The real challenge is outside the Academy

One thing that Bea, Christian, and Apple, the latest expelled Scholars of Pinoy Dream Academy Season 2, have in common is that a lot of intrigues have been thrown at them while they were still inside the Academy. Now that they are back in the real world, they are more than ready to clear all the issues.

Bea easily got the attention of PDA viewers with her strong presence on screen. Some think that the girl from Alabang is highly opinionated and pro-active while others think she’s bossy and snobbish. The perception might have been borne by her tiff with Laarni in their first few weeks inside the Academy.

What does she have to say about this?

“I am misjudged to be unfriendly because of the way I look but I’m really friendly. I am used to dealing with people from all walks of life and I am not the type who judge people based on where they come from,” she says.

What about the misunderstandings she had with Laarni?

“It was a matter of adjusting. I must admit that it wasn’t easy to get used to her but I can honestly say that I like her for who she is. It just took a while for me to adjust but when I finally did, it was easier to reach out,” Bea says matter-of-factly. She also adds that from the very start, she has utmost respect for Laarni and her talent.

What’s the status of her relationship with Miguel?

“Miguel and I are in an open relationship, which means that we have each other for support. What we have is both romantic and platonic because we acknowledge the fact that we can’t commit [to each other] full-time because we still have dreams to chase,” she explains.

Christian made quite an impression on the viewers for his largely undeveloped talent. Besides proving himself, the 25-year-old Hero channel dubbing talent also had to cope with several issues inside the Academy. One of these was the departure of his two closest friends, Ross and Jet.

How did he feel when Ross and Jet left?

“I was really scared at first because everybody had a group inside the Academy. I instantly clicked with Ross and Jet because we were the oldest Scholars, so when they decided to drop out, I found myself alone. I was hesitant to hang out with the other Scholars because I was afraid that they’d find it intrusive but they were the ones who welcomed me with open arms. I was sad that my two closest friends left the Academy but the other Scholars made it easier for me,” he explains.

Christian was also one of the Scholars who had a fight with Laarni. The two had a misunderstanding while preparing for an assignment for movie/TV director Jose Javier Reyes, who is a resident mentor.

How did he settle the problem with Laarni?

“I’m not the type to bear grudges. After our misunderstanding, I reached out to Laarni and we actually got really close. She became one of my best friends inside the Academy and while I was still there, I confided in her,” he intimates.

Among the three, Apple is the one who had the most intrigues thrown at her. The 19-year-old Cebuana proved that she can be friends with everybody but some questioned her intentions, especially about Miguel.

What does she have to say to the people who think she is trying to steal Miguel from Bea?

“Miguel and I are just friends and Bea is my Scholar best friend. The three of us have always been tight and after Bea left, Miguel and I just carried on with the friendship that we have,” she explains.

Did she get the chance to talk things out with Bea?

“Actually, I was with Bea and her family the day after I was expelled. For us, there’s nothing to talk about because we know the real score. Miguel and I are just friends and Bea knows that,” she insists.

How about the baby talk that some viewers find irritating?

“I baby talk because Mommy Bunny finds it funny. She misses Daddy Chivas and Jether so much and whenever I baby talked, she was amused and temporarily forgot about her longing for her family. I just wanted to help Mommy Bunny deal with being away from her family,” she says.

Serna: 'For the First Time,' a potential hit

Just like any other Cebuano who has been following the ongoing Pinoy Dream Academy (PDA) Season II and rooting for their fellow Cebuano, I still cannot figure out how on earth was PDA scholar Apple Abarquez dropped from the rooster by garnering a low percentage of text votes.

Had the vaunted Cebuano vote lost its strength this time? Or have the Cebuanos been remiss in supporting a talented and promising entertainer from their own ranks?

These and a few other questions still continue to haunt my memory, tsk-tsk!

PDA 2 scholars meet the press

As a part of the public image management lessons of the Pinoy Dream Academy (PDA) scholars, esteemed and well-known members of the press will help prepare them for future showbiz interviews and press conferences.

Manila Standard Today Entertainment Editor Isah Red shared to them lessons on public imaging and maintaining good relationships with members of the press.

The respected entertainment editor also gave the scholars tips on how to stick to their image and evolve when needed for fans not to grow tired of them.

The scholars were also sent to the Dance Hall where well-known entertainment reporters and columnists Cristy Fermin and Ogie Diaz were waiting for them.

The two seasoned reporters grilled Laarni Losala, Apple Abarquez, and Miguel Mendoza. The three answered the fiery questions while the rest of the scholars and Isah Red watched them from the classroom.

Cris Pastor and Liezel Garcia were interviewed next by WRR DJ Laila via a phone patch.

PDA Season 2 airs at 5:30 p.m. and PDA Season 2 Primetime, weeknights after "My Girl" on ABS-CBN.

