WCOPA: Why Team Philippines beats ’em all

MANILA, Philippines - More than two decades into the WCOPA (World Championships of the Performing Arts), and the Philippines has made itself the team to beat among the 60 other countries competing in the annual Olympics of the Performing Arts held in California.

Only Team Philippines, with its vocalists and dancers, can make Cameron Mackintosh and other theater greats in the West End and Broadway say something like “You grow talents like they grow on trees!”

Only Team Philippines can come up with 10 WCOPA Hall of Famers: Jed Madela (2005), Aria Clemente (2007), Catherine Loria (2008), Rhap Salazar (2009), Marielle Corpuz (2010), Joshua Pineda (2011), Aldeza Ianna dela Torre and Beverly Caimen (both in 2013), Lloyd Edisonne Judilla Montebon and the Xtreme Dancers Dance Duet (both in 2014).

The secret?

If you ask deputy national director Annie Mercado and Jed, it’s a combination of geography and heart.

The former is as a given.

“We live in a tropical country,” explains Mercado. “The humid weather is suitable for our vocal cords. That’s why we have so many good singers.”

Jed, the first pride of the Philippines in WCOPA and the coach of this year’s delegates from Iloilo, Bacolod and Cebu, says it’s a matter of heart.

Unlike foreigners who are more concerned with technicalities, Jed observes that Filipinos are more raw and natural. They show more emotions. They touch more hearts.

Filipinos come from a Third World country with nothing to rely on but their God-given voice. They can’t count on complicated sound systems to enhance their voice. But it is a blessing in disguise. Singers learn to give their heart and soul to every performance.

This was how Jed, a shy boy from Iloilo named John Edward Tajanlangit (talent manager Ronnie Henares named him Jed Madela), started out. He felt different from his schoolmates. He didn’t know whom to turn to whenever he felt like going on stage to express himself.

Then, he joined international singing contests (one of them WCOPA) and never looked back.

No wonder he sees his younger self in most of the 100 delegates (70 of them vocalists) he and fellow coaches chose to form part of Team Philippines in this year’s WCOPA, which happens until July 9 in Long Beach, California.

He respects each of the talents he meets. He lets them preserve their individual style, and works on their weaknesses instead. Now that he’s in the US to mentor Team Philippines, Jed tells the group to relax, enjoy the experience and think less of the competition. This way, they can express themselves better and perform with all the brilliance and confidence they can muster.

“Our talent is a gift from God. He’s making it happen for us. Let’s go and show the world how great our God is,” Jed urged Team Philippines at the grand send-off held at Teatrino, Greenhills.

Team members — some crying unabashedly, the child contestants accompanied by their parents — went on stage to don the blue jacket they’ll wear throughout the event. National director Jerry Mercado helped them wear the jackets with all the colors of the Philippine flag.

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go with the group. What we want is fast and far,” he advised. “WCOPA is a journey, not a destination.”

The journey consists of a boot camp for dancers, singers, actors, performers and models, where participants undergo training from the mentors of Justin Timberlake and the cast of High School Musical and Glee.

Hollywood agents, managers, casting directors, producers and record label reps are there to observe and choose the next star of their productions.

Most of all, each one has that chance to make the Philippines proud like never before. In a world that still sees the country as a land of domestic workers, and a hotbed of violence and poverty,  this chance to make a difference is an honor and a privilege.

No wonder the WCOPA has become holy grail for artists who aspire for excellence, year after year.