MANILA, Philippines — Star Magic artist and Pinoy Big Brother (PBB) Kumunity Season 10 Housemate Top 2 Anji Salvacion has a lot to be thankful for.
Her career with ABS-CBN is taking off, backed by the love and support she is receiving from her fans. She regularly performs on ASAP Natin ‘To as one of the variety show’s “new breed of singers,” co-hosts the virtual reality show Bida Star Singer and has just released her first self-penned single Dalampasigan.
She will stage her first solo concert on April 30 and recently starred in the music video of singer-songwriter Angela Ken’s It’s Okay Not To Be Okay with fellow PBB alum Eian Rances.
Anji is also a member of The Squad Plus and has previously appeared in the 2021 iWantTFC series Unloving U and rendered its official soundtrack Keeps On Coming Back. She sang Buo for the series Marry Me, Marry You and Don’t Be Afraid for My Sunset Girl.
“I feel so blessed. (I’m) so overwhelmed with all the love these beautiful souls have given me. I’m so thankful din to God that He blessed me with such beautiful souls in my life. I feel like very, very happy. I’m just living like in a dream again,” she told The STAR in an exclusive Zoom interview.
She is gradually making her dreams turn into reality, which is her career goal as an artist, but, “I still have a long way to go and I still have a lot of things to learn,” she said.
Sharing more of her newly-dropped track Dalampasigan, part of a fundraising campaign for the victims of Typhoon Odette and as an homage to her beloved hometown Siargao Island, she recalled how it was conceptualized while she was inside the PBB house last year.
“It was a rainy day sa bahay ni Kuya sa loob. Nabuo ko yung first part ng chorus, wala pa yung Bisaya part at the very end of the chorus. I just kept on singing it in my mind. Whenever I would go to the bathroom to wash my face, I’d keep on singing it. And everytime na I’d get to be alone sa room, everytime na patulog ako, I would sing it. There was something about this song that I just kept singing it. So, I really have to finish it,” narrated Anji.
Her housemates helped her with the lyrics at first, but she changed the words to Bisaya to make it more personal. Everytime she hears the song, it brings back good memories of her hometown and her family, especially during that time when they were still complete before her father went missing.
The song means a lot to Anji, as she elaborated, “Kasi I get to express what I really feel and I get to like, tell everyone that no matter what, even if that person, kasi it’s all about my dad eh. Even if he is not around, I can still feel his love for me. And that’s my home and I want everybody to feel the same way. To feel the comfort of your own home which is your loved ones.”
In her recent trip back home, she was able to spend time with her mother and brother as well as with fellow Siargaonons and supporters who facilitated the donation drive for the typhoon victims. The act of service is what they consider as family bonding, she revealed.
Anji, dubbed in PBB as “The Singing Sweetheart of Siargao,” also got the opportunity to have a heart-to-heart talk with her mom and opened up about her dad. “Kasi there was a time din na I never opened up to my mom anymore about how I feel because I know that she has a lot of problems and then I don’t want to add up,” she disclosed.
However, during her stay at PBB house, Kuya gave her a chance to talk about it. “I never told my mom how much it affected me when my dad was gone. (And) how much I’ve been carrying the pain for so long since I was little and I never told her because I know that she is suffering, too. It’s just nice that we get to have the heart-to-heart talk. And because of that, naging stronger yung bond namin,” explained Anji, whose main goal for this year is to build a house for her family.
Meanwhile, the 19-year-old Kapamilya artist is looking forward to her first hosting job via Bida Star Singer, joining the mainstays Karina Bautista and Aljon Mendoza. The online talent search aims to find the next singing sensation and the audition has already kicked off. The qualifying round started last March 28 until April 8 and the contest proper will run for six weeks from April 11 to May 23.
Anji, a former Idol Philippines contestant, has this simple advice to all the aspirants: “Never give up. Always, always, always start now. Kasi right now, Kuya Jordan (Andrews) always says this, he wrote in a song, right now has never happened before and now it will never come again. So, you should start now.”
She continued, “Always stay true to yourself and to your core. Always pray to God. Surrender everything to God and don’t forget him. Don’t forget to glorify Him in everything, mapaliit man or mapalaki. Glorify everything to Him.”
The actress, singer and now a host is thankful for the breaks that ABS-CBN and Star Magic have given her.
Given the chance, she would like to become part of a teleserye and do romantic comedy, drama and horror genre film projects. Anne Curtis, Daniel Padilla, Kathryn Bernardo, Liza Soberano and Enrique Gil are among her acting idols.
Is she also open to having an onscreen partner? “Sa totoo lang po, kung ano yung ibibigay po sa akin ng management ay tatangapin ko. Kasi they know what’s best din for me and for my career,” she replied.
Nonetheless, she conveyed her heartfelt thanks to her fan group called TAU — Team Anji University — that continues to inspire her. “Kasi sobrang tinuring ko rin silang parang second family ko na. No words can express how thankful and grateful I am to them,” she said.
“They are not just a blessing to me but they also became a blessing to other people. And that’s why I’m really proud of them. I salute them. They inspire me. Just always remember my sunshines, my sunsets, kalumots, kaalon, I love you guys. Take care always. Ingat kayo and do not ever forget to spread love and kindness to everyone (blows a kiss),” she concluded.