He is still The Isko Moreno. The former Manila mayor, politician, presidential candidate, and star actor walked into the room, and staff and strangers stared.

After being away from the limelight since June 2022, he had not forgotten how to make the instant connection to an audience, in this case the Manila Bulletin journalist and video team who were there for the interview.

FORMER MANILA MAYOR Francisco 'Isko Moreno' Domagoso: Always remember 'God first'. (Photo by MB video team)

Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso was the first one we met for this series on people who used to be everywhere in traditional and social media, in gatherings, at street corners talking to people – and suddenly switched off, like a power interruption.

Indeed, Isko – as he insisted to be addressed – switched off from public view.  He said he wanted to be with his family.

“Malaki ang utang ko sa kanila (I owe them a lot). Twenty-four out of my 48 years I dedicated to public service. You cannot have both worlds, sadly my family paid the price; me not being there always.” His dedication to public service had taken all of him since he was elected councilor in 1998, at only 23 years old, the youngest then.

“Mahirap ako yayain (Inviting me is a challenge). To be taken away from public service especially if there is an aberiya (something that’s going wrong). I wanted to show to people that we have a government that will always be there,” he said in his familiar conversational Filipino.

TRAVELING WITH FAMILY

In the past 10 months that he’s disappeared, Isko was traveling with his family.  “I now make bawi (I’m trying to make up for lost time),” he said. In a way, it was like the “revenge travel” that hit resorts and airports after pandemic restrictions were eased; they’ve travelled to Europe, visiting London, Belgium, Netherlands, Paris. Recently, it was Hokkaido, Japan. They also explored local sites like Baguio and Ilocos.  They’re making plans for another trip, possibly Africa.

ISKO MORENO: 'I eat beyond what is normal then I try to behave when I have too much.' (Photo by MB video team)

Time is what Isko has now, and he’s done many things with that for himself and his family, starting as soon as he lost the elections last May.

“Typical me, I always accept failure and move on as fast as I can,” he said.

SCOTT MEDIA

After talking to his children about going into business, he moved away from politics. In June and July, the business plan was made. They looked for a place in August. By January, construction started on the studios and workspaces of Scott Media in BGC, Taguig. He made his debut as a vlogger, recording the first episode of his online show “Iskovery Night” at Scott Media’s studio in late January.

“I move fast,” he said.

Indeed, “Yorme,” a nickname when he was Manila mayor, has moved fast. He now has three programs on his youtube channel – Iskovery Nights, Unplug World, and Marites University – all rating well.

FORMER MANILA MAYOR ISKO: 'Lahat na pangarap ko sa tao, nagawa ko. Lahat na gusto ko sa mahirap, lahat na gusto ko narandaman ng middle class and upper middle class… na may gobyerno na puede nila masandalan especially in challenging times, pinilit ko gampanin at gawin.(I was able to accomplish all my dreams for the people.  All my aspirations for the poor are now felt by the middle class and upper middle class…I strived to fulfill these to let them feel there’s a government that they can depend on, especially in challenging times).' (Photo by MB video team)

Iskovery Nights is a light conversation of friends led by Isko whose concept is: “We want you to smile before you sleep.”

Unplug World gives a stage to live bands; and Marites University is interesting friendly ‘chismis’ or gossip. (“Marites” is a recent slang for gossip.)

Scott Media is what now occupies the mind of the 27th mayor of Manila. The heart of Isko, the politician, though, still peeks under this business enterprise.  “Showbiz was good to me, it gave me many opportunities. This is a creative space which allows us to pay forward,” he said in Filipino, a language he has mastered in many forms, including in street slang.

For a start, he is paying forward by giving jobs– about 30 people work on each podcast. “Those cameras can function without a person behind it, but it is much better if there is one with a creative eye to stand there.”

DO YOU MISS BEING MANILA MAYOR?

The conversation naturally shifted to politics. Do you miss being mayor of Manila, we ask.

Isko captivates us with a long answer which enumerated what he had wanted to – and did – for Manila.  For the same education and health care to be available to all segments of society especially to the poor and the middle class.

We need to take care of the mahirap (the poor) but we should not forget the middle class.  When they get sick, they have to spend their savings.  They should know that there is a government to support them, he said.

He sounded like a proud father when he talked about the government hospitals in Manila now  well-equipped with diagnostic machines that are also in the best private hospitals. And the service is free.

Yorme, who used to make random checks at the LGU facilities, related his surprise when he saw many private vehicles, some of them SUVs, parked outside a government hospital.  The guard said they were owned by people who were having tests done there.

Yorme gave us a brighter smile, and talked about the other services he left behind as Manila mayor, one of them shelter through the government housing projects. “I wanted to give back dignity to every Filipino family; to give one shelter gives dignity.”

