11 things we learned about Dante Gulapa after watching his 'Magpakailanman' interview

Watching Dante Gulapa doing the Flying Eagle dance move may have given social media users and Filipinos entertainment, but that's actually just one chapter of the former macho dancer's very colorful life.

"Magpakailanman" on Saturday not only showcased Dante's life — quite excitingly too, thanks to Jak Roberto's fantastic performance — the show also featured a very insightful interview with Dante, conducted by no less than GMA News anchor and host Mel Tiangco.

For those who can't seem to keep up with all the Dante Gulapa content the Internet has bestowed on us, allow us to summarize the interview below.

1. Dante was a lola's boy. His parents abandoned him when he was three, with Dante saying the only memory he his of his mother was his last meal with her before she left to work abroad. 

"Huling nakita, 'yon pa 'yong huling huli, natandaan ko parang nagkainan, nag-celebrate na ganon, tapos biglang sakay sa taxi sabay  halik ng mother ko sa 'kin, mag-ingat ka," he recalls. 

He was raised by his Lola Delia which led him to have a close relationship with her, he said her lola would always remind her to study hard and be God-fearing.

2. He took Grade 6 five times. Despite his lola's reminders to study hard, Dante admitted that he was a naughty kid, packing civilian clothes in his school bag so he can change as soon as he's out of the house.

"Kunware lang po papasok ako pero magpapalit ako ng damit," Dante said, adding that sometimes, he would stay at their neighbors' place or sleep on their own roof all day.

"'Pag tirik na 'yong araw doon ko po mararamdaman na malapit na 'yong uwian kapag nasinagan na ako ng araw."

3. Dante was devastated when his lola died when he was 12. Losing his lola affected him in ways unimaginable, leading him to become something of a rebel at 14 years old.

"Simula po nung namatay po 'yong lola ko 'yon na...natuto na po akong ma-barkada, tumamabay, manigarilyo, uminom ng alak, tapos mag-marijuana."

4. But he never thought of committing crimes. He shared that time his friends, high on solvent, forced him to commit robbery. But he wouldn't hear of it, even picking a fight to say no to them.

5. He was 16 when he started working in a gay bar. It was also when he first saw and learned the eagle dance. According to Dante, he had a girlfriend and was pretty hooked on drugs, when he met his friend Bong, who introduced him to the world of macho dancers and gay bars.

"Nagsasayawan po na mga lalake na naka-brief, naka-cycling [shorts]. Natulala po ako nun. Doon ko po nakita talaga 'yong sinasabi nga po nila na tinawag sa kin na flying eagle na moves. Doon ko po nakuha sa macho dancer na flying eagle nga pong tinatawag, sobrang hangang hanga ako nun," he narrated.

6. Dante first started as a GRO in a gay bar. He didn't become a macho dancer right away. He only took on the role of a GRO. Dante would sometimes go home penniless, only getting commissions and tips when he had customers.

7. As a beginner, Dante almost picked a fight when a customer touched him. Shocked when a customer touched him, Dante said he got angry and almost picked a fight with his gay client.

"'Di ko in-e-expect na hihipuan ako kaya nagalit ako. Sabi ko para kang nakakalalake ah. Inaway ko, muntik ko na nga pong mabugbog," he narrated.

8. Dante was crying and dancing when he earned his first P500 as a macho dancer. Dante said he and the rest of the GROs were asked to dance as a group, but a guest requested him to dance alone. When he was instructed to take off his top, he refused and ran backstage. Egged by veteran macho dancers to go back on stage, Dante forcefully danced alone while crying.

9. Dante's wife Emilyn worked next door from his bar in Timog. Dante used to work in a bar in Timog called Hunks. Beside it is another bar called Hot Babes, which is where Emilyn who used to work as a floor manager.

10. He and Emilyn had a rocky relationship. Emilyn already had two children when he got her pregnant. She ran off to Bicol without expecting child support from Dante. She wanted to put their child up for adoption but the two reconnected thanks to the supposed adoptive parent who owned the gay bar where Dante worked. It was a rocky relationship until he retired from working as a macho dancer in bars.

11. It was Dante who recorded the video of himself dancing at home. He wanted to keep it as a "remembrance," he said, adding he really only wanted to show the video to their future grandchildren. He had no intentions for it to go viral.

"Gusto ko lang remembrance siyempre pag matanda na ako gusto ko man lang kahit na uugod ugod ako  para may mapakita lang ako sa apo ako, 'eto si lolo mo oh'," Dante said. — LA, GMA News