanging Ina and its sequels, the television series Spirits, and the comedy film Manay Po.

All this was cut short when Jiro was plagued by problems with substance abuse in his teens.

Ai-Ai Delas Alas, who played his mother in Ang Tanging Ina, helped Jiro get into a rehabilitation facility in Bataan back in 2015.

She eventually broke off her contact with the young actor, only to receive a message from him recently, where he was requesting for financial assistance.

Read:Ai-Ai delas Alas nakatanggap ng message mula kay Jiro Manio

Jiro continues to struggle financially, even selling his Urian Best Actor trophy for PHP75,000 early this year.

He has also said in an exclusive interview with PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) that he does not plan to return to acting as his priority is the state of his mental health.

But he tells PEP that he is in a better place now. "Mas okay na ako ngayon kasi naipaliwanag sa akin na mabuti sa Bataan ang mga dapat iwasan. Saka willingness din na gumaling, yun ang importante."

Read: Jiro Manio ibinenta ang Urian best actor trophy sa halagang PHP75K

SHAIRA LUNA

While Shaira Luna’s childhood ambition was to become a doctor or scientist, she recently admitted this was actually something her parents would say on her behalf, and she didn’t think anything of it at the time.

She said in an interview with GMA News Online back in March 2023, "Siyempre, when you're young, it doesn't really mean anything to you.

"It's just something people say and, 'Ay sige, paglaki ko...'

"It's the standard response.

"Parang kahit Miss Universe, kaya mong gawin."

It felt like she could do anything, and her possibilities were boundless, much like the solar system depicted in her Promil commercial.

It took Shaira a while to find her passion.

She enrolled in a Bachelor of Science course in Human Biology at the De La Salle University in 1999 at the age of 13, but shifted from one course to another until she stopped studying in 2006.

It was then that she first picked up a camera and pursued an interest in photography.

"I tried portraits, I tried the food. I would shoot events, birthdays, binyag, fiesta, liga ng basketball.

"Wala akong pinalampas. Minsan libing din."

Eventually, Shaira found her niche as a professional fashion and advertising photographer.

She is also an influencer, and is known as an ukay-ukay queen.

Read:"Gifted child" Shaira Luna, no regrets kahit hindi naging doctor o scientist

DANIEL AND JIMMY TAGALA JR.

Brothers Daniel and Jimmy Tagala Jr. have music in their blood: their father was a traveling folk musician and their mother would play the keyboard at Sunday Mass.

It’s no wonder that both brothers grew up to be accomplished musicians. Daniel began playing the cello at the age of 10, and only a year later won first prize at the National Music Competitions for Young Artists (NAMCYA).

Jimmy also won the NAMCYA at the age of 14, and was recognized as one of the country’s youngest violin virtuosos. He was chosen to join the Asian Youth Orchestra in 2006.

Today, the two have tapped their equally talented brothers Samuel and David to form the Tagala Brothers String Quartet, which plays at weddings, debuts, and other events. Samuel plays the violin, while David completes the quartet with his viola.

Daniel continues to play the cello and has been affiliated with the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) and Cellos of Manila.

Jimmy also still plays the violin, with the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra, Manila Symphony Orchestra, and the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra among his affiliations.

He also teaches the violin at Sarreal Music Academy in Quezon City.

IRA ACLAN

In the commercial, Ira Aclan was featured as a classical violinist and pianist.

She was three years old when she first learned to play the piano, and she picked up the violin five years later, at the age of eight.

Despite her many accomplishments in the field of music– including winning in the solo string category at NAMCYA and representing the Philippines at the Asia Suzuki Conference in 2004 and 2005– Ira is now making her mark in a completely different field: medicine.

She chose to follow in the footsteps of her parents and grandparents.

According to her profile on TheFilipinoDoctor.com, Dr. Ira Alexis Aclan is in the field of General Practice and Occupational Medicine, treating patients in Lipa, Batangas.

Back in 2019, Ira addressed her switch from music to medicine in an interview with Rappler: "As much as I enjoy playing, I think there’s a different fulfillment when I see dad’s patients would get well.

"It's more of the mission. We try to be physician missionaries. We really help those in need at the same time, still have enough pa rin naman to support your family."

It appears her love for music remains strong, as Ira describes herself in her Instagram profile as a "licensed physician, violinist, sleepyhead."

JACOB SARREAL

In a country where many children learn to play the piano or guitar as their first instrument, music prodigy Jacob Sarreal stood out with his saxophone, clarinet, and flute.

As children, Jacob and his brothers Panggo, Raymond, and Guido formed the Sarreal Brothers Wind Quartet.

According to their Facebook page, the brothers all found themselves in different lines of work, but still made music with other bands and played for various events. They reunited as a quartet in 2017.

Aside from music, Jacob went on to study Nursing at San Beda College Manila.

He also developed a passion for the outdoors, forming TrailAdventours with his brother Guido. Here, he imparts his passion for mountaineering, as the group offers different packages for trekking and hiking.

According to the website, Jacob climbed Mt. Halcon, Mt. Guiting-guiting, and Mt. Apo as a boy. He recommends Mt. Kanlaon for those looking to go on a TrailAdventours trip.

When Jacob isn’t climbing mountains or performing gigs, he keeps an active lifestyle by playing football and basketball.

KIKO GALURA

For Kiko Galura, what started with a passion for poetry became a lifelong love affair with words.

He graduated from the University of the Philippines Los Baños with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech Communication and Rhetoric, and first ventured into the communications industry by working in advertising as an art director.

He eventually found his way to Summit Media, where he started as a junior associate publisher for Summit Books and Content Marketing.

Kiko rose through the ranks and was even able to weather the transition from print to digital, which meant going from handling books and magazines to websites and other digital content.

Today, Kiko leads Summit Media’s product, data, and technology teams as Head of Product Innovation.

He describes himself in his LinkedIn profile as "a product leader, growth marketer, and brand builder in the digital media space. I love ideas that move at the pace of culture."

JAMES FLORES

As a child, James was fascinated by astronomy and the wonders of the universe. Many years later, as an adult, James’s interest turned to something equally mysterious: the workings of the human mind.

Back in 2015, James was pursuing a master’s degree in clinical psychology, and said he hopes to become a guide for other gifted kids.

Today, James serves as a full-time lecturer for the Department of Psychology at Far Eastern University in Manila.

Behind his academic pursuits and successes was his lola Inday Flores, whom he revealed to PEP was his "biggest influence."

He said in a 2015 interview, "Whatever it is that I was interested in when I was a kid, she would just go and make sure that I get something good, something concrete, something I can learn from and to try and go and master it.

"So when I was interested in astronomy, she gives me stuff to do about astronomy.

"When I got interested in music, she gives me stuff to do about music…

"She doesn’t hold me into the ‘you’re just five years old, you should really be five years old, nothing else.’

"It’s like she’s the catalyst, like she’s the one who helps power me to push forward."

Read:Words of wisdom from gifted-child alumni Shaira, Kiko, and James

EDITOR'S NOTE: James Flores's section has been updated. Special thanks to the readers who provided the most recent information about his professional career.