Coco Martin shares his journey from tricycle driver to Honda PH ambassador

Primetime king Coco Martin shows that he is not only a multi-talented actor, but also a person with many inspirational stories to share, particularly from his teenage years, when he put in tremendous efforts to achieve his goals. Martin, as the Honda Philippines celebrity ambassador, is a living example of how "The Power of Dreams" can change people's lives.

It's no surprise that having a motorcycle is a symbol of action and adventure. Because of this, most young men have a motorcycle on their bucket list. For Martin, a motorcycle was not only a dream; it also served as a reminder of his humble beginnings and good memories from his youth.

“Natuto akong mag-motor noong high school ako. Laki ako sa lola. Ayoko sana maging pabigat sa kanya gusto ko sana makatulong, kaya sa gabi ‘pag ginagarahe na tricycle namin, ako tagalinis at tagahugas nito. Syempre dahil bata ka, nagkaka-interes ka dun sa motor at pangarap ko talaga magka-motor nung bata pa ‘ko (I learned how to ride a motorcycle when I was in high school. I was raised by my grandmother. I did not want to be a burden to her and wanted to help, so every night, after the last trip of our tricycle, I cleaned and washed it. Since I was still young  back then, my interest for motorcycles grew and it was really my dream to have my own motorcycle),” Martin recalled.

Martin learnt to ride a motorcycle in a cemetery, which he remembers fondly every time he tells his story.

“‘Pag tulog na lolo ko, isasama ko yung kaibigan ko. Ang ginagawa namin pagkatapos ko linisin ‘yung tricycle, itatakas ko ‘to. Dahan-dahan niya ako tinuturuan. Unang tinuruan nya ako ‘nun sa sementeryo (When my grandfather was already asleep, I'd ask my friend to accompany me. After I cleaned the tricycle, I brought it with us. He gradually taught me. He first taught me in a cemetery),” Martin shared.

Martin believes that this part of his childhood brought him so much joy and was a welcome break each time he and his friend would take their grandfather to the public market using their tricycle.

“Sa sementeryo ako unang tinuruan, tapos sa may Uniwide sa Quirino Highway, sa parking lot ‘dun. May tindahan kasi kami noong araw kaya kapag ang lolo ko namimili na ng mga paninda namin, hindi niya alam ako at ‘yung barkada ko, umiikot-ikot kami doon sa parking lot. Syempre, dahil bata ka pa, mababaw pa lang kaligayahan mo. Kaya noong umiikot-ikot kami dun, sobrang saya ng pakiramdam ko ‘nun. Tapos, hanggang sa unti-unti na ako natuto (I first learned it in a cemetery, then in the parking lot of Uniwide along Quirino Highway. We had a store back then, so when my grandfather would buy items for the store, he did not know that my friend and would be having motorcycle lessons in the parking lot. Of course, as a child, small things like this made me excited, that’s why I felt really good during our lessons, until I gradually learned it).” Martin said.

Martin has always been a hard worker and is streetwise.  He was able to supply himself with a primary source of income while in college by using his motorcycle skills. “Noong talagang marunong na akong mag motor ang ginagawa ko, ‘pag gabi, bumibyahe ako ng tricycle para may pambaon at hindi na ako humingi sa lola ko (When I finally learned how to ride a motorcycle, I drove our tricycle every night so I could earn some money and won’t have to ask my grandmother for allowance).”

He also shared that in their community, possessing a motorcycle was a concrete demonstration of status symbol, similar to owning a sports car at the time. “‘Yung mga kaibigan ko kasi sa lugar namin noon sa Novaliches, magkaroon ka lang ng tricycle sobrang big deal na ‘non, para ka ng may sports car. Kaya noong nagsimula na akong mag-motor, ramdam na ramdam ko na iba na ‘yung dating kapag nag da-drive na ako ng tricycle namin. Kaya sobrang pangarap ko talaga na magkaroon ako ng motor (For my friends in our neighborhood in Novaliches, owning a tricycle was a big deal, similar to having a sports car. It felt really good when I was driving our tricycle, that's why it was really my dream to have my own motorcycle).”

As one of the celebrities who understands what it takes to rise through the ranks through dedication and resilience, Martin proved that nothing is impossible for someone who is concentrating on achieving his dream. “Noong nagkaroon na ako ng trabaho, isa ito sa mga pangarap ko na tinupad ko, ang magkaroon ng sarili kong motor (When I had my first job, this is one of the dreams that I was able to achieve – having my own motorcycle).

Aside from fulfilling his goal of owning a motorcycle, becoming the official Honda Philippines celebrity ambassador has been a huge blessing he didn't expect.

Now that he has numerous Honda motorcycles, Martin's personal favorite is the X-ADV, which gives him a lot of excitement and wonderful memories. “Unang-una, ang nagustuhan ko dito ay hindi lamang dahil sa bilis ng takbo kundi kumportable din dalhin dahil sa front and rear suspension nito na alam mong matibay at safe, kaya isa talaga sa pinaka-favorite motorcycle ko ay ang X-ADV (First of all, what I like about this is that it’s not only fast but also easy to handle due to its front and rear suspension that is durable and safe. That is why the X-ADV is one of my favorite motorcycles).”

For Martin, work and play collide when he and his pals begin their day with a quick ride in the early morning. “‘Pag nagmo-motor ako, kasama ko ‘yung mga kaibigan ko sa ‘FPJ: Ang Probinsyano.’ Sina John Pratts, ‘pag papunta na kami sa trabaho, kasi almost one hour ‘yung layo ng lugar na tinitirahan namin from location kaya sinasabay na namin. Gumigising kami ng maagang-maaga, mga 5 a.m., madilim pa bumibyahe na kami papunta sa shooting location para sabay ‘yung trabaho at kasiyahan namin sa pagmo-motor (I do motorcycle riding with my friends from ‘FPJ: Ang Probinsyano,’ like John Pratts, when we go to work because the shooting location is almost one hour away from the place where we stay. We wake up early, around 5 a.m., to go to our shooting location so we can incorporate our passion for motorcycle riding with work).”

Martin's success proves that when you start dreaming, you have power. He, like Honda, is a representation of courage and determination in envisioning and achieving one's aspirations. Indeed, for someone who believes that "you'll never know where your dream will lead you," it's only the beginning.

To learn more about Honda motorcycles, log on to hondaph.com or visit Honda 3S dealerships nationwide. For inquiries, send a message to Honda Philippines, Inc. on Facebook, @hondaph_mc on Instagram, or call (02)-8581-6700 to 6799 or 0917-884-6632.

Photos from Honda Philippines