"Talentadong Pinoy" Battle of Champs Season 2

CEBU, Philippines -  A new batch of eight equally talented Hall of Famers and a Wildcard grand finalist are bound to set TV5’s Talentadong Pinoy stage ablaze once more with the most spectacular showdown happening at the Ynares Center, Antipolo City on March 12 and 13. 

“Airing live on the Talentadong Pinoy timeslot (after Laugh or Lose on Saturday and after Magic Gimik on Sunday), the two-day Battle of the Champions will showcase breathtaking performances and star-studded production numbers that will surely be the talk of the town again in the days to come,” an official statement read.

According to Peachy Guioguio of TV5’s Corporate Communications Services, the “biggest and undisputable number one talent show on Philippine TV that has recently been awarded a USTv award, Talentadong Pinoy registered high ratings of 48.3 percent audience share in its first-ever Battle of the Champions in March 2010. Set to duplicate this feat is a more heart-pounding and intense Battle of the Champions this year as the new set of Hall of Famers and a wildcard grand finalist vie for the coveted title of the Philippines’ Ultimate Talentado 2011 and the P1 million cash prize.”

Moreover, the winning Ultimate Talentado will be one of the Philippine representatives to the World Championship of Performing Arts (WCOPA), this was disclosed.

Battling it out in the second season of Talentadong Pinoy are Joseph the Artist from Laguna (sand artist), Beatbox Gor of Davao (beat box skills), The Believers of Muntinlupa (musical theatre), New Born Divas of Quezon City (singing trio), Sfazhiva of Caloocan City (pole dancing), Laguna’s Zion Show (acrobatics/magic), Cebu’s Fire Attraction (fire poi), and Cavite’s RR Friends (isolation duo).

Talentadong Pinoy is the flagship program of TV5, hosted by Ryan Agoncillo.

THE HALL OF FAMERS (BATCH 2)

Joseph the Artist (Joseph Erwin Valerio)

Since he was young, Joseph has always been fond of drawing. Born to a carpenter father, Joseph’s schooling was a struggle. He wanted to pursue fine arts in college, but his father advised him to enroll in a more practical vocational course instead. Joseph enrolled in an electrical course but even in school his drawings had been appreciated by his teachers through the plates and circuit plans he submitted.

He also used his artistic talent to help augment his family’s finances by submitting his works in a comic publishing house. And when his salary still proved insufficient, he worked part-time as an assistant shoemaker in a neighborhood shoe shop. Back then, the neighbors weren’t that too friendly to Joseph. He was often the butt of jokes because of his polio-stricken legs. He was often called names by his neighbors, and because of this Joseph dreamt that one day, his neighbors would look up to him.

Joseph’s family didn’t escape the onslaught of Ondoy. After the flood, Joseph’s family saw nothing but dirt and sand. One day, when Joseph was sifting dirt from the sand, he realized that he could do something with it. From there began his sand art.

Joseph shares that when he reached the Hall of Fame, his dream of being looked up to by his neighbors and doing the thing he loves most got fulfilled.

Beatbox Gor (Raenny Yvann Santiago)

Raenny’s parents separated when he was still young. When his mother remarried, he didn’t get along well with his stepfather. This is why he opted to stay with his grandmother. His aunts helped his mother, who is now in Dubai, to send him to college. Although he was interested in industrial engineering, he took up nursing because it was the choice of his aunt, who was paying for his tuition.

While studying, he supported his younger siblings by singing in bars in Davao. He learned to sing when he was in high school and there he also learned his beat box skills.

While having continuous gigs and meeting other people who were into beat box, Raenny found it hard to concentrate on his schooling. He didn’t pass the first licensure exam he took. It was only when he experienced the pain of failure that he vowed not to take the exam for granted. He is now a registered nurse after passing the second time he took the licensure exam. He still continues his beatboxing by teaching younger kids in the hopes of encouraging them to have a positive outlook on life.

The Believers (Fatima Grace Valenzona and Francheska Macalino)

Fatima and Francheska were only incoming first year high school students when they joined Talentadong Pinoy. Although they have different religions (Fatima being Roman Catholic and Cheska a member of the Iglesia ni Cristo), the two girls got along because they were fond of the same things especially when it came to singing. Both church choir members, they started singing together when they learned about a contest sponsored by a shopping mall. At their young age, they weren’t well versed in Broadway performances, but they did not let this stop them from exploring the possibilities of their talent. They researched on YouTube and studied all the lyrics, acts and notes of many Broadway songs. They turned to their mothers whenever they needed tips and help with voice coaching.

Their first performance in Talentadong Pinoy wasn’t successful. Beatbox Gor, before he became a Hall of Famer, triumphed over the girls’ performances. It was in their comeback that the girls bagged the championship and eventually finished their journey to the Hall of Fame.

