Adoring the Philippines from Afar
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Marc Anthony Nicolas and his two Emmys for “The Talk” (Photo courtesy of DMHM Productions).
Young Marc (Photo courtesy of Marc Anthony Nicolas)
Marc and his parents (Photo courtesy of Marc Anthony Nicolas)
“I’m interviewing Fil-Ams who are trailblazers, such as esteemed chefs, actors, doctors, and lawyers, but there’s a twist,” Nicolas, a two-time Emmy winner, describes his unconventional format for talk shows.
“I match them with teenagers and 20-year-olds who long to join their professions. These trailblazers become teachers, and the young adults become mentees.”
Marc Anthony Nicolas and Vanessa Lachey (Photo courtesy of DMHM Productions).
Leaving Home for the Homeland
In Episode 1 of the 2026 season, Nicolas recalls, “We have Ahtisa Manalo, who was last year’s Miss Universe Philippines. Although she did not win the Miss Universe crown, we were proud because she made the Top Ten. And the reason I picked her as a trailblazer is because she had that tenacity. She is half-Filipino and half-White and lives in the Philippines. Not only is she a beauty queen, but she is also an entrepreneur.”
He emphasizes life lessons the show imparts to all participants: “Our mentee longed to be a beauty queen, so Ahtisa showed her, her signature walk and gave her the tools to overcome shyness for an attitude she can carry with her beyond the beauty pageants.” Nicolas can turn a wallflower into one of the most enchanting people in the Milky Way.
Following the 30-minute heart of the show, Make Your Marc shifts to LandMARC mode and takes viewers far outside of Los Angeles in an engaging travel segment. In each of eight episodes, cameras followed Nicolas to locations seldom included in tour packages to the Philippines.
LandMARC went to Tarsier Sanctuary in Bohol Province, Rizal Park, and Chocolate Hills. In the Bohol Province show, Nicolas learned that tarsiers are small primates that are vehemently nocturnal.
“They’re about the size and weight of a tennis ball.” He explains, “They are sleeping during the daytime and, at night, they’re awake. In the daytime, we had to be quiet and not disturb them because if we’re loud or there’s a lot of noise, they could pass away.” If tarsiers are our early ancestors, we know the source of our shyness.
The Loboc River proves that the palette of nature can be as colorful as the buildings along Amsterdam’s canals. “Your tour guide takes you on a two-hour boat ride with about a hundred people on the boat. The lush greenery and skies are magnificent.” Then he demonstrates how tastes can augment sights. “There’s a buffet on the floating attraction, so people are eating pancit and adobo as they take in the scenery.”
Make Your Marc has a youthful orientation coupled with life advice from successful adults. LandMARC rekindles urgency in the many Fil-Ams who squander the primes of the lives in the futile pursuit of their European roots. Aside from descendants of the “Manilamen” who settled near New Orleans in the 18th century, most Fil-Ams are chronologically close to the immigration wave that brought their families to U.S. shores. No matter how well they assimilate, they are often treated by fellow Americans as foreigners though their accents and opinions are as American as John Henry.
Nicolas reminds us that it’s time to see the places from which we inherited our physical features, food, faith, and old-fashioned family values. “You could be in your twenties, thirties, forties or older and still have this longing, because dreams have no deadline,” he insists.
No matter how long you have waited, it’s time to see the Philippines. And when you go, you will interact with people exhibiting personality traits like yours that used to make you self-conscious in the West.
Make Your Marc has a youthful orientation coupled with life advice from successful adults.
“When I went to Pasig, Bohol, and Cebu, everyone I talk to was so hospitable and helpful,” recalls Nicolas. “Once, I was lost in a Philippines city. I asked a bystander for directions to restaurant, and he welcomed me with open arms. He did more than tell me where to go. He escorted me to the restaurant.”
Time to Plant Roots
Neanderthals with their large brains invented the wheel, so they could pack up their belongings and hunt and gather anywhere they pleased. People who stayed behind had small brains with little imagination to do more than subsist on plants. Neanderthals took a wrong turn into extinction while homebodies flourished in agrarian societies. In the Third Millennium, techies are coding their way into irrelevance while landscapers get dirt between their nails as they uproot lawns and plant ancient seeds that can withstand climate change.
While data centers forego manpower for fission powerhouses, Make Your Marc and LandMARC tap into our innate bonds with a natural world that needs people to survive.
For nonsubscribers to GMA Pinoy TV, Nicolas is happy to announce that the latest will stream on YouTube in Fall 2026. A little patience could be life changing.
Anthony Maddela is a staff correspondent located in Los Angeles.
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