OPM@PAGCOR Finalists gear up for June 10 Finals Night

Who will be the next OPM Star? Find out on June 10 when the “OPM@PAGCOR, A Nationwide Search for the Total OPM Performer” culminates in a Grand Finals Night at the PAGCOR Grand Theater of Airport Casino Filipino, Paranaque City. The showdown starts at 8:00 PM.

Fourteen amateur yet exceptional talents from all over the country will be competing for the honor of being named the country’s first Total OPM Performer.

The grand finalists – Russ Narcies Cabico, Faye Danica Abadicio, Louie Murphy Regala, Dioseyl Fornes, Marie Joyce Tañaña, Renz Ruther Robosa, Jell Christie Sumagui, Paullete Cambronero, Hadasa Von Camporaso, Charles Kevin Tan, Arceli Bullo, Fred Abaquita Jr., Steve Fernandez and Gilda Joy Togonon – bested nearly 2,000 auditionees who participated in the month-long nationwide search for undiscovered Filipino singers.

“We are confident that we have found the best, undiscovered Filipino amateur singers who will one day become OPM singing sensations,” PAGCOR’s Assistant Vice President for Entertainment Bong Quintana excitedly said.

The talent search is a joint project of PAGCOR and the Organisasyon ng Pilipinong Mang-aawit (OPM). The grand winner will receive P300,000 in cash, a performance contract with PAGCOR, and a recording contract with a major music recording company. The second place winner gets P200,000 and P100,000 for the third placer. Non-winners will be given P20,000 each.

All 14 grand finalists were given an all-expense paid trip to Manila and free accommodations for the duration of the performance workshop and preparations for the Grand Finals. PAGCOR also commissioned M Barreto of Folded and Hung to design the finalists’ outfits for the grand finals night.

The grand contenders are currently undergoing a performance workshop in Manila which started on May 28 and ends on June 4. Some of the country’s OPM icons and music educators are acting as workshop mentors of the grand finalists.

“The workshop is an integral tool for these amateur singers to perform professionally. It focuses on the fundamentals of vocal preparation, onstage movements and other rudimentary concepts essential to a successful performance,” Quintana stressed.

“We know that they are all good. But what we want to see in each contestant is how they present themselves professionally. How they incorporate the skills and lessons from their training with the pros will certainly give them a better chance of winning the championship,” he added.

There will be nine jurors during the grand finals, said Quintana. “Three of them will come from PAGCOR; three from OPM and the other three will be individuals who may or may not be from the music industry but knows what a good performance is when they see one.”

Meanwhile, OPM President Ogie Alcasid expressed his appreciation to PAGCOR for its unrelenting support to their organization. “Taos puso kaming nagpapasalamat sa PAGCOR. It’s really our dream to bring back the glory of OPM. Without PAGCOR, walang ganitong contest,” he said.

APO Hiking Society member and former OPM President Jim Paredes said he was surprised by the impressive performances of the contestants. “I think this OPM contest was able to find the crème of the crop among amateurs. In just several workshops, they can all be professionals,” he noted.