Eula stalls plan of taking up law; Dreams project with Richard G.

CEBU, Philippines - Fifteen-year-old Lou Eula May Caballero Simo of Boljoon town would have wanted to pursue law studies after her mom failed to do so in favor of an early marriage. However, with her recent feat – as Eula Caballero – the roadmap to law school would not be as promising, at least for now!

“Initially, I would want to carry on what my Mama (Mary Lou) dreamt of pursuing after taking up Political Science in college, pero that has to wait kay showbiz opportunities knock but once,” said TV5 Star Factor’s Eula Caballero in a phone interview a day after she was adjudged ‘Brightest Star’ - or as the first grand winner of the said “artista search” which was launched in August.

Aside from a house and lot in Cavite, a million pesos, and talent contract, Eula also won a four-year college scholarship from AMA Computer College which means she will be choosing from a list of computer studies-related courses. “Yeah, mao gyod nay mahitabo. Pero wala pa sad ko ka-decide since I have to enroll again sa fourth year after ko ni-quit. Siguro, if faced with the situation, I’ll have to rethink if serious ba gyod ko to become a lawyer or I’ll go with the scholarship offerings,” she said.

Eula also said she gained the confidence she would make it in the said artista search when she heard positive feedbacks from the staff and management of TV5. “Nalipay ko nga wala mi magpakauwaw sa mga Cebuanos diri, because Morissette (Amon) and I were always credited for working well with people,” she said.

Core values of Mother Ignacia del Espiritu Santo of the St. Mary’s Academy in Dalaguete where she is a senior high school student propelled her to make it to the Shining 12 from 18 original hopefuls, and then to the Final Four. “We were always taught to be hardworking, to be prayerful, to credit everything to the Lord and offer everything for His Glory, to work with the right attitude with people, and to stay humble in victory,” she shared.

When asked on the biggest challenge she was able to hurdle aside from the workshops and trainings, Eula mentioned she is thankful she is skilled at maintaining grace under pressure. “That prevented me from throwing a fit when Christian Samson of Bulacan had this slur sa mga Bisaya.”

“There was that time bitaw nga nagka-conflict si Gabo (another hopeful from Cebu) and Christian as to correct pronunciation of certain Tagalog words and intonation. Niingon man na si Christian nga: ‘Bisaya kasi’,” she narrated. “Gibadlong siya ni (Clint) Gabo nga dili magsulti ana because there are other Bisaya like Nikita McElroy (of Davao), there’s Morissette and me.”

Somehow, Eula proved that patience is virtue. “Hapit na gyod ko mo-give up kay nasakitan ko ba nga in spite of the digital generation, discriminated gihapon ang mga Bisaya, but akong gi-consider what if mobiya ko, that would all the more give them the reason to belittle us,” she added.

As to the concern that the Brightest Star is the Biggest Challenge to Audie Gemora because it would be his task to package the talent as such that the public would love her and, in fact, Gemora earlier said in the presscon: “Magiging problema ko talaga kung paano pasisikatin ang magiging first big winner”, Eula said, “I have come this far to prove nga naa gyod koy talent, pero ang pagsikat lisod gyod na. How the public will receive me, that depends on how I would be working in the next days and how my career would be handled. I trust Tito Audie and I promise to work extra hard to prove to all they haven’t chosen the wrong person,” she added.

As for the face value to which Gemora had emphasized on the very first Cebu Star Factor presscon, Eula said that could have been her edge over Morissette who has a strong semblance with Sarah Geronimo.

“Bitaw kay they were looking for talents na walang kamukha, that’s what they said. And nahimo nakong edge because although naay nag-ingon nga right angle ug akong forehead morag Angelika de la Cruz, somehow wala gyod koy kaparehas exactly og nawong sa showbiz,” Eula said.

“Sir Joey (Reyes) even said na saan man daw galugarin sa showbiz world, wala akong kamukha, and napaka-friendly daw ng camera sa akin, so naging advantage ko yun,” she said with a laugh.

To recall, Gemora, head of Talent5 which is the network’s talent management and development division, said that talents can be trainable – as far as acting, singing and dancing are concerned, but the question is how long would they stay in the entertainment industry? He was quick to point out, though, that what they were looking for in this talent search is basically one with good looks, but this doesn’t have to mean the mestizo or the mestiza-type.

“The question is: Sino ba ang iidolohin n’yo?” Gemora stressed.

He also emphasized that what they were looking for, aside from being a fresh face in a crowd of 13 to 18-year-olds, is somebody “the Philippines will love”; one who has the attitude to face this learning experience as she continues to be subjected to encompassing training program to make her luster last in the harsh showbiz world.

“Ay, maka-assure gyod ko ana nga dili ko magpabadlong. Naminaw gyod ko sa ilang constructive criticisms. Nya happy pod ko nga even our food and beverage attendant on the set noticed how disciplined Cebuanos are. Wala gyod kuno mi ni Morissette makahatag niyag sakit sa ulo. Kami ra kunong duha sa mga hopefuls nga walay arte sa pagkaon ug kamao manghipos sa kinan-an,” she also said.

Further, her mom is set to check on the needs of the Patrocinio de Maria Parish in Boljoon this week because Eula is to share a part of her prize money to the church. “Wala pa ko kabalo sa ilang specific needs. Si Mama maoy mouli diha as she is active in catechism sa public schools so probably mo-donate ko for that specific purpose or sa ongoing projects sa among museum.”

Her initial project is still to be discussed, based on a notice she received from TV5 creative and entertainment production head Perci Intalan, but she expressed desire to work opposite JC de Vera and Rainier Castillo, and hopefully with her big crush back then – Richard Gutierrez. “I don’t have any idea yet if it’s possible to be paired with Kuya Richard, since he is working in another network, but it would be dream-come-true if that would work out,” she disclosed.

Meantime, she is to soak yet with the fact that she is already a ‘star’. “Hope nakahatag mi’g pride ni Morissette sa Cebuano community. Salamat sa inyong suporta. I know nga human as I am, kuyawan ko nga parehas sa ubang mga artista moabot ang time nga magtapultapul na sa work, but I am trained to work with the right attitude. So please pray for me that I would be able to make it farther pa kay the real challenge is still to come.”