There’s life after Pinoy Dream Academy

For Bunny, Iñaki, and Sen, recently expelled from Pinoy Dream Academy, along with Poy, an honorary scholar, life goes on. They may not have made it to Pinoy Dream Academy Season 2’s Top 6 but that doesn’t stop them from pursuing their dreams.

Bunny

Bunny, who wished she’d be the grand winner, is happy that she is now reunited with her daughter and husband. She is also glad that finally her cyst in her throat had been removed and is now undergoing therapy. “No matter how long that will take, I will willingly go through so that I can go back to singing,” she says.

She discovered that she had a cyst in her throat that greatly affected her singing inside the Academy.

“I have gone through a lot, and this is just the beginning for me, my husband and my daughter,” she adds.

Chivas, her husband, who was with her in the Academy had been expelled earlier than she was because of his episodic collapses.

Life became harder without her husband by her side in the Academy, but she never gave up the fight.

“I really want to thank them and I hope that they continue supporting me outside the Academy. I’m really doing everything that I can to make them happy and hopefully, the removal of my cyst would be the start of better performances dedicated to them,” she says.

Iñaki

Iñaki, nephew of ’80s rock icon Juan Miguel Salvador, is taking things one at a time. Already, the young man is being deluged with offers to perform here and there. But now that he is still tied down to the Academy’s supervision, he has to weigh things over. He may not have ended up in the Top 6, but he is very thankful for the amount of exposure he got through his stay in the Academy.

While others see him an arrogant rich kid, others think he’s a strong-willed young man who knows what he wants in life.

Now that he’s back in the outside world, Iñaki is aware of the negative things some people say about him. He admits that he may have done a couple of stuff that came off as irritating or even offensive to others but he’s also humble enough to own them up and apologize to those who think they were offended.

“I hope that the people would give me another chance to prove that contrary to what some think, I am actually a good person,” he says.

Is there anything he regrets doing or not doing inside the Academy?

“I regret the things I did that have offended anyone or hurt their feelings in any way,” he says, sincerity evident in his eyes.

What are his plans after PDA?

“I want to pursue my singing career. Maybe come up with an album or venture into songwriting. I want to work with my friends, like Christian Bautista and Sam Concepcion, and of course my idol Gary V,” says the young man who is very much into theater.

Sen

Many couldn’t believe Sen, a cancer survivor, who Media Performance Mentor Joey Reyes called “The Saint” had been expelled.

He was a strong favorite to last through to the finals.

Sen won the followers of the nightly Pinoy Dream Academy with his good looks, affable personality, and a talent that was nearly taken away from him in a car crash. The accident was a blessing in disguise for Hansen as it gave doctors the window to see that he had thyroid cancer.

The prognosis was devastating. He couldn’t use his voice to sing, not ever. Yet, persistence and perseverance became his best friends. After successfully battling cancer, he came home to his mother’s native country to start a career as a singer.

He auditioned to be a scholar on the first season of Pinoy Dream Academy but unfortunately, he didn’t make it. When the Academy’s door opened for a new batch of scholars, Sen tried his luck once more.

What made him audition again?

“I have always been a fighter. I was inflicted with cancer and I fought it. I came home to the Philippines to fulfill my dreams and there’s no way a rejection is going to hold me back. I didn’t make it before but it doesn’t mean that I can’t make it the second time around,” he says.

Was he aware of the risks?

“Very much, actually. I knew I was risking getting another rejection but I still did it anyway. My efforts paid off and I was able to get in this time,” he says with a smile.

Was he disappointed when he was expelled?

“Of course I was disappointed. I was really close to getting in to the Top 6 but I got voted out. Nonetheless, I don’t believe that getting expelled makes me less of a performer. What I believe is that my getting expelled is just a start of good things to come. As long as I continue working hard, I know that I’ll be able to achieve my dreams,” he says.

Poy

Among the four, Poy is the only one who was not able to snag a spot in this season’s Top 16. She was one of the four wildcards who vied for the chance to get into the Academy. Unfortunately, she failed to get the text votes needed for her to become an official scholar.

To her and her fans’ delight, she was given the opportunity to enter the Academy as an honorary scholar tasked to clinch the star scholar title thrice. Each star scholar award was equivalent to a prize money of P50,000 and had she fulfilled her assignment as an honorary scholar, she could’ve decided whether to take home P150,000 or carry on as a regular scholar and battle it out with the rest for this season’s Grand Star Dreamer title. Although she was consistently in the Top 3 each week, Poy failed to win the star scholar award.

Was she disappointed when she failed to carry out her assignment?

