Meet Kuya Kim: The Philippines’ Steve Irwin
As the son of the Manila mayor, a political future had once beckoned Filipino Kim Atienza – but he found his true calling educating TV viewers about iguanas, parrots and other fantastic beasts
Bert was not in a good mood. The eight-year-old Colombian green iguana didn’t like being woken from his afternoon nap. He had his dignity and being dumped on a dining table was not appreciated. Not one bit.
Meanwhile, his owner – Kuya (“Big Brother”) Kim Atienza, the Philippines’ version of the late environmentalist and TV show host Steve Irwin, was chatting about his work, passions and the expansion of his brand – the Kuya Kim brand along with his safari hat – into the online market, including gaming and apps.
“I’m from a political family. My father was mayor of Manila and I guess I was being groomed to follow him. I spent 12 years in various local government roles, from barangay [village] chairman to local councillor. In 2004, I started appearing on television [ABS-CBN, the dominant local broadcaster] – it was a segment on animals, something I’ve always loved. At the time, I thought the exposure would be good for my politics.
“Instead, Maria Ressa [an ex-CNN journalist who now heads the online news website Rappler.com] who was the boss took me aside. Basically, she said that she knew what I was up to and that while she liked what I was doing, I was going to have to choose between politics and entertainment. It wasn’t a tough choice and I started working in television soon after,” he said.
In the Philippines, the trajectory is generally from news and entertainment to politics and power: witness the rise of figures such as former president Joseph “Erap” Estrada as well as senators Loren Legarda and Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. In the case of Atienza, 50, the path was reversed and he’s all the happier for it.