 |
| Good grooming is a must for this councilor.”It’s one way of showing respect to my constituents & peers.” |
He wears many hats and with each, he has a standard to meet if not for himself, for other people who rely on him, family, constituents, friends.
Who hasn’t heard of Al Ryan Alejandre? He was a familiar face on TV hosting local variety shows for five years from 1999 in two giant networks before he shifted to delivering the morning news. He was quite the heartthrob.
In 2003, he put on another hat, gave up single life and became husband to Florence.
The succeeding couple of years added a couple more important roles for Al Ryan to play—fatherhood in 2004 and taking his public life to a higher ground, he ran for councilor and eventually became an elected city official in 2005—on his first try.
“My family is in the academe and politics was never in our genes,” Al Ryan confessed, ”They were not too keen with my plans to become a politician but when the campaign period came, they were all out with their support.”
Being a TV personality and local newscaster may have paved his interest to become a public servant.
Through his news assignments, the constant exposure to the needs of the community and interaction with the politicians surely picked his interest into joining the world of politics, “It seemed that everything pointed me to that direction,” he said.
After the 2010 elections, when he won another term in office, he was blessed with a son at home and at the office, an assignment as chairperson of the Committee in Tourism.
With busier days at the home front and office, how does this 36-year old man maintain being a devoted husband and father and a dedicated politician at the same time?
“The first six months as politician was a challenge when even our home was open to constituents 24/7. I wasn’t use to the political life, so was my family. Through the years, I have learned to separate the two and put a balance to personal and political lives.”
 |
| Al RYan Alejandre has learned to master balancing time between personal & political lives |
Weekends and afternoons after school are the designated bonding time.
“I also take my kids to social functions if it’s in a mall and we get to have our time together after the socials.”
Adding to it, “I make sure I wake up at 5:30 every morning to prepare the kids for school, bathe them and make their meals. I make sure I see every morning and talk with them.”
With his job as city councilor, when he sees his peers and constituents on a daily basis and accepts invitations to functions of government and private sectors, he says good grooming is a must.
“You have to respect the people that elected you into position. Looking neat and clean is a way of showing that.”
For his grooming, Al Ryan goes to Rocky’s Barbershop.
It was in 2002 when he first visited Rocky’s Victoria Plaza when the brand’s marketing tagline “ang barbershop ng tunay na lalaki” heard over the radio got him curious. He has never shifted his loyalty for the past 14 years.
“It’s the service that got me hooked,” he said,” The barbers are friendly and the after haircut massage was good. I can enter any branch, sit on the chair and get a good haircut from any of the homegrown barbers.”
 |
| Bonding for this father & son includes a twice a month visit to Rocky’s barbershop for a trim |
For the past three years, when his son turned three, he has been making the visits a father and son tradition.
“Sabay kami ng anak twice a month. It’s another bonding moment for the boys.”
“Alwin was thrilled because he went to the ‘big boys’ barbershop and got treated as one of the boys,” said Al Ryan on his son’s first visit to Rocky’s.
Alwin felt at ease right away, so it has never been a problem getting the boy to go for a haircut. Like Al Ryan, he doesn’t mind which barber cut his hair.
“I see my son growing up with Rocky’s,” he said.
Who knows, perhaps the councilor’s grandchildren too. That won’t be surprising as Rocky’s is servicing three generations of patrons today.
To Rocky’s barbershop, AL Ryan extends his wishes, “Congratulations on your milestone of 20 years in the business, I wish you another 20 successful years ahead!”
Rocky’s Barbershop is the first barbershop to open in a mall in Davao City in 1996. All its five branches today are conveniently located in malls- Victoria Plaza, Abreeza Mall, GMall, SM City & SM Lanang Premier in Davao City, and Centrio Ayala Mall and SM City in Cagayan de Oro City. 2016 marks its 20th year in the business.
Al Ryan and Alwin Alejandre are the featured Father and Son personalities for November in the 2016 Traditions calendar of Rocky’s.
Email me at jinggoysalvador@yahoo.com. For more lifestyle & travel stories, visit ofapplesandlemons.com and jeepneyjinggoy.com
Also published in SunStar Davao newspaper.
.jpg)
