Ernest Lorenzo “Enchong” Dee got into swimming rather reluctantly upon the prodding of his mom and dad. His older brother AJ had achieved success as a varsity swimmer and their parents were hoping Enchong would follow suit.
Eventually, Enchong became a varsity swimmer himself, representing his high school alma mater Hope Christian School of Naga City, Bicol. This gave him a chance to travel frequently to NCR to compete. Most of the meets were held at the pool of the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, site of historic tourneys and major interschool swimming events.
Three years after the launching of the "Fitness.Fashion" with Samsung project of Philippine Daily Inquirer Lifestyle, it contested the guy in this event. He was in the bench/ fever denim and underwear fashion show and is featured as one of the Top 10 Cosmo Centerfolds. He is also the younger brother of AJ Dee.
In an interview with ABS-CBN Sports + Action’s “University Town,” Enchong related that these moments motivated him to pursue college in Manila. He said, “Sa harapan ng Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, nakikita ko ‘yung building ng La Salle. (Sabi ko,) ‘Oh my God, ngayon lang ako nakakita ng classroom na may aircon. Pagtanda ko, gusto ko dito mag-aral kasi mainit ang classroom sa probinsiya.’ That was my inspiration…. Na-set na ‘yung mind ko. I really wanted to get to De La Salle University.’”
Enchong was dead set on going to DLSU that it was the only college that he applied to. “Good thing I passed. I went through the proper process to be part of DLSU.”
Enchong took up political science course and he was accepted to the DLSU Swimming Team.
He would later become one of DLSU’s greatest athletes in the UAAP. In Season 70, he was awarded Rookie of the Year and MVP. In Season 71, he cinched his second MVP title.
Season 72 turned out to be stellar for Enchong and the DLSU Tankers. Enchong helped steer the team to a championship, ending La Salle’s six-year drought in UAAP men’s swimming. Enchong won the 800-meter freestyle, 200-meter individual medley, 100-meter butterfly, 50-meter butterfly, 400-meter individual medley, 1,500-meter freestyle and 200-meter butterfly— a remarkable total harvest of seven gold medals in one season. His feats in Season 72 accounted for 63 points of the DLSU Tankers’ 240 points for that year.
Incidentally, during Season 72 (the year 2009), Enchong was already a contract artist of ABS-CBN and Star Magic. So not only was he a student-athlete but a full-time actor as well. And yet, he managed to study, compete and work. “Pantay-pantay ‘yung pag-aaral, pagsi-swimming and ang pag-aartista n’ung time na ‘yon,” Enchong told “University Town.”
“Originally, I wasn’t part of soaps, then I was cast into it. ‘Katorse’ would be the soap that everyone would remember me by,” Dee said. “That was my biggest break. After that, everything fell into place.”
Dee would go on to make other TV series such as “Tanging Yaman,” “Magkaribal,” “Maria La Del Barrio,” “Ina, Kapatid, Anak,” “Muling Buksan ang Puso,” and “A Love to Last,” and star in movies like “Paano Ko Sasabihin,” “Sa’yo Lamang,” “I Do,” “The Reunion,” “The Strangers,” “Four Sisters and a Wedding,” “Tuhog,” “Call Center Girl,” “Once A Princess,” “Love You to Death,” “Mano Po 7: Chinoy” and “Nay.”
In his entire UAAP career, Enchong gave La Salle 21 golds in 21 events. More important, he set records in the 50-meter, 100-meter and 200-meter butterfly events and 400-meter individual medley event in the UAAP.
Enchong’s prowess earned for him slots in the men’s national swimming team. He was among the players who represented the Philippines in the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, Qatar, and the 2007 Southeast Asian Games in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand.
For Enchong, the greatest thing about being an athlete is not exactly winning but the camaraderie that is made through the hours, months and years of training and competing. “I just want to have fun. I want to inspire as many teammates as much as possible,” he said. “The medals, the trophies, (they weren’t) the achievement but the bond I was able to create with my teammates.”
The athlete-turned-actor has relied on this bond in his newest advocacy. More than a year ago, Enchong launched “Handog Palangoy” where he and contemporaries in swimming go around the Philippines to teach basic techniques and water safety to indigent children. The program has so far taken them to Dumaguete, Bulacan, Batangas, Manila, Navotas and Cainta, with future sessions scheduled in areas such as Malabon and Bacolod.
Enchong explained to ABS-CBN Sports + Action the mission behind “Handog Palangoy.” He said, “We want to teach kids water safety. (Para) kapag may baha sa Pilipinas, hindi sila magpapanic. Alam nila ang gagawin nila sa tubig.”
The matinee idol is not just a face of the said program. He is very involved. Enchong co-organizes the events, demonstrates the techniques, and swims alongside the participants.
Photo courtesy of Diego Lorenzo Jose (@diego_photos) and StarStudio Magazine (@starstudiomag)
Special thanks to Keren Pascual (@kpr313 @kptraveler) and Monch Novales (@monchnovales) of Star Magic (@starmagicphils)
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