Filipina Soul

Despite all the scheming and voting off that goes on in Survivor Philippines, the castaways have forged friendships out of their days of being isolated on the island.

On the day before our interview, Marlon Carmen, the undisputed grand schemer of Survivor Philippines, had partied with some his fellow castaways. It may come as a surprise to some of you, but Marlon is now good friends with the others. The ladies, especially, have even told him their secrets (no, he didn’t tell me what kind of secrets). Everything that happened on the island is in the past, and the castaways are OK with Marlon now. All except perhaps one.

The Castaways as Friends

Of all his fellow castaways, Marlon singled out Gigit Sulit as the one with whom he is not quite friends with yet. Remember Gigit? He was the 3rd person to be voted off. Marlon related to me how Gigit refused to shake his hand at a public gathering and said that they still needed to talk. Marlon told me that, regardless, he chooses to understand Gigit.

In contrast, Charisse and Marlon started to be friends even while they were still on the island. Before he left, Marlon taught Charisse survival techniques like what was edible and how to look for the snails and clams. Marlon admitted that he still wanted a Jarakay member to be the Sole Survivor, and Charisse was the only one left from their former tribe. He told me that he also gave Charisse some tips about her strategy.

“Kasi talagang sabi ko sa kanya, ganito Charisse, ganito pagkuha ng halaan, pagkuha ng suso, ganito gagawin mo. Parang sacrifice oneself, so others may live. Siyempre, siya na lang yung natitira sa tribe namin. Gusto kong maging Sole Survivor, Jarakay pa rin.”

With Charisse being in the Final Three, it seems that Marlon might have given her some good tips. This week, we’ll find out if Marlon gets his wish about who becomes the first Pinoy Sole Survivor.

The Next Step

Since Survivor Philippines ends this week, what do the castaways have to look forward to beyond the show? For Marlon, that question has been answered in part already.

Marlon, who worked as a waiter before Survivor Philippines, has opened his own business, called Chatwarma, using the talent fee he received from the show. His kiosks serve shawarma (meat wraps), with students, mall-goers and hospitals as his target customers.

Marlon seemed happy with the way his new business is coming along. The media exposure he gets for his stint in Survivor Philippines has only helped get people interested in his product. One of his recent interviews was with Jessica Soho.

I also asked Marlon whether he has any plans of going into show business. He said that he wants to but for now, he is under contract with GMA for Survivor Philippines. “Gustong-gusto ko siyempre mag-artista. So depende po, open naman ako sa mga manager na gustong mag-manage sa akin. Pero sa akin, wala pang nag-a-approach“.

We might see more of Marlon on TV one of these days. I think he’ll be great as a villain or as comic relief in an action movie. Meanwhile, Marlon has his Chatwarma business and the many fans of Survivor Philippines to keep him busy.

As we ended our conversation, I asked Marlon if he had any message to all the fans of Survivor Philippines. Here is what he had to say:

“Sana po kung manonood sila, ay hindi nila titingnan yung ugali ng tao dahil pwedeng magtago kami ng ugali naming tunay at puwede naming ilabas yung tunay naming ugali. Sana naman po, samahan ng konting utak, wag puro puso. Kasi nagmumukha po tayong masama doon, eh.

“Yun lang po.”

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It was a pleasure to talk with Marlon,and find out more about the man behind the schemer of Survivor Philippines. If you’d like to have a taste of his Chatwarma, and maybe catch a glimpse of him, visit the Chatwarma kiosks at these two locations:

• Ground Floor, Ever Ortigas, Pasig
• Aurenina Village, Olivares, Pananaque (in front of the Olivares College)

Read the first part of my interview with Marlon Carmen. My thanks to Marlon for granting me this interview and to his brother Mike for the assistance.

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