Instagram/@yestoicare
MANILA – Bimby Aquino is taking another step into his adult career as an ambassador for health maintenance organization iCare, which describes the partnership as his first brand endorsement since reaching adulthood.
The company announced the 19-year-old as an ambassador for its Individual and Family Plans on Sept. 22, adding a commercial partnership to a year in which Aquino has returned to television and taken on more public-facing work.
The campaign draws on his family’s experience with the health problems of his mother, television host Kris Aquino, who has publicly discussed undergoing treatment for multiple autoimmune conditions.
In campaign material released by iCare, Bimby said his family had been fortunate to afford medical treatment and argued that access to health care should not depend on financial means.
“Health should not be a privilege, nor should it be a struggle. It should be a given,” he said.
iCare said Bimby obtained HMO coverage for himself and his older brother and also extended health coverage to members of their household who had helped care for the family over the years.
Kris Aquino publicly welcomed the campaign, saying she was a “very proud mama” and praising her son for speaking from the heart.
The endorsement is not Bimby’s first experience with advertising. Philippine entertainment reports from his childhood document his appearances in commercials and endorsement projects, including campaigns involving his mother and brother. The distinction in the iCare announcement is that the partnership is being presented as his first brand endorsement as an adult.
Bimby grew up in the public eye and appeared in films as a child, including the 2013 comedy My Little Bossings, with Vic Sotto and Ryzza Mae Dizon.
He returned to Eat Bulaga! in June, first appearing during Dizon’s birthday celebration before serving as a guest co-host on the noontime program. Kris Aquino later made a surprise appearance on the show while her son was co-hosting.
Bimby is currently listed among the artists represented by Cornerstone Entertainment, marking a more formal return to entertainment work as he builds an adult career separate from the projects he undertook as a child.
