Next Big Thing

As a tall, Grade 7 student at La Salle Green Hills and a sought-after commercial model
and member of Star Circle Batch 13, AJ Perez got the chance to play for the PAYA
Midgets League. BY CRISTINE ANTONETTE B. CATU



He made the loudest noise
during the launching of
Star Magic Batch 13.
To many who have seen him on
screen and on print ads, the prolific
5-foot-8 Antonello Joseph
Sarte Perez is a certified young
star in the making.
AJ has made three commercials
so far. His energy drink TV
ad paved his entry into show
biz as it was in that commercial
where he caught the eye of
the ABS-CBN bosses. Recently,
he was chosen to be a print ad
model for a real estate project
and a contender in a noontime
game show “Game KNB?” He
will also appear in an upcoming
movie with fellow La Sallite Ryan
Agoncillo and Judy Ann Santos
for the 2006 Metro Manila Film
Festival.
Just a year after his first introduction
with the Batch 13, AJ
is fast developing into matinee
idol material. In fact, he has been
with Star Magic since he was 12
but his studies have always been
his top priority.
“I love Math and Reading. I
have been consistent in the top
5 in our class ever since Grade 1.
Hopefully, I will be part of the top
5 once more in my senior year,”
he says.
AJ knows only too well that he
will have to prove himself worthy of all the hype he has received.
His height, good looks and charm surely complement his talents,
thus ensuring his eventual rise to stardom. While he is fascinated
by the entertainment industry, if made to choose, he’d prefer to be
a renowned basketball star someday.
While the world doesn’t revolve around basketball, if you’re tall
it opens up the possibility of being able to play professionally. Because
of his height, AJ has the chance to play for the Philippine
Athletic Youth Association (PAYA). Who would have thought that it
would be AJ’s first love, but because height matters, he was able to
accomplish something that he had dreamt of when he was 5 years
old. At 13, he stands 5’ 8” and still has another few years left to
grow.
His biggest challenge comes from his passion to excel in the
sport he had chosen and he now carries the daunting task of honing
his basic athletic skills. He
used to practice shooting in his
home in White Plains, Quezon City
whenever they don’t have training
during Tuesdays and Thursdays.
With basketball being such
a physical sport, he reveals that
he diligently takes Cherifer PGM
to maximize his growth potential
and to strengthen his immune
system.
His parents Gerry and Marivic
learned about the innovative and
leading Cherifer PGM, product of
INTERMED Marketing, Philippines
Inc. through print ads, testimonials
of family friends and recommendation
of their pediatrician. Their
doctor even advised them that increase
in physical and mental activity,
common to most active kids,
increases the need for nutrients.
They believed that supplementing
their kid’s diet with vitamins
will assure that he will get sufficient
amounts of these nutrients
required by the body during his
growing up years. AJ started taking
up growth-enhancing multivitamin
Cherifer at an early age of
8. “I want to reach 6’2,” he says.
AJ, who’s the current PAYA
Midget’s Power-Forward, made
his debut in LSGH varsity uniform
when he was 11 years old.
Indeed, the Archer wearing jersey
# 17 has been making big bangs
lately, averaging impressive numbers [with norms of 15 points, 8
rebounds per game] and propping La Salle Green Hills to a 6-0.
What he brings to the table is irresistible. He can play multiple
positions and is very athletic. They proved too classy last year
when they displayed a matured game upon capturing the gold in
the Jr. PBA league. AJ’s team has also come off a championship
stint with NCR Palarong Pambansa last March 2006.
Great things are expected from great players, and surely, AJ
is no exception. His numerous accomplishments serve as proof
of how good he really is. Kid’s Hoops Awardee, 2002 MILO’s Best
Most Improved Player, one of the Excellence Awardees in Basketball
in LSGH, he truly has a lot to be proud of, yet he remains downto-
earth as he believes that he still has a long way to go. But when
he gets there, everybody on the opposite side of the court will have
to watch out. A