“No. In my opinion, I was able to fulfill my job as an honorary scholar. In my four-week stay, I consistently made it to the Top 3 and that’s worth everything for me,” she said. She also added that she is really happy that she was able to help bring out the best in the other scholars as her presence made them work harder.

What does she plan to do after her stint on PDA?

“Strike while the iron is hot! I will surely grab any opportunity that comes my way,” she said, beaming.

Who does she want to win this season?

“In terms of vocal ability, I think it’s a toss between Laarni and Bugoy,” she replied.

As different as Bunny, Iñaki, Sen, and Poy are perceived by people, one thing’s for sure: they all have made impressions that will never be easily forgotten. They are four individuals who dared to fulfill their dreams inside the Academy. Even though they didn’t clinch spots in this season’s Top 6, they have successfully endeared themselves to the viewers who are eagerly waiting for the next step that they are going to make.

Gary Valenciano imparts wisdom to "Pinoy Dream Academy 2" scholars

Mr. Pure Energy Gary Valenciano, who is celebrating his 25th year in the music industry, visited the eleven remaining Scholars of the reality show "Pinoy Dream Academy". He gave them words of wisdom and gamely jammed with them in singing some of his hits.

The Scholars were pleasantly surprised by the unannounced visit of Gary V. who sat them down for an inspirational talk filled with advice. Gary V. asked each of them to tell him about how their love for music started. After hearing every single Scholar out, he went on to share insights on the music industry.

He also advised them to never give up on music, to sing not to impress but to express, to give 100% in everything that they do, and to make sure that they touch hearts whenever they perform. He also reminded the Scholars that there is a big difference between excellence and perfection.

As his talk with the Scholars came to a close, he asked Bugoy to demonstrate expressive singing to stress its difference from impressive singing. While Bugoy was in the middle of his performance, "Uberture" host Billy Crawford entered the Academy and talked Gary V. into jamming with them.

Gary V. gamely gave in to Billy's request and sang "Shake It Off" and the remix of "Shout For Joy" while Billy and the Scholars danced along with him.

The scholars evaluate their performances

Gala Night is only a few days away and the scholars are yet again to perform on stage. To better execute their presentations, it was crucial for them to see what areas need developments and what should be highlighted. Teacher Kitchy then showed the scholars their Dream Night performances and subjected it to evaluation.

The Voice Coach once again emphasized muscle relaxation. She saw this in Apple and Christian presentation among others. Though Apple shed tears during the Dream Night, she still went ahead and gave a remarkable performance. Her voice was still relaxed enabling the muscles to function properly. Christian song and dance number was quite unique from the rest. Teacher Kitchy pointed out that the bobbing of his head actually helped relax his neck muscles and had him deliver a good presentation.

Liezel on the other hand was acknowledged for her musicality. However, the stress in her voice was also evident. The scholar herself noticed how her forehead scrunched up when she sang and decided to avoid this habit.

Bunny felt a little discomfort as she sang her number again. The scholar mom had a powerful song which required deep breathing and much more air supply. Teacher Kitchy then suggested her to practice deep breathing and then belting it out.

The singing bunch was divided into their organizations to practice their performances. Teacher Anna coached the Pupilars while Teacher Kitchy tutored One Voice. Bugoy, who belonged to Team Pupilars, commented that he was nervous with singing on stage. Teacher Anna advised him to get used to it. Besides, the Farmers Son had a nice voice though he was a bit tense.

With two excellent coaches challenging the scholars relentlessly, who would apply these teachings and give an outstanding performance? Catch the latest developments of the 16 dreamers on Uberture with Billy Crawford!

PDA's Teacher Monet admits frustration with scholar Laarni

Teacher Monet, the Voice Mentor who was given the responsibility of being the in-house teacher for this season, decided to step up and help out in ironing out the kinks in the relationship between PDA scholar Laarni.

To help smooth things out, Teacher Monet had a talk with all the cholars, except for Laarni, Tuesday night. They discussed ways to improve their relationship with Laarni. Laarni was in the Counseling Room while Teacher Monet talked to the others.

Teacher Monet gave time for all the Scholars to voice out their issues with Laarni. He then advised them to be more patient with her. Although he admitted that he, too, gets frustrated with Laarni at times, he said that resorts to positive reinforcements to avoid further conflict. He asked the scholars to do the same and refrain from talking to her in a way that creates friction. In short, he advised them to accept her for who she is.

Issues between Laarni and her fellow scholars began cropping up during their first week inside the Academy. Her former teammates in One Voice (the PDA scholars are divided into two teams, One Voice and Pupilars) could not get along with her and found fault in many of the things she did.

Some of the scholars earlier felt bad for Laarni,  especially those from the Pupilars team--they felt her One Voice teammates were just ganging up on her. This perception, however, changed when Laarni transferred to Pupilars and the same problems occured.