FORMER MAYOR ISKO: 'Malaki ang utang ko sa kanila (I owe them a lot). Twenty-four out of my 48 years I dedicated to public service. You cannot have both worlds, sadly my family paid the price; me not being there always.' (Photo by MB video team)

“Lahat na pangarap ko sa tao, nagawa ko. Lahat na gusto ko sa mahirap, lahat na gusto ko narandaman ng middle class and upper middle class… na may gobyerno na puede nila masandalan especially in challenging times, pinilit ko gampanin at gawin (I was able to accomplish all my dreams for the people.  All my aspirations for the poor are now felt by the middle class and upper middle class…I strived to fulfill these to let them feel there’s a government that they can depend on, especially in challenging times),” he said.

He paused, and we felt the connection to a past he had done well.  “Kaya halos wala akong may na miss (That’s the reason I don’t miss anything),” Isko said, taking us back to the studio conversation, away from the time he met with at least 500 people a day, and those were only the ones in his office. “I would talk to more while I’m walking around Manila.”

Early last month, he donned a t-shirt, pulled a baseball cap to cover his eyes, and went to check on what must be one of his flagship projects then, the new Ospital ng Maynila. Incognito, he stood at the corridor to observe the emergency room.

“It’s probably the biggest ER in the country, well-designed, a fully embedded system, and fully airconditioned,” he said in Filipino.

“I just stood at the hallway and watched, had goosebumps, felt happy.”

“I saw the patients naka-kumot, looking relaxed. I’ve seen the worst of public hospitals, mga patients looking aburido. (I saw the patients with blankets, looking relaxed.  I’ve seen the worst of public hospitals, patients looking bewildered.” But that evening, I saw the patients comfortable.”

He looked toward the pediatrics corner and he saw the same scene – children looking relaxed.  Then he moved to check on the air-conditioned waiting area which was designed to make companions of the patients comfortable.

“Masarap sa kanila (It is good for people) to feel that they have a government who supports them,” he said of how he observed the scene that evening. Of course, the staff later recognized Yorme.

“The goal was to have the best. That’s the goal, when we built it (Ospital Ng Maynila). When you see it, you will know it is the best.”

The 10-story hospital offers rooms with a view – the Manila Zoo view or the Roxas Boulevard view.

“When it was designed- ang pangarap ko sa tao, kahit sa huling sandali nakatikim sya ng tunay na kalinga ng gobyerno (my dream was for the people to feel the government’s concern),” he said.

LIKE A 90-DAY MARATHON

We moved from the “late past” to the recent past, the months when he ran for president of the country.

“Like a 90-day marathon where you don’t stop until you reach the finish line,” he said of that period of his life when he slept only for two to three hours a night.

He did not look like he missed that, and said that election campaign gave him a chance to listen to people’s stories.  He said the most significant – and the saddest stories -- were about food security.

“Parang walang opportunity for growth ang farmers (Farmers seem to have no opportunity for growth).  If we continue to neglect our food makers and producers, I think in a matter of time nobody will want to be farmer. Farmers tell their kids of the farmers’ problems, and the kids leave.”

HEALTH ROUTINE

So, with all the problems he’s seen, does he want to live to a hundred?  He replies with a quick “No!” only up to 75 years old because his body is “gastado” (My body is spent).

“I was working since 10, scavenging garbage cans outside Jollibee to eat chicken leftovers,” Isko related the story that has endeared him to the poor.

*FORMER MAYOR ISKO ON SCOTT MEDIA: After talking to his children about going into business, he moved away from politics. In June and July, the business plan was made. They looked for a place in August. By January, construction started on the studios and workspaces of Scott Media in BGC, Taguig. He made his debut as a vlogger, recording the first episode of his online show “Iskovery Night” at Scott Media’s studio in late January. He now has three programs on his youtube channel – Iskovery Nights, Unplug World, and Marites University – all rating well. (Photo by MB video team)

Then from 23 to 47, I was in politics, “walang tulogan (no time for sleeping),” he said.

His health routine does not sound extraordinary. He said he enjoys food – bulalo and lechon kawali.  “I eat beyond what is normal then I try to behave when I have too much.” He works out with light weights “for muscle memory,” and that memory must be so embedded in his body that shows no sign of a happy tummy. He walks a lot, and now has time to sleep.

What else does he have time for?  He has time for meetings.  He seemed delighted that he is now being invited to meet people who are asking his advice. “I’m a high school graduate and I’m being asked for advice.  And there’s free lunch and sometimes take-out,” his delight is contagious.

‘GOD FIRST!’

Through all that when he was the mayor of the capital city of the Philippines, when he aspired for the number one position in government, when he went home to just be with his family, Isko left us with two thoughts.

First: “Don’t expect anything to come to you.  Continue to pursue your dream. After failure, move on.”

He said he never gets tired of sharing this advice: “Don’t expect different results to come to you tomorrow if what you did today is the same as what you did yesterday.”

Isko makes an example of his life.  “I was a scavenger, then a sidecar boy, got discovered for showbiz… The key is to try to excel in the field of your undertaking.”

But always remember, he said to end our afternoon conversation: “God first.”