New Born Divas

Composed of Kat, Alyssa and Jhen, the trio started singing at an early age. That time, Kat was seven years old, Alyssa eight, and Jhen was 11. It was Alyssa and Jhen who became friends first, but they now share the same level of closeness with each other.

Due to some financial problems, Kat has to send herself to school and find ways to fend for her younger siblings. Alyssa, on the other hand, had to stop schooling for a year because of financial trouble as well. It was only when Alyssa’s father got a job abroad that she was able to go back to school.

It was through a TV contest that the trio got the idea of performing as a group. With encouragement from their common friends, they named their group New Born Divas and started competing in singing contests.

The trio often reached the grand finals but they always ended up as runners up. That’s why when they were sent home by the then defending champion in Talentadong Pinoy, they got too depressed and promised themselves that it would be their last performance as a group. Weeks later, Talentadong Pinoy called and gave them a second chance. From then on, the rest is history. The girls are now preparing more than ever for their grand finals presentation.

Sfazhiva (Ana Marie Garbo)

Ana Marie has been in love with dancing since high school. Back then, she was a member of a dance group that actively performed in and out of the campus. Even though her parents were not so supportive of her dancing, she decided to concentrate on her dancing and skip the enrolment for the meantime. And because she wasn’t studying, she had the luxury of time to travel with her group. It was through her group that she learned pole dancing.

Ana Marie admits that pole dancing is hard. One could get battered and bruised during practices. But because she wanted to learn, she endured the pain. According to her, the pain of practicing is incomparable to the pain of what she had to live through. Many people belittled her especially during the time of her unexpected pregnancy. Instead of feeling degraded by the incessant comments of people who told her that she made a big mistake, Ana Marie became more determined to practice and pursue her goals for the sake of her daughter. To this day, her daughter serves as an inspiration for her to rise every time she falls.

Ana Marie used part of her winnings to enroll in STI because she wants to finish a course so that her family would be proud of her.

Zion Show

Isaac and Jocelyn are a real-life couple who met outside of the Philippines. Isaac was only one-year-old when his family of acrobats settled in Bangkok to earn a living there through their performances. Jocelyn, on the other hand, was only a teenager when she went to Bangkok as part of another acrobat group.

The two first met when Isaac’s family and Jocelyn’s group partnered in one circus act. They became close friends and were both saddened when the contract of Jocelyn’s group ended and they had to return to the Philippines. Isaac must have missed Jocelyn a lot because he asked his father to recruit Jocelyn as part of their group, an idea Jocelyn accepted though she was only 16 at that time. From the moment they reunited, the two became inseparable. They eventually got married and raised their own children.

The couple learned about Talentadong Pinoy through the Internet. They got the idea of joining because they were already planning to return to Manila and send their kids to school there. When they first performed in P.O.5, someone told them that they should try their luck with Talentadong Pinoy. They asked around on ways to join the contest, and the rest is history.

Fire Attraction

Hailing from Cebu, these four guys were college friends who were also members of a dance group. On their own, the guys had been studying different kinds of dance such as hip hop, jazz, etc. Because they were always looking for ways to improve their performances, they tried dancing with fire.

Though they make it look easy in the way they synchronize their moves, fire dancing isn’t easy. They have to constantly experiment on their dance moves and patiently teach one another especially when one member has a hard time getting a dance step right. It only solidifies their brotherhood and strengthens their resolve to withstand all the hardships they face, which include the derogatory remarks they receive from their neighbors and peers. When they went home as Talentadong Pinoy Hall of Famers, they basked in the cheers from people in their hometown and it made them proud of what they had accomplished.

RR Friends (Renee Alexis Aguilar and Randel Ross Robles)

Both natives of Naic, Cavite, Randel and Ren Ren were members of rival dance groups. During one of the dance contests their groups competed in, Ren Ren approached Randel, who was then the leader of a competing group, to train him in isolation dancing. Randel’s group absorbed Ren Ren and all were surprised that the two could move similarly in perfect synchronization. Since then, the group decided to make Ren Ren and Randel dance partner.

Though their dances are fun and lively, both boys have serious family issues to deal with. Randel’s parents have long been separated. Because of the separation and financial woes, Randel had to stop going to school. Ren Ren, at the age of 18, has his own baby and wife to support.

In their quest to look for venues to show their dance moves, the two decided to join Talentadong Pinoy. On their first try, they weren’t too lucky. It was on their comeback that they impressed the judges with their unique talent.

Randel and Ren Ren are trying as much as they could to stay grounded. They still want to live a simple and fun life and eventually go back to schooling when the right time comes. (FREEMAN)