Dad We Love: 7 Things We Love About Ian Veneracion

The new face of Bench's #BeDapper campaign has won our hearts--and it's not just because of his looks or his talent. Ian Veneracion, who plays Eduardo Buenavista in the second run of the hit TV soap "Pangako Sa 'Yo," is also a dad who has been very keen on keeping his family life private. However, we've uncovered some facts that makes him a perfect role model, not just as a dad, but as a person.

Here are seven things we love about Ian:

1. Like wine, he's gotten better with age!
The #BeDapper campaign is such a perfect fit for Ian. Did you know that he's 40 years old? Come on, take another look and try not to swoon.

2. But, he's not just a pretty face.
Ian has been acting since he was a young child. He starred opposite actor-TV host Joey de Leon in the sitcom "Joey & Son" some 33 years ago, and has also shared billing with movie greats like Vilma Santos. In this business, you can only last if you have genuine talent, so that says a lot about Ian. 

3. Acting is not his only talent.

Photo from Inquirer.net

Taking after his father, Ian is also a professional painter. Last year, he held his third solo exhibit with 55 paintings, the largest he has had on display. He says he treats his creations like journal entries, and that painting is parallel to his acting career in that both allow him to express what he feels.

4. He can cook!
Ian loves to eat, which is why he learned how to cook. He does watch his food intake, however, and he believes that the best way to do that is to cook his own food. He also makes it a point to live a healthy lifestyle.

5. He loves sports.

Photo from Instagram/jaimemanansala

What dad bod? Ian has been keeping fit by running two miles a day, and he likes boxing as a cardio exercise. Ian is also into paragliding, motocross, basketball, tennis, football, scuba diving, and skydiving, sailing, mountain climbing. A man of sports and adventure — that, he is!

6. He values education.
In the hit TV soap remake of "Pangako Sa'Yo," he always tells co-star Daniel Padilla, who plays his son in the show and whom he treats like his eldest son, to study and develop his interests. He believes that education is one of the most important things that you could acquire in life. Right you are, Mister.

7. He puts his family first.

Photo from monique-ignacio.blogspot.com

Ian is very much a family man. He is husband to Pam, and dad to Draco, 17, Deirdre, 15, and Buccio, 8. “Parenthood has brought me and my wife immense, indescribable happiness and fulfillment. The times we spend with our kids are priceless. We love to eat, we also enjoy simple pleasures like biking and playing with our dogs. Our out-of-town trips and the activities we do together as a family, like fishing, swimming, paragliding, visiting museums, have all been memorable,” he said in an interview with Business Mirror.