Most people can easily recognize that the twin brothers Miguel Benjamin Guico and Paolo Benjamin Guico are the lead singers and acoustic guitarists of the Filipino folk-pop band Ben and Ben.
But how many can identify Paolo and Miguel by simply looking at them?
The monozygotic or identical twins revealed that people often confuse one for the other. So, is there a sign for them to be recognized easily?
To prevent confusion, Miguel has a mole below his left eye and a birthmark on the lower part of his right cheek. He has been happily married to Karelle Bulan for two years now.
Paolo, on the other hand, is 45 seconds older than Miguel and has a wide jaw. Although he is single, he is already engaged to his non-showbiz girlfriend, Maria Rachel.
Typically, twins attract public attention with questions about their similarities and differences. Miguel and Paolo are no exception to being asked about these.
One striking similarity, besides their identical physical appearance, is that both exhibit excellent musical talent.
The twins have funny stories about being identical. Miguel and Paolo used to prank their classmates during elementary and high school.
‘We would change our name tags. Nagpapalit rin kami ng classroom, and no one would notice,’ laughed Miguel.
‘There was also this one time when I was absent, and my professor was strict on attendance. So, I asked Paolo to come to class, sit at the back, and sign for attendance. He did it for me,’ added Miguel, who reminded all the twins not to do the same.
Paolo recalled another amusing incident during their childhood. ‘We’re both sacristans, and whenever we’re inside the church (during Mass), I would often fall asleep. So, at some point, nilalagay ko si Miguel sa bungad para hindi s’ya makatulog.’
There are also myths and misconceptions about them. One of these is that they have the same personality. The twins said they have different personalities. Miguel is an extrovert, while Paolo is an introvert. However, they agree that when one is sick, the other also gets sick.
Some say that twins can communicate through telepathy, which Miguel and Paolo want to believe based on their experience.
Miguel amusingly shared, ‘It happened to us many times that we did not talk (to each other), yet we were thinking about the same thing. For example, one time when I entered the room and said something, then I went out, and Paolo entered next and said the same thing.’
‘Our friends will get confused because they are unsure if they already heard it or if it’s a déjà vu. Parang nag-iisip sila kung nangyari na ba ito kanina o namali lang sila. Or, akala nila iniinis lang namin sila,’ the twins explained.
Another truth about Miguel and Paolo is that they are the first-ever double chair coaches of ‘The Voice Kids’ in Asia. Dubbed as the BenKada, Miguel and Paolo feel honored and at the same time challenged by the great responsibility of being coaches/mentors of the kiddie singing search.
‘It’s such an honor to be sitting in that chair, honestly, (it’s a very) surreal po na feeling. I think we always talk about it, kami ni Zack (Tabudlo), lalo na si Coach Zack, because it’s our first time to be coaches ever, and for us to sit on that double chair,’ said Miguel.
‘It’s also a big responsibility because it’s kids. So, we’re really careful and we want to take care of being guides to these kids, kasi ang layo pa ng lalakbayin nila,’ added Paolo.
The challenging parts Miguel sees are having only one vote despite sitting in the double chair, as well as time constraints. ‘There’s only one button so parang kahit pa magkaiba kami ng feeling, isa lang ‘yung decision. But I think we always have a good way of communicating as brothers.
‘I can foresee that the limited time is going to be a challenge also because we’re all familiar with ‘The Voice’ and ‘The Voice Kids,’ you only have until the end of the song to decide. And most likely nakikinig ka pa. So, paano ‘yun? Nakikinig ka, tapos mag-uusap pa kami. Then, when the song ends and you fail to choose, wala na.’
One great advantage with Miguel and Paolo is that when they mentor, the kids will learn from two coaches on a team. ‘Yes, it’s like a double-edged sword,’ the twin brothers remarked.