MIKE CARANDANG

EMMY-AWARDWINNING PRODUCER

MIKE CARANDANG BREAKS INTO PERFECT TAGALOG. No twang, not even the slightest hint of an elongated “a.”

“I was born here. I grew up here. I left when I was 13 and I moved not to a Los Angeles

na maraming Pilipino but to

Indiana, kung saan kami-kami

lang magkakapamilya,” shares Mike. There, this Emmy awardwinning producer for the “Tyra Banks Show” started working in a farm for $2 a day. “

Upon graduation from college, Mike was lucky enough to land a job in television. He began as a producer of the controversial but highly-rated Jerry Springer Show and then went on to the

Tyra Banks Show and America’s Next Top Model.

It’s comforting to know that like his Tagalog, Mike’s values have remained intact. A true pusong pinoy [heart of a Filipino], Mike has represented the Philippines by publicly using Filipino brands in America’s

Next Top Model—among them Michael Cinco’s couture against the majestic backdrop of a landfill, Bench underwear and most recently, Francis Libiran’s Hello Kitty creations.

His story might be easily dubbed as the American dream but it is, more importantly, the product of a rather simple ethos. Mike shares, “From working for Jerry Springer then Tyra, every job that I do, I’ve never done it for money. I’ve never done it for stature. I’ve done it because I love the show or there’s something that I need to learn.”

“People who are entitled, they’re not open to learning. They think, ‘I’ve already experienced everything.’ I always think that there’s always someone better than me, there’s always someone smarter than me,” Carandang sagely proclaims.

Many migrant stories involve eventual success but Mike’s is unique because of his emphasis on coming home. He is currently in Manila to fulfill a goal, “I want to learn from the Filipinos here. All my ten years of producing in the US was to bring Filipinos to the mainstream. I just want to fulfill one dream of my life which is to come here and do a project here for my people.”—MY