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Kris Gonzales (3 AB COM) is your always ka-Vogue, never sabog, ultra gwapito boy vibrato—and he is refreshingly, unapologetically himself.
Kris speaks in his warm, almost sing-song voice as the recording starts. A half-hour with him is enough to see why he’s been hosting as early as grade school. He’s a people person; made clear by the easy-going smile he flashes when the interview begins.
There’s definitely more than meets the eye to Kris, though. “I’m gay but I also identify as cisgender, so I seek to defy archetypes,” he expresses. He’s also a devout Catholic and even collects religious art. While these may seem conflicting, Kris is more than comfortable in his own skin and it shows in the way he carries himself.
Although this is the first year he’s taking on the role of an O-Host, the boy vibrato is no stranger to the limelight. In fact, while he is still a student on paper, he is first and foremost a classical-crossover singer and all-around entertainer.
“I first got into music at [age] five. I started performing professionally at seven,” he says. His impressive 15-year career is adorned with front act performances for internationally-acclaimed artists like Julio Iglesias, and accompaniments with Philippine institutions such as Manila Philharmonic and Symphony Orchestra.
With all these achievements under his belt, it comes as no surprise that during his own OrSem back in 2019, Kris had no hesitation to audition for O-Idol. Anyone who’s heard Kris sing could have predicted that he’d win the competition with his signature operatic voice. That moment set the tone for the rest of his stay in the Ateneo; he hasn’t stopped striving for greatness since.
Exuding school pride, he is hugely grateful to the Ateneo for the growth it has brought him these past three years. Though he initially chose the University for the admittedly “mababaw” (shallow) reason that his brothers did the same, it didn’t take long for him to find a home in the Ateneo.
Thanks to his charismatic personality, Kris was quick to make friends with his blockmates, with whom he now shares some of his most treasured college memories. He also expanded his social circle by joining a variety of student organizations.
Kris recalls that his love for Ateneo’s org culture started well before he even enrolled. He remembers attending the Premier Management Engineering Orientation and the Ateneo Corporate Sustainable Conference while still in high school. “Those firsthand experiences where I got to go on campus and see people working with each other – I just thought ‘I want this for myself.’”
Pursuing the extra-curricular life that he wanted, Kris is now part of six organizations. His years-worth of musical training was put to use in the Ateneo de Manila College Glee Club, and his passion for hosting in the Ateneo Association of Communication Majors (ACOMM).
Joining the hosting pool of ACOMM paved Kris’ way to becoming an O-Host. “It was really a dream of mine na one day, one day, I’ll host OrSem naman,” he expounds.
For Kris, becoming an O-Host is his way of showing how much his own OrSem meant to him. “I want to have this full circle moment. I came in as a happy freshie […] and now I get to share that happiness outwards towards the coming freshies [through] hosting,” he shares.
In Kris’ eyes, org life is only one snapshot of the bigger picture. When discussing his principal goal for college, he shares that he hopes to maximize all the different facets of himself. His second goal would be to make sure the people around him can do the same. “I’ve always wanted to cater to different demographics, to many walks of life. I want to be a relatable person to many,” he says.
This is a fitting goal–if there’s one thing Kris loves most about the Ateneo it’s the diversity. The University is filled with people of different stories, yet it fosters an environment brimming with support and acceptance.
“There’s really something for everyone. It enables people to be inclusive regardless of who you are, what you are, what you do,” he explains.
Speaking from personal experience, Kris shares that he owes a lot of his self-acceptance to Ignatian spirituality. It’s thanks to the Jesuits’ teachings that he is able to be open about both his sexuality and his faith—two very important parts of his personhood.
Having found his own home in Ateneo, Kris assures the incoming freshmen this: “There will always be a place and a space and a group of people that will wholeheartedly enable you to become the kind of person that you want to be.” With people like him around, this is as good as guaranteed.
Editor’s Note: This article/photoset was posted before Kris Gonzales stepped down as an O-Host during OrSem Tayo.
