MANILA, Philippines?Welcome to my humble abode,? actor-photographer-painter Epy Quizon tells guests entering the condo unit he shares with fiancée Rosanna Escudero and their three-year-old daughter Misha.

Clearly, a child rules this 200 sq. m.-space because toys are strewn all over. But alongside the colorful plastic cars is a vintage wooden rocking horse from Tiendesitas.

Epy gladly admits: ?I?m my daughter?s slave.?

His entire universe revolves around his children. (He has an older son, now 14, who visits when school?s out.)

Epy moved in here almost four years ago, ?when it became clear to me that I was about to start a family.?

Transition
The change of address marked a welcome transition in his life.

?My priorities changed,? he recounts. ?Suddenly it?s not just about me, and my dreams are no longer limited to self-centered goals.?

His bonding time with little Misha is usually spent drawing, coloring and sketching. Like her parents, Misha is an artist and her doodles are displayed proudly along with her parents? paintings.

Another family project is the Vision Board in the master bedroom. Posted on the board are Epy and Rosanna?s dreams?like building an eco farm and rejuvenation and wellness resort in Batangas.

Epy says Rosanna, who?s also a writer for a glossy magazine, is into alternative healing and New Age philosophies.

Attached to the chairs and sofas are Prana Generators, which Rosanna offers to friends.

Epy and Rosanna?s hip design and living ideas gelled instantly.

?We like the same things,? he notes. ?We both collect masks. Mine are from Bacolod; hers are from Venice. We are both into world culture and indigenous arts.?

Displayed all over the home are his-and-hers souvenirs from their travels here and abroad, including capiz window dividers and wooden cabinets from Vigan, a Lotus Hand figure and Tibetan singing bowls from Thailand.

Epy makes it a point to expose his children to various cultures and art pieces. A virtual museum, his home hews closely to the design aesthetic he calls ?bagong luma??modern antique. ?I?m partial to wood and old stuff.?

Dolphy?s been here

His dad, King of Comedy Dolphy, has visited this pad. ?He finds it cool,? Epy says, ?though it?s the total opposite of his own house.?

Apart from Epy?s and Rosanna?s paintings, works by Hermes Alegre, Pi Villaraza and Dranreb Belleza hang on the walls.

Recently, Epy launched his website (www.bananacueproject.com), an online gallery open to all artists.

On the terrace, Epy?s favorite spot, sits a native duyan (hammock) embellished with carabao horns. This was created by world-renowned Baguio-based artist Ben-Hur Villanueva.

Also on the balcony is a pocket garden and mini-pond, where Misha keeps her pet fish. The pond is also home to miniature figures of Buddha, an anito, and Jesus Christ. The Jesus sculpture is by Ben-Hur?s son Bumbo and is called ?Thy Will Be Done.?

Epy loves hanging out on the terrace, where he reads the morning papers. ?Since our unit has two balconies, we get great views of the city,? he says. ?From one side, I can see the sunrise; from the other, the sunset.?

Living in a condo, he reflects, ?allows a person to see the world revolving because, at different times of the year, the position of the sun changes. It permits you to reconnect with life. It reminds you where you?re at.?

Yet another favorite nook is the den, ?my play and work area.?

Scattered in the work station are different musical instruments, like guitars and a percussive K-Hon especially made by Vic Mercado. The den is where Epy composes songs. He has collaborated with musicians like Alex Cruz on the CD ?Makatha? and produced the album of the band 524.

?Makatha? mementos are displayed in the den, along with posters of the three most significant movies in his career??Markova: Comfort Gay,? ?Radyo? and ?Pinoy Blonde.?

Also in the den is a gift from ?Pinoy Blonde? director Peque Gallaga, a photograph entitled ?The Macabebe Triptych??a scene from Gallaga?s film ?Virgin Forest.?

Though busy with the GMA 7 series ?Zorro? and the QTV comedy show ?Camera Café,? Epy finds time for indie movies like Jon Red?s ?Beerhouse.? He?s flying to Taiwan next month to shoot Cannes short filmmaker Wi Ding Ho?s full-length debut, ?Pinoy Sunday.?

When he?s home, Epy watches one film after another on the DVD player. ?I?m a movie freak. Watching award-winning films actually relaxes me.?

E-mail: bayanisandiego@hotmail.com