- Cebuana lass is newest winner of iconic Filipino singing competition ‘Tawag ng Tanghalan’
- Janine Berdin bags grand champion, while Ato Arman of Mindanao places second and Steven Paysu of U.S, finishes third at the top-rating variety show “It’s Showtime’s” popular segment
After months of searching for the best amateur singers from the Philippines to the world, historic singing competition Tawag ng Tanghalan sa “It’s Showtime” closes with a bang as sixteen-year-old student Janine Berdin emerged grand champion last June 2 at the Aliw Theater in Manila, Philippines.
After months of auditions, grueling judging, and nerve-wracking weekly results, Berdin surpassed this year’s wide roster after getting the highest total average score of 96.11% from the combined judges (hurado) scores, and text and online votes. Meantime, grand finalist Ato Arman from Bukidnon, Mindanao scored 74.27% while Steven Paysu, an overseas Filipino from California, U.S. got 61.80%.
Proving that age is just a number, Berdin, the youngest in the competition, went on ahead to be the first to enter Saturday’s grand showdown during the week-long grand finals, and was an early favorite of viewers and netizens to win the singing contest. Her performances were also frequently raved about by the judges and have racked up millions of views on YouTube.
During the final round, Berdin earned a standing ovation from the judges and the madlang (public) people in the Aliw Theater after she sang a medley of songs by Bamboo, namely “Noypi,” “Tatsulok (Triangle)” and “Hallelujah.”
Before the final round, she performed Sampaguita’s “Nosi Balasi” before being praised and dubbed by judge and Philippines’ Rockoustic Princess Yeng Constantino as “the new sound of OPM”.
As the grand champion, Berdin won an ultimate vacation package from a transport company, a musical gadgets package, a livelihood package, premium television sets, management contracts, a brand-new house and lot, P2-million cash tax free, and a trophy created by renowned Filipino visual artist Toym Imao.
Meantime, second placer Arman received P500,000, while third placer Paysu was awarded P250,000.
Many Filipinos watched Tawag ng Tanghalan name its newest grand champion, as it immediately topped the list of trending topics on Twitter worldwide. Berdin and Paysu’s names also made it to the top 15 list.
Overseas Filipinos were also able to witness the performances unfold via TFC’s platforms worldwide.
The votes amassed by this year’s week-long Tawag ng Tanghalan grand finals also exceeded the figure recorded by last year’s grand finals on ABS-CBN’s official Youtube channel, as Filipinos all over the country and around the world campaigned for, supported, and voted for their favorites to win the latest season.
After the vocal showdowns in Tawag ng Tanghalan, beauty queens will take over the “It’s Showtime” stage in the grand finals of the “Miss Q & A” segment on June 30 (Manila time).
Witness the top-rating and top-trending grand finals once again available via TFC online (www.TFC.tv) and TFC IPTV worldwide (except in some countries). Catch “It’s Showtime” Monday to Saturdays (Manila time) on TFC’s platforms worldwide.
For more updates about TFC shows, visit TFC’s Facebook page applicable for your area. Connect with fellow global Kapamilyas and follow @KapamilyaTFC and KapamilyaGlobalPR on Twitter and Instagram.
