Boy Abunda with his Nanay Lesing

TV host and talent manager Boy Abunda is vocal about his love for his Nanay Lesing. While parents of other celebrities made a name for themselves expressing on-cam their devotion to their highly achieving children, the latter’s case is quite different in the sense that it’s Boy himself who puts her up on a pedestal, telling everyone how important she is for him.

This does not mean though that the seemingly camera-shy Nanay Lesing Abunda, now 80, isn’t reciprocating the favor. She does it in great fashion of course, but with the camera off most of the time.

Thus, the idea to show Boy’s bond with his mom through pictures seemed perfect. Great Image’s campaign of “family values, strength of character, and genuine love” finds a strong visual representation through their poses as faces of its thematic campaign. Their images from a photo shoot done last November were unveiled to the press recently at Great Image SM Cubao. With every shot showing natural warmth, Boy is in no way exaggerating over his fondness for his mom. They’re magnetically attached to each other.

“Even when I am in a meeting and my phone rings and I see that it’s Nanay calling, I stop the meeting and take the call. Mas importante ang Nanay,” argues Boy in one of his words of love for his beloved mother.

There are two “firsts” as far as this project is concerned. With Boy never missing mentioning his mom each time he speaks his heart, it is interesting to point that this is their first corporate venture together. No less than Robert and Toots Palomo, the couple on top of Great Image, felt that Boy and Nanay Lesing embody the mother-child bonding present in most Pinoy families, proudly saying, “They were really our first choice for this campaign.”

In 2004, the country’s premier photo studio (with 34 branches specializing in professional portraiture, digital imaging, and photo/video coverage) put out its “Ilabas Mo Ang Totoo” campaign, also with Boy’s face that boasts his remarkable wide smile. The inclusion of Nanay Lesing in the current campaign “Every boy has non-negotiables” should provide more heart to the billboards and print ads that embrace the slogan “Priceless Photography.”

Speaking of being priceless, the connection between Boy and his “nanay” is one that cannot be computed by amount. The famous TV personality acknowledges the competence of Great Image lensmen in conveying that power through still images. “Photographers should understand the uniqueness of the subject. Ang dami talagang kuwento sa letrato. We really enjoyed the shoot,” Boy expresses.

Though the ABS-CBN star is not an expert of photography’s technical side, by heart he understands this particular visual art. When asked about what separates a good shot from a great one, he uttered something which, being a poor boy once, had no doubt pushed him towards excellence: An artist’s hunger.