"She is my angel. She is my guardian angel!”

This is how Eva Castillo described Regine Velasquez, the person responsible in putting her in the limelight as well as rekindling her passion to pursue her longtime dream of becoming a recording artist and even a star!

“God must have instructed Miss Regine to look for me… and to help me get out from the ruts!” Eva stressed.

According to Eva, what led to her rediscovery was  Regine Velasquez’s GMA-7 special show “Roots to Riches.”

“I thought they were just kidding when a production staff of the show came to see me last April,” Eva said, laughing. “It was after three days that they came back. I couldn’t believe that it was Miss Regine who sent for me,” she said.

During their younger years when both were joining amateur singing contests, Eva Castillo always won over Regine. Eva’s winning song was always “Ako Ang Nagwagi” while Regine’s contest piece was either “Saan Ako Nagkamali” or “Bakit Ako Mahihiya.”

It was only in “Ang Bagong Kampeon,” a popular TV singing contest in the ’80s that was hosted by the late Bert Marcelo and Pilita Corales that Regine Velasquez breezed through being its champion. Eva Castillo, though she wanted to be a contestant in that show, failed the audition and she decided not to pursue it anymore.

“Bawal daw kasi ang pangit. Sabi kasi nila kapag wala kang face and wala kang malakas na ‘backer’ sa show hindi ka mananalo. Dapat din daw maputi eh maitim po ako. So hindi na lang ako sumali pero gusto ko sana,” recalled Eva sadly.

That was the end of the Eva Castillo and Regine Velasquez’s amateur singing duel. Everyone knew by now that after “Ang Bagong Kampeon,” Regine Velasquez slowly rose to stardom and even earned herself the title Asia’s Songbird as she won international singing contests as well during her budding career.

“I used to watch her on TV. Pero nang pataas na siya ng pataas, hindi ko na makayang panoorin siya. I stopped watching her kasi nagsisikip ang dibdib ko,” she lamented. “I can’t understand why. Pwedeng may inggit. Pwedeng naiisip ko na sana ganyan na rin ako ngayon. Para hindi ko na isipin yun hindi ko na siya pinapanood.”

Unfortunately, Eva Castillo’s dream to become a popular singer faltered. She married when she was 17 years and she has now seven children and one grandchild.

Already 39 years old, Eva shared that she really struggled making ends meet especially with her children. She actually even had to let four of her children be raised by their grandmothers (two to each grandmother). As a singer, she joined a band called Genesis with high hopes of working abroad someday. That also didn’t materialize to her dismay. But she kept singing as long as there were gigs and invitations. What she was focused on more wasn’t a singing career anymore but finding ways to earn a living for her family as a single mom.

“Kapag nakita ninyo ang bahay namin sa Tondo, hindi magkakasya yung seven na anak ko… it’s better po na magtiis ako na hindi ko sila kasama kaysa mahirapan sila sa masikip naming bahay,” sighed Eva.

So did she still continue her journey in pursuing her dream to be a singer?

“This is the only thing I know to make a living for my family. Maliban dito, iba’t-ibang trabaho na ang ginagawa ko. Nagtitinda ako ng merienda, kumakanta sa wakes, nagpapataya sa ending ng basketball and nagtitinda ako for Avon,” she smiled. “Pinapasok ko lahat ng pwedeng pagkakitaan ko.”

She added that even if she would be starting from ground zero of her singing career, she doesn’t mind. This is an opportunity that she won’t let pass her by again. Even if she doesn’t know what lies ahead of her in showbiz, she’s very focused and eager to show the public what she can offer as a singer.

“Everything na ginagawa ko ngayon is for my children. Sila lagi ang nasa isip ko kaya nagtatrabaho akong mabuti,” she quipped.

According to Eva, every time she performs on TV, she still gets nervous. But she would always remember what Regine kept telling her – to relax, imagine it to be another singing contest and show off her talent.

“Regine told me na huwag ko i-give up ang singing especially now na second chance ko na ito dapat ko talagang husayan and i-take advantage ang opportunity na ito,” she said.

People will get a chance to know more about Eva Castillo in GMA-7’s “SRO Cinemaserye: The Eva Castillo Story” beginning on July 23 and every Thursday afterwards. With the special participation of Asia’s Songbird Regine Velasquez, Manilyn Reynes (as Eva Castillo), Glaiza de Castro and Renz Juan. It is directed by Jun Lana.

Still dedicated and passionate about singing, stardom is just around the corner this time for Eva Castillo because she is ON THE RISE!