How is Whitney Tyson after ‘Ang Probinsyano’

It doesn't matter if she looks more like Whitney the singer than Tyson the boxer — or the other way around — but the fact remains that Whitney Tyson is one genius of a comedienne.

But if she's got the gift to make her audience laugh, how come acting jobs come few and far between?

Still etched in my mind is “Startalk's” feature on Whitney many years ago and the kind of life she had. Whitney used to live in a hardly livable shanty under a bridge in Manila. She had learned to live with the cacophony of blaring horns from passing vehicles overhead.

If that wasn't enough of an urban ordeal, there was the city government's demolition team to contend with. Poor Whitney. Left with no choice, she had to start fixing her life. And make a good one at that.

Showbiz wasn't exactly unwelcoming to her. Prior to the pandemic, she had a pretty good life. She got herself a modest house without fear of being thrown onto the streets. Accustomed to a life meant for the less fortunate, the simple food she ate (not on the table but anywhere at home) meant a feast.

Indoor dining became even more festive when Whitney got a part in “FPJ's Ang Probinsyano.” Her last appearance, though, was in August 2022.

As the family's breadwinner, Whitney recounts having squirreled away money throughout her stint in Coco Martin's teleserye. But whatever she had saved up was slowly being depleted due to being jobless for more than a year.

“Of course, I had to buy food, pay the utility bills. Does anyone think that the money I was able to save would last if I didn't have a job this long?” a rather sentimental Whitney laments in the vernacular.

Listening to her story, it's apparent that Whitney slightly holds some resentment towards Coco. Instead of saying she had intended to reapply for a part in the actor's “Batang Quiapo,”

She said, “He knows very well that I'm the breadwinner in the family. And if ever I'm included in the cast, then retitling it 'Batang Gapo' sounds better!”

Desperately in need of a well-paying job, Whitney isn't, after all, deprived of help from above. Thanks to Ara Mina and her benevolence. Lately, it's Ara who's searching for opportunities for Whitney to survive.

“She's the one looking for 'raket' for me. She's also bringing me along to her 'Magandang ARAw' tapings on Net25,” Whitney shares.

The comedienne's proud mention of the TV host-actress's name comes as no surprise, nor do her acts of charity. I also wouldn't be surprised if Ara's husband, Dave Almarinez, has had an influence on her generosity.

Never mind if a thousand Whitney Tysons keep coming, as long as there's Ara Mina with a heart wide enough to accommodate them all.