Hope, guts and talent

Different views, a common dream. That dream is becoming the next singing star, and it has inspired 38 contestants from across the country and young Filipinos abroad to join Pinoy Dream Academy (PDA), ABS-CBN’s newest reality talent show.

PDA is another franchise of the network from The Netherlands-based company Endemol which is also the brains behind Big Brother and Deal or No Deal. Its concept is basically the same as Pinoy Big Brother’s (PBB) where the final 16 from the 38 hopefuls will be housed as students in the academy with hidden cameras monitoring their daily activities.

But unlike in the PBB house where housemates cannot interact with the outside world, Academy students can do so with people who will train them. They will be guided by teachers and a headmaster in honing their singing talents. Every weekend, students will have live performances to show what they have learned in the past week and a panel of jurors will nominate one student. The public will then vote for the student they want to remain in the academy.

Armed with talent, perseverance and guts, the young candidates sailed away recently via Super Ferry from Manila to Cebu where the final 16 who will be chosen to stay in the Academy will be named. Interacting with them was an experience as they shared the different dramas of their lives which made them pursue their dream of having a much better life by taking the chance to become the next singing star.

Some of the students came from hard-up families. Others are trying to raise a family of their own while the rest just want to show people what they’ve got.

In a rush to get from one door of opportunity to another, some of the contestants got their feet stuck, like Czarina Rosales, 19, and Margarita Saludo, 25. Both got a "gold pass" for the top 100 from Philippine Idol but did not take their chances to officially be in the ABC 5 reality talent show. Instead, they auditioned at PDA, not realizing the contents of the waiver that they have signed. It turned out that they are not allowed to join any other similar contest within six months. The two hope ABC 5 will understand that they are just trying their luck as breadwinners of their respective families.

Remember Ronnie Liang? He’s the 21-year-old NCR finalist who was in hot water months back. The former Pinoy Pop Superstar finalist reportedly violated the rule not to have a manager while in the contest. He admitted having a manager and just bowed out of Pinoy Pop Superstar. Ronnie kept his manager as a sign gratitude to him. Ronnie is now vying for a slot in the final 16 in his desire to give his parents a house of their own in Angeles, Pampanga. He considers family man Christian "Slyde" Ardiente, a former 99.5 disc jockey his strongest rival. Slyde is a Political Science undergraduate at UP who is into jazz music.

Rosita Bareng is a global finalist who never says never in life. She is a domestic helper from Dubai who did not finish her contract abroad just to fulfill her dream of becoming a singer and help her family in Cauayan, Isabela. Rosita looks like a morena version of Lucy Liu and can belt out any kind of songs.

While Rosita belongs to a poor family, RJ Jimenez, Reuben Uy and Oona Barretto are comfortable in life. RJ is an Electronics Communications Engineering graduate of UST who has a logistics director dad and a working mom. He loves songs of Jason Mraz, Pupil and Francis M. RJ also composes songs.

Former Akafellas member Reuben Uy loves to sing and dance. Fusion music tops his list and he idolizes Asher, Justin Timberlake and Gary Valenciano. Reuben is a Management Information System graduate of Ateneo de Manila University.

Oona Barretto is from Bukidnon. She is a Miriam College graduate who wants to follow in the footsteps of her soprano sister Deeda Barretto. Oona is the daughter of former Manila Times editorial cartoonist Vicente Barretto.

Singing beauty Jonah Grace Maluto is also in the list of hopefuls. She made it to the Top 10 of Miss Earth-Philippines and won the Miss Sunsilk title. She has a husky voice and considers Sharon Cuneta her idol. Also in the list are Irish Fullerton, a nursing student and global representative from California; Richard Peralta, a 21-year-old singer from Australia who originally auditioned in PBB; Kristoffer Abrenica, a dead-ringer for Mark Anthony Fernandez from Canada, who plays the piano and guitar; May Lorraine Feliciano, a nursing board passer from Bacolod who idolizes Gwen Stefani; Migs del Socorro, a University of San Carlos graduate, who wants to make up for his dad’s frustrations by realizing his dream to be a singer; Yeng Constantino, a 17-year-old rockista who listens to Rivermaya, Itchyworms and Pupil; Neil Mallari, a former boyband member who composes songs; Davey Langit, a 19-year-old singer from Baguio and Ivan Lambata, a family man from Baguio who sings in gigs and plays the guitar.

They are some of the 38 hopefuls vying for the final 16 slots to become scholars of the Academy. The final 16 will be chosen in a grand launch set at the Cebu Capitol Grounds tonight at 9:30. It will be aired live on Channel 2.

Contestants believe in the saying that when the world says give up, hope whispers to give it another try. And with hope, guts and talent, a dream will be realized.