WHO he really IS....

DANIEL JOHN FORD PADILLA, popularly known as "Daniel Padilla" born April 26, 1995 at Waterous General Hospital in San Juan, eldest of the four children of Carla Ford known to us as the singer-actress – Karla Estrada and fifth (5^th) child of actor Rommel Padilla.

Baby Daniel with proud Mom Karla (c)

According to his mom (for a magazine cover) she got Daniel’s name from a bible that she found in her hospital room when she gave birth to Daniel. She decided to name him “Daniel John” – after Daniel, who was left unharmed after being thrown into the lion’s den because of his faith, and John, Jesus’ favorite apostle. She explained in the said interview (for YES! Magazine August 2013 Issue) why she chose the English versions of Danilo and Juan – she said “Binigay ko sa Ford, para American sounding. Magiging Ford kasi siya e.” No wonder she is fond of calling Daniel as “Danilo” in some of their TV appearances and interviews. Daniel John, named after God’s favorite ones, was truly touched by the divine.

The young Daniel grows in the arms of his loving mom, and it was only until he was three (3) years old was he introduced to his biological father, Rommel. According to an interview for a magazine cover, it was his uncle (his father’s younger brother) actor Robin Padilla who fetched him and his mom from their home and bring them to Muntinlupa where his father was detained (for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition).

Father Figure:

The fact that DJ (his nickname) grew without the total guidance from his biological father, he still have the father figure that every young man would want to. After giving birth to Daniel, his mom Karla went back to work and there he met Naldy Padilla, band vocalist of Orient Pearl and little did Karla know, he is a cousin (second degree) of Daniel’s father. They fell in love with each other and yet she bore another son whom she named Jose Carlito, known to us as JC Padilla. From then on Naldy stood as a father to DJ and he called him “Daddy”.

CHILDHOOD…

Photos speak for itself….

DJ had a share of childhood moments and pranks done during his days as a child when there is nothing to worry about but GOING TO SCHOOL…

Isn't he so ADORABLE?

He really do know how to strike a POSE even as a child

EFFORTLESSLY CHARMING

Who would not love this young man?

Big Brother HE is!

Typical makulit young man

Mama’s BOY…

For almost a year, and even before he had a younger brother, it was just him and his mother. Daniel shared room with his mom for quite some time, he only had his own room until he was a teenager but Daniel got to say… “May sarili akong kama, makasama lang kami sa room.”

Since they don’t have their own house during that time Daniel and his mom move into places a couple of time, but this didn’t bother him at all. He made friends easily and adopted to his mom’s lifestyle (where she didn’t allow herself to get too attached to places, people or things). Because they moved a lot during those times Daniel jokingly called his mom “Karla the Explorer” (named after the kiddie show Dora the Explorer).

Daniel together with his mom stayed at “Happy Homes” a townhouse complex at Tandang Sora and he fondly recalled that he had some of his happiest childhood memory there. “Parang lahat nagawa ko nun bata ako. Hindi naman po akok yung parang batanghindi nakakalabas,, talagang lagi lang poakong nasa labas ng bahay. Pauwi-uwi din po ako.

Back then Daniel would wake up in the morning and go on biking or play basketball with his circle of friend, stopping only when it’s time to grab some quick lunch and had more energy for play after that they would be back on the streets. As a kid Daniel have the freedom to do stuffs that he want and there is this one thing that he loved to do and his mom couldn’t abide, “Hindi po ako nagsusuot ng tsinelas kapag lumalabas ako,” he added “Nagtatakbuhan kami ng mga kaibigan ko sa kalsada pero naka-paa lang ako, ganyan. Ayoko po magsuot ng tsinelas noon kasi mas mabilis po ako tumakbo kapag naka-paa ako. Tapos nagagalit si mama kasi pag-uwi ko ang dugyot-dugyot ko na kahit ilan bese niya ako pagsabihan.”

He is also fond of playing patintero and taguan.  He was especially good at the latter because he found the best hiding places in Happy Homes which is a water tower about six stories high. He was five or six years old when he first scaled it during one of their game. He never told his friends about his hiding spot same goes with his mother – he knows that when she knew that he is doing things as dangerous as that she would have hit the roof if she caught him. “Pero ngayon malalaman na niya,” he says dissolving into a boyish giggles in one of his interview (for the cover story of StarStudio Magazine August 2012 Issue).

When the time comes that he and his mom need to move again to another place, at first the young Daniel got a little sad for he had some of the happiest memory in Happy Homes and that he will left his friends behind. But soon enough Daniel adopted to their new place at Tierra Pura where he met yet another friend named Aldrin, and there he played games “hotter” than the ones he played before, literally hotter  - “Pinaka-trip naming noon mag-sunog, sa harap ng bahay naming, merong lote na malaki, walang bahay kung ano-ano kinukuha naming tapos sinusunog naming. Dadalhin naming doon sa lote tapos bibili kami ng posporo sa ntindahan.” HOT isn’t it?

Portion of the cover story of StarStudio Magazine August 2012 Issue

Credits to the Magazines for their cover story :)

(Starstudio Mag August 2012 Issue & YES! Mag August 2013 Issue)