"Miss Pin Antonio, Up Close And Personal"

Ms Pin Antonio-Mangundayao , Pin Antonio to the entertainment industry where she is known as the “the hairdresser of the stars”. Ms Pin is known for her very modern and chic hairdos. She is also the owner and creative director of Salon de Manila (SDM) chain of salons. She is successful and is well known in her industry . What is her formula for success? What keeps her on top of her game? These and other questions were answered  in the brief interview I had with her last Monday, October 11,2010 at their beautiful home in Corinthian Hills.

1. What was your course in your college? "Fine Arts Major in Interior Design in UST pero siyempre medyo hindi good yung ang status sa family so hindi  namin na continue so 3rd year college lang ako."

2. Who influenced you to get into hairdressing?

"Kasi yung sister ko si Ruby Tubig, started one very small salon and parang everytime na pupunta ako, uuwi. I can see them doing hair, I can see them working. Parang nakikita ko na I can do it myself. Parang I feel that I can do it too. So I believe yung sister ko, si Ruby influenced me the most. It was easy for me to learn the craft. I also went through much training and joined many contests."

3. Did you see yourself being the artistic director of your own chain of salons? How many salons do you now have in Metro Manila?

"The time that we started,1983, hindi ko inisip that we would be this big kasi siyempre that time two chairs lang yung salon, or three chairs. Parang that time, hobby lang since I was still studying in UST. Parang enjoy enjoy lang. But maybe because as we do it excellently success will come in after doing it with love, integrity, discipline.

When my sister, Ruby died in 1995, I almost gave up my career in hairdressing and was  planning on migrating to the US, but I was offered to handle the creative aspect of the salon. I accepted the offer because of my love and gratitude to my sister.

Yun na yun. Andun na. Hindi ko inisip na magiging 6 salons kami, hindi ko inisip na ganito kami ngayon, hindi ko inisip na I would lead Salon de Manila and someday na magkaroon pa ng other chain of salon  which is the Antonio Hairdressing. Hindi mo naman mapipigil yun eh. As you do your work excellently, success will follow."

4. Do you see any of your children succeeding you?

"Ngayon si Adlai yung panganay ko, I know he's following my footsteps and I believe that he will be greater than I am kasi young blood, enjoying his craft. May dugo talaga  in his heart na he loves his craft. Kaya siya, siya yung naniniwala ako na susunod. And si Andrai naman siguro someday, kasi sabi niya nakikita rin niya yung sarili niya creating shapes eh. Kasi artist din eh. So hilig mag create ng bagay bagay hindi lang naman kasi sa paggugupit ng buhok ang trabahong ito eh. Yung you know how to create shapes, you know which one suites the person. Ganun. Kasi yung iba, basta gupit, natuto lang humawak ng gunting, gupit ng buhok, umiksi, hindi eh. I believe it's creating shapes eh.

Adlai is already a master of precision cutting and creative coloring and is now owner of Antonio’s Hairdressing in Timog. He represented Salon de Manila in 2009 and was named one of the best hairstylists in Asia."

5. Do you attend training, workshops and seminar to improve your craft?

"Oo. That's really really important. I keep on attending various trainings in London and the US with Vidal Sassoon and Toni and Guy to get the latest hairstyles Every year, I go out of the country to update, to see myself motivated and pagbalik, pag uwi, I have new shapes, new colors, new shades, new technology and yun inaapply ko dito sa atin. Important yun kasi number 1, fashion moves fast eh. Sobrang bilis. So pag hindi ko ginawa yun, magiging outdated tayo. So important na nauupdate,  na eenjoy ko. Kasi parang nastagnant, parang nakakapagod pag ganun. Kasi parang kinakalawang na yung knowledge mo. Important yun continous education, learning and then  I know yan ang isa sa susi kung bakit hanggang ngayon, buhay na buhay ako mag gupit."

6. Being known as the hairdresser to the stars and so used to handling famous personalities, how did you feel when the Presidentiable Noynoy Aquino asked you to do his hair?

"At first I know for the fact that he doesn't need me because we all know naman na he has very thin hair and walang masyadong istastyle but it was still an assignment and so I also wanted to fulfill that duty. It was also honoring for me because he is a very respectable man who's on his way to leading this country. Habang ginugupitan ko siya I was laying my hands on him, pinagpra-pray ko siya. I do not cut his hair now, I know it was a divine assignment for me, sa dami ng pwedeng mag cut sa kanya ako ang napili."

7. Can you please share your formula to success?

"It's important to have self discipline and loving what you do and doing what you love.It is hard work and  taking care of the gifting God gave me. I always pray to Him to guide me in my every decision. I do not believe in healthy competition, I just focus on my work. No matter how healthy the competition is, you sometimes find yourself focused on the other person’s work instead of your own. Kaya ako nag concentrate lang sa work ko, how to make it better to perfect my craft. I am friends with everybody in the industry. I respect their work."

8. Can you please give any advice or tips on how to be successful and maintain it?

"You just have to be focused on your goals, and put God at the center of any endeavor that you choose. If remain focused and in tune with God all will fall into place."

9. What award or recognition do you value the most?

"When I won in the Singapore hair show competition going against 16 other Asian countries. During that time people are belittling the Philippines so masarap yung feeling that I gave honor to the country. During that time I felt discriminated just because they looked at me differently due to the fact that at the same year the Abu Sayaff  beheading two Americans was still a fresh issue. I did not have a chair in the main hall, kaya naging resourceful ako, I used the lounge in the bathroom of the hotel, Doon ko inayusan yung model ko.Before the competition, I prayed and I was lead to read

Psalm 27 :13-14

        ¹³ I am still confident of this:
      I will see the goodness of the LORD
       in the land of the living.

        ¹⁴   Wait for the LORD;
       be strong and take heart
       and wait for the LORD.

and it helped me through. Not only that I have won the competition but I won it with God's supervision. When they called my name, it was a victory but not only by what I did but also with God's goodness to have granted my victory. I am forever grateful for all the blessings favor and success  I have received from God. He truly is my Strength!"

Miss Pin Antonio is truly a person I love, respect and look up to. As she makes other people beautiful physically, she also makes them beautiful spiritually by sharing her faith. No ordinary person can do that, only a person who is truly beautiful inside and out can do this. She truly is one person who is not only beautiful on the outside but also on the inside as well. It is not surprising that she is where she is – at the top!!