Tuesday, February 22, 2011

NEVER GIVE UP YOUR DREAM

The winning of Angeline Quinto in the talent search, Star Power, sends one message: Never give up your dream!


I admit I am a fan of singing contests. And I think you will not wonder. If it does, you don’t know me yet. For those who know me, if I explain it, it will just be sheer redundancy. So I will leave it that way.

Watching television when I was in school was never an issue. I have the freedom to switch on our TV set, any time of the day and any time of the year. I could not remember any house rule that said, No TV when its 7pm or No TV when its exam days. And I was very happy about that including my sister.

Having confessed that, I have religiously followed a lot of singing contests on national television. And I know a lot of singers, now popular, coming from these talent searches.

Ethel Booba whose name before was Ethel Gabison is a product of Sing Galing, a videoki contest hosted by an Ilonggo Allan K and Ai-ai delas Alas at ABC 5. People may not know about it but she is a certified belter. She can nail effortlessly Barbra Streisand’s “People and leave you with your jaw dropped.

Sarah Geronimo is a grand winner of the talent search, Star for a Night, hosted by Regine Velasquez. She won over Angeline Quinto in that contest. I will not dwell much on Sarah G. because you might know more things about her than I do. After all she is tagged as the next big thing.

When Star Power presented their big catch of hopeful singers after a nationwide series of eliminations, one face seemed very familiar. I am talking about the reticent lady who prefers to be just on the side, Angeline.


When she was little, I already watched her in the Singing contest, tagged “Sing Ala Regine” at MTB, ABS-CBN. I must say, she really sounded like Regine minus of course the emotional maturity when Regine sings. But the tonal quality, belting technique, phrasing, emphasis of the e and i, climaxing, were totally that of Regine.

She also joined, “This is it kantahan” hosted by Bayani Agbayani at GMA 7 but she lost.

Until Star Power was created hosted by Sharon Cuneta that she proved to be the voice to reckon with. Among the songs that she hammered very well were Habang May Buhay (her song in the finals of Star for a Night), Through the Fire, I don’t Wanna Miss a thing, and Ikaw.

It was during the grand finals that she really spewed fire. It appeared to me that she wants to tell her audience, this is my stage! The songs are mine! Belting is just a walk in the park. Her vocal calisthenics was showcased in her rendition of, “What Kind of Fool Am I”, a foreign song arranged by a Louie Ocampo for Regine Velasquez. Her singing of “I don’t Wanna Miss a Thing” revealed that she does not fear any note in a musical piece! And those attributes gave her the wings to fly inside Ynares Center that made her deserve the title, Pinoy Pop Superstar!

Angeline’s success is a long ride. But she persisted. And now she tells the story of a young lady with a lesson in life that giving up your dream is like giving up your life!

Friday, February 11, 2011

35th National Milo Marathon Schedule


July 3 Laoag City
July 10 Dagupan City
July 17 Olongapo City
July 24 Tarlac
July 31 Manila Elims
Aug 21 Batangas City
Aug 28 Puerto Princessa
Sept 4 Naga City
Sept 11 San Pablo City
Sept 18 Iloilo City
Sept 25 Bacolod City
Oct 2 Cebu City
Oct 9 Tagbilaran
Oct 16 Cagayan de Oro
Oct 23 Butuan City
Oct 30 General Santos
Nov 6 Davao City
Dec 11 Manila Elims

Badminton and I; Reunited Today


Today, badminton and I are reunited. 'Twas 2 long years and I am back in the game. And hopefully this is for good.

I seriously played badminton while in Dumaguete for some tourney events. Like I can endure 5 straight games with only having to drink water as a break. Dumaguete at that time has only one 1 court available; that's at YMCA building. As far as I can remember, they charge 120 pesos per hour. Having no work at that time, it really was expensive. Now there are two available courts with the addition of the one situted in Barangay Bagacay at the back of a small shopping center.

When I moved in Bacolod, badminton is a lot more famous. Proof is the existence of three badminton courts. It used to be four until Shuttlers closed and as I passed by it, the place is now converted as a depot. The three are Badminton east side, Arrows, and Pohang.

My first badminton game was played in Arrows thru a good friend. My succeeding games were already at East Side due to the proximity of my workplace and house during tuesdays and thursdays and even saturdays. I played for almost a year and made a lot of friends. Not to mention that many of my workmates play badminton very well.

At some point, I made a stop. Then play when invited by friends, most especially when friends are from faraway places like Jess who came all the way from Davao and when he visits Bacolod he never fails to bring his badminton gears and play. When not invited to play, I am somewhere else doing other things. So I really stopped being connected with the game.

Until today that I set foot again in this abandoned part of the city. I wore those sporty socks. I held my racket again, displayed footwork in the court, smashed, drove, dropped, cleared the shuttlecock once again. And finally I am reunited with badminton today!