Daniel Matsunaga and his laid-back party style

BORACAY, Philippines – If you love to party, then the so-called “Laboracay” season can be quite the experience. It’s that time of the year when thousands of tourists troop to Boracay for one endless summer party. 

We’ve heard a lot of crazy Laboracay stories: falling asleep on the beach, losing clothes and gadgets, ingesting copious amounts of alcohol, even the occasional hook-up. All these seem to be “expected” if you’re partying during one of Boracay’s wildest seasons. 

During Nestea Beach’s Sander Van Doorn party at Epic Boracay, we spotted model and frequent partyphile Daniel Matsunaga hanging out with his friends. We noticed that in between numerous photo ops and his “sariling mundo” (own world) dance moves, he never touched one drop of alcohol and instead alternated between regular drinks the entire night. Yet he seemed to be having as much fun as the rest of us.

So, we had to ask him about his party philosophy, and here’s what he had to say. 

Know your limits

Although he’s a frequent fixture in Boracay and Manila’s hottest parties, Daniel does not really consider himself a party person. “But every time I have time to relax a little bit from work, it’s always nice to enjoy friends and music at the same time,” he says. Also, he stopped drinking alcohol a long time ago. For Daniel, that’s the best way to have a blast. “Sometimes because I’m jumping around, people get confused because they say, ‘How can you enjoy without alcohol?’ But it’s not true.

“A lot of people get out of control, out of themselves,” he says. “But you’re drinking to enjoy ‘di ba? The best way to enjoy is knowing your own limits.”

Just in case we go overboard, does he have a tried-and-tested hangover tip? “Not really,” he laughs. “I was never too drunk.” We’ll take his word for it.

Get high with the music

One thing Daniel enjoys about parties are the beats. “I love music,” he says. “Sometimes people even confuse me dancing as [if I were] drunk but I’m not – it’s just that I love music, I love enjoying people, and I’m always happy. I’m always trying to bring a positive vibe to everyone.” When asked about his ideal party, his prompt answer was Laboracay. “Every time I come here, it’s a different party, different crowd, different music and everybody looks like they’re enjoying at the same time. You have a lot of people having fun in the beach and also inside the restaurants. You get to meet so many people and you get to enjoy.” 

Be in good company

Of course, you’ve also got to be with the right people who’ll look out for you and keep you company on the dance floor. “These days, people really think that everything depends on alcohol. But it’s all about friends, the people around you,” he points out. So – who’s his ideal party pal? “Good friends, my loved ones. Family… and the special one.” He good-naturedly refused our requests to be more specific than that, so we let him enjoy the rest of the night in peace. – Rappler.com