Who wouldn’t remember Kiko Rustia?

He made a name for himself as one of the Castaways and Noak tribe leader in the first season of “Survivor Philippines.” And what particularly made him a standout in the popular reality TV show were his dreads, handmade bracelets made of natural materials and beads on his arm which gave him a distinct “island boy look.”

Also known to be the “coolest” looking Castaway, Kiko’s bringing his so-called “coolness” in outdoor sports, adventures and even his natural conservation causes in GMA Network’s “Born to be Wild” which airs every Wednesday nights on GMA-7. He joins “Born to be Wild’s” host Dr. Ferdinand Recio. Popular local mountain climber Romy Garduce, according to the show’s producer, will be taking a hiatus to finish his commitments to his climbs and conservation works.

So how does he feel about replacing Romy Garduce?

“I can never replace Romy Garduce as host. I consider myself a side order. So far working with them is really an honor because I look up to them. Pangarap ko yung show and being part of it now is very overwhelming... after I was voted out, I was asked what I want to do next and I told them it was to host ‘Born to be Wild,’” he said.

He added that Romy is his brother in the UP Mountaineering when he joined in 2001. And like Romy, he is deeply involved in nature conservations. He is a member of a dive group involved in annual coastal cleanups during the month of September. And he attributes his interest on the outdoors sports and activities to his hosting job.

So how is he preparing for his hosting job?

“Psychologically I’ve been preparing for the show. Bukod sa excitement, I’m psyching myself and physically I’ve been working out. There should always be a balance. I’m sure I’ll be doing a lot of extreme stuff so mind and body training is important. I’m thankful I got the job. I feel blessed,” he smiled.

The executive producer, Anj Antienza, said that after a year and a half, they are relaunching “Born to be Wild” with a new face in Kiko and a more exciting show.

“I think we’re now going to deal with issues, it is more going to be more extreme in terms of adventures especially with Kiko who has a lot of adventures to offer. Aside from that, we can expect deeper stories about the environment. We already hooked them last year with the adventure aspect so it’s now to be more serious, but more physical and very outdoors,” she explained. “In terms of the conservation aspects of the show, mas palalaliman at palalawigin pa namin. Mas gagawin pa naming mas exciting yung show namin.”

As a new host, Kiko said that he had an easy time working in “Born to be Wild” because the whole production including his co-hosts were a breeze to work with.

“It’s also very comfortable working with them because I don’t get nervous at all. Marunong silang mag-alalay and we all have the passion for conservation works and the environment. So it was easy for me to adjust to the ‘Born to be Wild’ family. Bukod sa sobrang pag­­-welcome nila sa akin, I share the same ideals that they do and they made it easier for me,” he described.

And as the newest host, he hopes to translate on TV his “people skills.” He is proud that his years of stay in Boracay have immersed him in different cultures of different people he met in the island.

“I’m a team player and basically I can lend a hand at what they’re doing. If there’s one thing I can do, sabi ko nga sa kanila, is cultural immersion. Because I really enjoy talking with people. Gusto kong lagyan ng konting direction din yung beach people, mabigyan sila ng focus. Kahit yung mga tao sa paligid na nakatira lang sa area na being featured,” he remarked.

Co-host Doc Ferds or the show’s “Wildlife Sweetheart” has only good words for Kiko. He believes that they too have good chemistry together and their passion for nature is the same. He also sees him as a healthy addition to pursue what their show is all about.

“In this show, we’ve become more aware of what’s going on. We have our own conservation projects but because of the show, we were able to experience and learned that there are other equally important things we need to address. And we have a website and people write to us and tell us that they’ve learned a lot from our show, from a certain segment. It’s very complementing and rewarding,” Doc Ferds remarked.

Ready and willing to do what’s needed to get the job done, that is how passionate Kiko Rustia is. Also one of GMA Artist Center’s newest talents, he is raring to go the distance to bring his extreme and exciting adventures to their viewers. That in mind, he is a host to watch as he is ON THE RISE!