Leyte Idol grand champion picked

MANILA, Philippines - Brian Gilles, a 24-year-old B.S. Management graduate from Barangay Sta. Sofia, Padre Burgos, Southern Leyte, was declared grand champion in the fourth Leyte Idol search. He received P150,000 cash prize, plus a cellphone and a laptop computer.

He’s shown with Boboy Garovillo (leftmost), Bituin Escalante (second from left) and Danny Javier (rightmost, chairman) who comprised the board of judges.

The contest was conceived by Leyte Gov. Carlos Jericho L. Petilla (third from left) and produced by the provincial government of Leyte. Also assisting the governor in awarding Gilles is his wife Remedios Petilla.

The open competition attracts contestants not only from Leyte but also from other Eastern Visayan provinces like Southern Leyte, Biliran, Western Samar, Eastern Samar and Northern Samar.

Second placer was Natasha Mae Resos, 18, of Barangay Basak Rizal, Maasin City, Southern Leyte (with P75,000 cash prize plus cellphone and laptop computer); and third placer was Jefferson Cabatana of Tacloban City, who went home with P50,000 cash.