21/08/2026
I recently hosted Toy Kingdom Toy Expo 2026, and out of all the compliments and feedback I received that day, one comment stayed with me.
A 16-year-old girl looked at me and said:
“Kuya, ang angas mo!”
At first, I honestly didn’t know how to take it. I even wondered if she was teasing me. So I just smiled and said, “Hi, I hope you’re having a good time.”
Then she said it again:
“Angas mo, Kuya. Ang galing mo mag-host.”
And suddenly, it hit differently.
I’ve been hosting for years. I’ve received kind words from clients, dignitaries, executives, officers, and people from all walks of life. I’m always grateful for them. But hearing those words from someone so young—someone from a completely different generation—meant something special to me.
Maybe because, if I’m being truthful, there are moments when I look at the new generation of hosts and start questioning myself. They’re younger. More energetic. More creative. More updated. Sometimes I even catch myself thinking they’re more talented or more naturally built for this industry.
Then this young girl reminded me of something I sometimes forget:
Passion has no expiration date.
That day, I was hosting for more than a hundred families. It was challenging, exhausting, loud, and demanding—but I was having fun. I was connecting with people. I was doing what I have loved doing for so many years.
And somehow, she saw that.
I never got her name. I wasn’t able to take a photo with her because I was so engrossed in work. But wherever you are, please know that your few words meant so much to Kuya Al Tocino.
You probably thought you were simply complimenting a host.
But what you gave me that day was something much bigger: validation that the work, the passion, and all these years of showing up still matter.
So to anyone who has been doubting themselves because someone younger, newer, or seemingly better has entered the room:
Keep going.
There will always be someone younger. Someone more talented. Someone with something you don’t have.
But nobody else has your exact story, experience, heart, and way of connecting with people.
Keep doing what you love. Keep improving. Keep showing up.
Because sometimes, when you least expect it, someone will look at what you do and remind you why you started in the first place.
“Kuya, ang angas mo.”
I think I’ll remember those words for a very long time.
PS.The photo is AI-generated because I wasn’t able to take a picture with her. And honestly, it still doesn’t do justice to how adorable she looked.
