aolo Paraiso isn't much of a partygoer.

The 25-year-old member of the all-male group Barako Boys lives in an exclusive village in Quezon City and prefers hanging out in the neighborhood to partying all night.

“Lahat ng barkada ko, nandito,” he says. “Ang pinakalabas naming is kung pupunta ako sa bahay ng kaibigan ko dito rin sa village. Doon kami mag-iinuman.”

Besides, he adds, “It's so convenient dito sa village. Andiyan ang basketball court, tennis court, grocery. Kompletong-kompleto.”

At the University of Asia and Pacific, from which he graduated with a bachelor of science degree in information technology, Paolo was into sports a lot—tennis, soccer, table tennis. But his height and good looks led to an unexpected career in modeling.

“Typical story,” he recalls. “Naglalakad ako sa mall, may agent na nakakita sa akin.”

His mom, Marian, persuaded Paolo to give it a shot. “Feeling ko dati, wala akong kaalam-alam sa fashion. Baduy nga ako noong high school.” He eventually learned to be comfortable with his body, enough to make it as a model for Bench.

Showbiz beckoned when he accompanied a friend to an audition for ABS-CBN's Star Circle Batch 10. Talent Center head Johnny Manahan spotted Paolo and invited him to audition for Batch 11.

“First day of workshop, I fell in love with acting. Ay, putsa, craft ‘to! Nag-enjoy ako agad. Sabi ko, ‘Hindi pala basta-basta ang pag-aartista.” Gusto kong maging artista, hindi celebrity.”

It was in showbiz that he met actress Mylene Dizon, now the mother of his seven-month-old son, Tomas Migue “Burrito” Paraiso.

“Feelingko, magpapakasal din kami eventually,” Paolo says of his relationship with Mylene. “Pero hindi namin dini-discount ‘yong fact na baka magkahiwalay din kami. We're playing it safe.”

Whatever happens, Paolo feels strongly about one thing: the joy of fatherhood.

“Malaki'ng nag-iba!” says the boyish-looking dad. “Feeling ko, nag-mature talaga ako nang todo. Ngayon, kailanga ko nang magplano kasi may anak na ako. Ang dreams ko ngayon, hindi na for myself. Ang dreams ko, for him na.”

“The house is basically white,” says Paolo's mom, Marian Paraiso, an interior-design graduate and the person responsible for styling the Paraiso home. “Ang sala set, that's supposed to be modern,” Mrs. Paraiso explains. “I placed throw pillows to make is soft. The colors, nagbibigay ng mood, so ‘yong green draperies, malamig ang dating.” Since this living room is often unoccupied, Paolo has been asking his mom to turn this area into a baby room for her apo, Burrito.

The solid-wood double door leading to the foyer and living room often remains closed. That's to keep out mosquitoes and other insects, Mrs. Paraiso says: “Uso kasi ang dengue.”

Penned in the front yard are Mylene and Paolo's dachshunds, Mister Q and Kahlua, named after the Mexican coffee-flavored liqueur. Kahlua recently gave birth to two cute puppies. Paolo playfully named them Banana and Barbie—and their last name is Q!

This part of the yard leads to the kitchen door. Family members and even visitors now take this route to enter the house. Paolo's lovely mom, who obviously isn't self-conscious about her age, declares: “This house is as old as me—50 years old.”

Still a kid at heart, Paolo usually plays video games in the entertainment den. “Pag wala akong magawa, imbes na lumabas ng bahay o bago mag-gym, maglalaro muna ako. Release ko ‘yon.” Used as wallpaper in the den are cutouts of pictorials of the Paraiso siblings—Paolo, Dimples, and Bubbles—who all tried modeling. “Number one fan ko ang mommy ko,” Paolo says, grinning, “so lahat ng ginagawa kong pictorial, nakadikit doon sa wall.”

Graduation photos of the Paraiso siblings are displayed atop the console table in the foyer. Below the photos are Japanese dolls that are very dear to Paolo's mom: “Pasalubong pa sa akin ng daddy ko ‘yan when I was a young girl.”

The full-length mirror on the wall enhances the dining area's spaciousness. The six-seater table, covered with a shimmering gold tablecloth, is just right for the family of five. Mrs. Paraiso reveals that her kids—especially her youngest, Bubbles—used to imitate the dining atmosphere in a restaurant: “Naka-candlelight kami, soft music.”

Being a product endorser has its perks. Most of these sneakers and rubber shoes were given free to Paolo. And check out his pink and orange Chuck Taylors. “Pinili ko ‘yan bago pa nauso ‘yong pink,” he says.

Paolo's bedroom contains everything he needs: “Itong maliit na space na ‘to, kompleto na ako dito. May speakers ako for my iPod. At the same time, nakakabit siya sa laptop na pang-DVD ko, pang-Internet, and everything.” Comfy in his plain shirt and pants, Paolo describes his fashion sense when he was still in college: “Naka-cargo-pants, nakatsinelas, basic T-shirt lang. Kaya hindi makapaniwala ‘yong mga kaibigan ko dati na nagmodelo ako.”

For this shot of the stairway leading to the den, we ask Paolo to play it up for the camera. As you can see, he has gamely obliged. He has even suggested using one of his fave hats, confessing that “ang pagka-fashionista ko, ‘dinadaan ko sa hats.”

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