Dingdong Avanzado

MANILA, Philippines – The second edition of OPM@Pagcor Nationwide Singing Search for the Total OPM Performer has been launched recently. The search was first conducted last year and it was such a success that a follow-up was called for. The grand winner was Marie Joyce Tanana from Angeles City.

Pagcor Asst. VP for Entertainment Bong Quintana said the competition provides amateur Pinoy singer with exceptional talents the chance to break into the Philippine music industry. “They will have the chance to undergo proper music training to gain valuable singing techniques from the country’s finest OPM icons,” Bong said.

He recalled that the first OPM@Pagcor search drew huge support from the public. “Nearly 2,000 aspiring singers from all over the country showed off their exceptional singing prowess during the month-long auditions we had last year.”

Apart from the cash prizes won by last year’s OPM@Pagcor winning finalists, the top three winners (Marie Joyce Tanana, Charles Kevin Tan and Renz Ruther Robosa), and two other finalists (Steve Fernandez and Hadasa Von Camporaso) were also given the chance to perform in various Casino Filipino branches nationwide.”

Meanwhile, OPM Secretary Dingdong Avanzado expressed his gratitude to Pagcor for its continued support to OPM. “Since the project started, especially when Pagcor Chairman Cristino Naguiat Jr. came into the picture – I really felt the need for us to help raise the Filipinos’ awareness and love for Pinoy music. Having productive tie-ups like the partnership between Pagcor and OPM is an exciting time for the local music industry,” Dingdong said.

Deadline for submission of application to the second OPM@Pagcor search for Total OPM Performer is on May 1, 2012. Applicants should not have won any major prize in any national singing contest. Auditions start on May 7 at Casino Filipino Cebu. Other audition venues are: Casino Filipino Bacolod (May 9), Casino Filipino Davao (May 11), Casino Filipino Tagaytay (May 15), Casino Filipino Angeles (May 19), and Airport Casino Filipino (May 22-25).

For more details, visit www.pagcor.ph or www.opm.org.ph.

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Loren Pays Tribute

To Angelo Castro 

Senator Loren Legarda remembers her former co-anchor Angelo Castro Jr. as “a true friend. He’s a very kind person and funny in his own way.”

Castro, who succumbed to lung cancer on April 5, was a co-anchor of Legarda for the late evening news program “The World Tonight” in ABS-CBN since 1986 until she ran for the Senate in 1998.

“I extend my sympathies to Angelo’s family, to June Keithley, to his children, to my inaanak, Diego, and to the ABS-CBN family as well,” said Legarda.

“I love Angelo, we were a family, we were so close and he was so kind and even if he may be perceived differently by other people, but knowing him for 12 years day in and day out, he had a kind, kind heart.”

The senator recalled: “Angelo would head the news and he had a temper but it was a righteous temper because he wanted things right, he wanted scripts well-written, he wanted a good production and he wanted to excel.”

“I did not realize that Angelo would go so soon. He would always say that he’s fine. I never saw him down. I never saw him sad. I never saw him sick, although I felt that he was sick but he would not admit it to me.”

Incidentally, Legarda recently emerged as the top senatorial bet for the May 2013 elections in the latest survey conducted by Pulse Asia. Nearly six out of 10 (58.5 percent) Filipinos would vote for Legarda if the elections were held at the time the survey was conducted (Feb. 26-March 9). Coming next to Legarda were Sen. Francis Escudero, Sec. Mar Roxas, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano and Senate Pres. Juan Ponce Enrile.

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Tidbits: Happy b-day greetings today, April 12, go to beauty guru Ricky Reyes, Chi-Chi Laperal, Gina Santos, Vicia David Pascual, Mercy Santos, Carol Rigor, Chito Siopongco, Norie Sayo, Cynthia Gapasin, Milagros Liquete, Marichelle M. Torres, Christine Margaret G. Martinez, and my New York-based daughter-in-law Brenda Silan-Belen… Belated b-day greetings to Ma. Regeena A. Uba (April 8) and Rodante C. Cayas of PCSO (April 9)… Belated happy silver wedding anniversary to Laguna Gov. ER Ejercito and Pagsanjan Mayor Maita Ejercito (April 7)…