The Best Of Chico & Delamar’s The Morning Rush Top 10 Book Launch!

(Photographs without my watermark are not mine. I grabbed them from Cherrythegreat, Asnallar, Jedi Mstr, Kitrich and some other people. Thanks!)

We were shocked that even on the day of the book launch, so many of the Rushers still went and joined us on our last Saturday of the month boardwork. We barely did anything on air because we were pretty much a nervous wreck that day.

Delle hardly slept the night before, and I felt numb all over. We weren’t nervous that we wouldn’t get the support from the Rushers, who we knew for a fact would be there full force, but anything this big really gets us all stressed out.

There were actually 2 book launches that day, the first one was a much smaller one, with only invited guests and some members of the media. It was mostly family members, friends, people from RX, and some press folks. We did pretty much the same things, some speeches, a reading of some entries in the book, and a mini-book signing.

We also finally met the illustrator of the book, who did a great job, Ben Deluyas!

It was a quiet affairs upstairs during the first launch, and hardly did we know that people were already piling up 4 floors down in the activity area. We started getting nervous when people started telling us: “Ang dami nang tao sa baba!”

So we decided to eat a quick lunch, fix up a bit, take a bathroom break, and prepared to go downstairs to the Robinson’s Galleria Activity Area.

I found it amusing that we had an entourage of summit employees and a slew of bodyguards! Honestly, I thought it wasn’t really necessary because why would we need security? We NEVER get mobbed in malls, so it’s safe to assume that we didn’t need such a dramatic entry. I didn’t want people to think we were “feeling celebrity”. And then we got to the staircase, and we saw…the CROWD.

Drama aside, I literally couldn’t believe the size of the crowd. The photo above doesn’t even begin to show how large the crowd was. As we went down the stairs, you could actually hear the growing murmur of the crowd as some of them started seeing us going down the stairs.

We joined RX jocks Gino, Cerah, and Alven backstage and we were a nervous wreck! We were so tense and nervous! And when Cerah finally announced us, I swear, I had goosebumps, for the crowd just SCREAMED! Later, my mom told me, since they were on the 4th floor watching from above: “Nagulat talaga ako, na may mga tumitili pala para sa inyo!” She said she had goosebumps and was tearing up because of the crowd’s reaction.

We said a few words, gave our thanks to the long list of people who helped get us there on stage at that moment, did my Call Center Guy and Jackie Tiyanak, and introduced our later kikay barkada on the Morning Rush, Gino Quillamor.

After he left the stage, he was mobbed by people who wanted photos and signatures. He literally had to be whisked away by bodyguards and escorted all the way to his car. (cue: “And I…will always love youuuuuuuuuu…….)

We were also joined by RX jocks Rico Robles, Karen Bordador, Jude Rocha, Louie D, Andre and other RX staff attending full force!

We started signing at around 2pm, but unfortunately we had to have the cut-off at only 450 people. There were so many people who wanted to have signatures and photos, but had we not set the limit at 450, we would have been there until closing time. Even at 450 people, we ended up finishing at almost 7pm! It was supposed to be 1-4pm, but we stayed on until 7pm just to finish the 450 people.

What really touched us was the fact that so many people stayed on for 5 hours or more, just to get a signature or a photograph. The very idea that people would go through that for us unbelievable. We heard so many people telling us that they NEVER lined up for any celebrity before, and there they were, lining ups for 5 hours. It was a mixture of flattered and nahihiya and grateful and proud. I actually don’t have words to describe how that feels like.

By the time we ended, we also felt bad for all the people who went all the way to Robinson’s Galleria just to get their book signed but missing the cut-off. Unfortunately, that’s how it works. On the bright side though, we do have other signings to go.

The summit people told us that NBS Galleria had run out of books and had to ask their Megamall and Podium branches to bring over their stocks to replenish the launch. On that afternoon alone, they sold 1,023 copies!

So after that mind-blowing, life-changing experience, some thanks are in order. Of course Summit for spearheading the project and National Bookstore and Robinson’s Galleria for hosting the event. Our RX family who came full force: our president Chito Barreiro, Divine Dolina, Ea Medel, Cel del Valle, Louie D, Jude Rocha, Rico Robles, Karen Bordador, Alven and Andre. Of course our two awesome hosts: Gino Quillamor and Cerah Hernandez! Our biological families who also showed their full support. Our friends, especially Sumi and Baby Whale for tirelessly waiting for and on us (hihihi <3).

But of course our BIGGEST thanks to the tireless RUSHERS who are vicious in their support, in whatever we do. We almost feel guilty receiving all the unrelenting love and support from these guys. They were there first, they left last. They even made shirts just for the book launch. They gave us a photo mosaic of the book. Many of them didn’t go there to have anything signed, they deferred to the first timers who went. They were just there to support the event, in case we needed any help, to supply energy, to sign the books (many are celebs themselves), and just to share this special moment with us. So for all that, THANK YOU.

Next stop: February 4, 2012, at NBS Trinoma, 12nn-3pm! See you there!

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