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Entertainment

HK child star Yumi wants to meet Yeng, Sarah

Bot Glorioso - The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines – Yumi Chung, a popular child performer in Hong Kong, hopes for an opportunity to meet Sarah Geronimo and Yeng Constantino and perform a song or two with them onstage.

“I love Sarah Geronimo, I always watch her shows on TFC,” said the nine-year-old half-Pinay and half-Chinese who was in Manila recently with her family. “And also Yeng (Constantino). I want to meet them and sing with them.”

Yumi shared that every morning before going to school, she sings Yeng’s hit composition Ikaw as part of her vocal warm-up exercise.

Her wish may one day come true as her mom Joanne told The STAR that they have been shuttling between Hong Kong and Manila every month after Yumi agreed to the idea of entering the local entertainment scene. It was last year when Richard Hiñola started handling Yumi’s career in the Philippines which led to her being tapped as Kido Republic and Kokuryu cologne endorser.

Every time she is in the Philippines, Yumi undergoes vocal training under Vehnee Saturno and, according to her mom, Yumi has already been introduced to musician and Circus Band founder Atek Jacinto.

For those not in the know, Yumi has been able to penetrate the Hong Kong entertainment arena with her excellent singing, dancing and acting. Just by looking at the number of performances she had in Hong Kong and other Asian countries, the competitions she had joined, the awards and certificates she received and the endorsements she did, already make it pretty obvious that Yumi is a fast-rising young star.

She was six when she started joining singing tilts in Hong Kong. “I always asked my mom to accompany me to singing contests. I think I joined 50 contests already,” Yumi said. “Win or lose, I felt very happy every after performance. The certificates are nice to look at.”

Joanne swore that not once did she force her daughter to join in any competition. “Hilig n’ya talaga. She was two when I noticed her love for singing. We are just supporting Yumi in what she wants to do. That’s why, I made it a point to go with her to any place. Luckily, her dad and brother are on vacation now that’s why they were able to come with us here.” Yumi is often invited to perform in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Shanghai, Macau and Beijing in China. It was only recently when she performed in ChildAid Asia Kuala Lumpur concert.

Yumi, her mom added, is also a regular fixture in the big and small screens in Hong Kong. She starred in the micro film movie Doll in 2014 then followed by Two Sisters and A Poor Kid. She, too, topbilled in the RTHK Radio TV series about a young woman’s life. In 2015 and early this year, she did three TVB drama series.

Yumi also appeared in a cameo role in one of the anniversary episodes of ABS-CBN’s Ipaglaban Mo that featured the case of an OFW who was maltreated in Hong Kong with Yen Santos and Beauty Gonzales portraying the lead characters.

With musician and Circus Band founder Atek Jacinto

“Yumi is a total performer,” said Richard. “She can sing, dance and act. She auditioned for the role in Ipaglaban Mo and it was the show director, Eric Quizon, who selected her from among the many aspirants. I think direk Eric is looking for her; nagustuhan s’ya talaga.”

Joanne added, “Yumi also likes to sing Freddie Aguilar’s Anak with a Chinese version. But the first song she learned was Tomorrow and it became one of her contest pieces.”

“I also like The Greatest Love of All by Whitney Houston and songs of Jessie J,” Yumi related. “Other Tagalog songs I like are Mr. Cupido and Hulog ng Langit.”

Her maternal grandparents — Lola Natividad and Lolo Tony — who are from San Pedro, Laguna are equally delighted with Yumi’s success in Hong Kong. “They are happy when they see me.”

Asked if her career doesn’t affect her schooling, Yumi, a Grade 5 pupil of S.K.H. Holy Carpenter Primary School, said that she is in the Top 10 of her class. Her weekdays are devoted to her studies “but we try to arrange her schedule if there are shoots that need to be completed. Otherwise, we accept engagements mostly during weekends and holidays,” Joanne said.

Yumi just finished shooting for the latest KFC TVC in Hong Kong. In the Philippines, she is in the cast of Samaritan that also stars Patricia Javier.

Asked if she is willing to stay in Manila, without batting an eyelash, Yumi replied, “Sure, because the people in the Philippines are very nice and polite.”

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