 He is the son of actor/director Manolo Abaya and director Marilou Diaz-Abaya.Abaya was discovered by Raimund Marasigan of Eraserheads during a "battle of bands" in which Abaya's band Shirley Beans won first place.Marasigan, who was one of the judges for the night, invited Abaya to act as frontman for the band Sandwich in 1998.