HE DREAMED. He believed. And, he managed to survive.
It was a rare feat for Chuck Allie Gepaya (more known as Chuck Allie) to be the first Dabawenyo to be a part of Starstruck, GMA7's reality talent competition.
Although he had given up his showbiz career long time ago to pursue his studies for future endeavors, Chuck still carries with him the lessons he learned during his short yet memorable showbiz experience.
Dream
He auditioned for Starstruck season 3 when he was still 16.
Chuck, who hails from Maguindanao, never wanted to be an "artista" in the first place.
Challenged by his friends to audition, he gave it a shot. He was surprised that he passed the elimination round despite not taking the audition seriously.
No one in his family knew that he auditioned for Starstruck.
Before heading to Manila for the elimination week, he actually enrolled for next semester and planned to take up Nursing in college.
"I was already confident I will be eliminated, considering we were 100 during the elimination week," Chuck said.
With only a few clothes in his luggage, he wasn't prepared to be in the Final 14, joining his fellow batch mates who also made a mark in showbiz -- Arci Muñoz, Iwa Moto, Jackie Rice, and the late Marky Cielo.
With the unexpected opportunity that was offered to him, he had to give up school.
"My dad told me (through the phone) 'Gi-give up naman nimo ang school (You already gave up your studies), might as well focus on that'," Chuck said, confessing his family was hesitant of his decision, but their full support kept him pushing himself to the limit.
He considered Starstruck as his new "school" where he learned new things such as acting, singing, dancing, and even hosting, a far cry from his usual modeling stint.
As a self-confessed introvert, he managed to express himself to succeed in the competition.
He, however, fell short and only landed in top six. But he bounced back though through endorsements and television shows.
One of which was an afternoon soap entitled Now and Forever: Duyan, wherein he was paired with fellow Starstruck alumni Jana Roxas, alongside Dawn Zulueta, Ariel Rivera, and Ella Cruz.
Believe
Despite having a fruitful showbiz career, his desire to finish his studies never waned.
“Even during Starstruck, bothered kaayo ko nga wala ko nakahuman. Even tong naa ko sa Manila, my heart and mind keeps saying na mubalik gyud ko’g skwela (It bothered me even during Starstruck that I haven't graduated yet. While in Manila, I always thought about returning to school),” he said.
Chuck also admitted he had no intention of staying in showbiz for too long.
In 2007, the GMA management allowed him to return to Davao and finish his study. This time, shifting to Bachelor of Science in Marketing at the Ateneo de Davao University (Addu).
Luckily, he was still able to do his passion in front of the camera as he was tapped to host GMA Davao’s lifestyle show Istayl Nato! for two years. He balanced his time in academics and hosting career.
A year before he graduated from college, he also enrolled in a culinary school, stressing that cooking is his dream career since he was a kid.
After graduating, TV5 Network hired Chuck to be a part of the network’s Communications Department.
“It was a blessing in disguise because I get to connect with my past colleagues and friends, and I also get to write, which is also my passion,” he said.
He then pursued other career after TV5: from being an assistant sales manager to a real estate company to handle and create press releases for a public relations firm.
“My career path after college was more related to marketing and sales because my job prepares me for my own business in the future. I really wanted to have my own restaurant,” Chuck said.
Survive
In 2017, he had to quit his job in Manila and return to Davao to take care of his sick father.
During his 10th day stay since he returned, his father died.
With no job to return to in Manila, he decided to contact his former client for any PR position slot.
The PR position was negative, but his former client was in need of a marketing officer, which is not his niche. He accepted the offer anyway, and now he is handling four business establishments as a marketing manager.
When asked how he was able to survive outside showbiz, he said finding one’s niche and pursuing your true passion is the secret.
“I’ve seen some of my kasabayan sa showbiz na they were devastated when they didn’t make it. There is life after showbiz. Dili lang sa showbiz ang fame and fortune (Face and fortune could not just be found in showbiz),” Chuck said.
Although he said pursuing showbiz could still be possible, but one must be prepared for any setback.
“Pursue your dream, do your 101-percent best, but do have a back-up plan,” he said.
With Starstruck’s famous motto, “Dream. Believe. Survive.”, here’s what he has to say.
“We all have dreams. We all believe in our dreams, pero surviving it’s a daily effort and struggle. Doesn’t mean you survive today, it ends there. Every day is a chance to survive. I see surviving as a way of life,” Chuck ended.