Feb 2, 2014

Richard Yap Aka Sir Chief Has No Time For Temptation, Remains Faithful To Wife Melody

Richard Yap with Wife Melody

RICHARD YAP aka Sir Chief is one of the most popular Filipino-Chinese celebs in showbiz today, along with Xian Lim, Enchong Dee and Chris Tiu. He’s definitely a late bloomer. Born in 1967, he became popular only in 2011 as Papa Chen, the dad of Kim Chiu in “Binondo Girl”, for which he won a best breakthrough performance award. He later reinforces this as Sir Chief in the long-running morning soap “Be Careful with My Heart”, for which he won a best drama actor award. At 46, he has become a true heartthrob. He now even has 21 product endorsements to his credit. He is wise enough to invest his earnings in case his acting career wanes. He owns a Chow King branch in Makati and the Wangfu Chinese Bistro on Morato Ave. where he held a special celebration for the Chinese New Year complete with dragon dance. He has a business with his family on home decor and fixtures in his native Cebu.

How does he resist temptation in showbiz? “Wala nang nangte-tempt sa’kin,” he says. “At hindi puede, faithful ako sa wife ko.”

We talked to his wife Melody and she confirms that Richard is a doting husband and father. “Kahit nasa taping yan, he texts me ng I love you. He always finds time for me and our children kahit busy siya lagi.”

They met when she was a PAL flight attendant assigned in Cebu in 1989. They got married in civil rites in 1993 and had a church wedding in San Agustin in Manila in 1995. Their two kids are Ashley, 17, and Dylan, 10. How did their life change when Richard hit it big in showbiz? “Our life changed tremendously, all for the better. Lots of opportunities came to us, businesswise. Our children are so proud when people, like their teachers, learn that they’re the kids of Sir Chief. Mas binibigyan sila ng pansin dahil dito.”

Was Richard disappointed when the film version of “Please Be Careful” was shelved? “We’re all more relieved. With the kind of taping schedule we had then, there’s no way maisisingit pa namin ang mag-shoot ng movie. We don’t want naman to come up with a movie that is half-baked. But I still would want try doing a movie preferably directed by Jeffrey Jeturian. Nag-guest na ko sa movie niya, ‘Ekstra’. As of now, extended indefinitely ang show but we’re now taping only three times a week, unlike before na halos araw-araw at hand to mouth kami. Now, marami na kaming nabankong episodes.”