Cebuana teen named TV5 Star Factor winner
Cebuana Eula Caballero, 15, was proclaimed the winner of TV5's reality talent show "Star Factor." The show's Grand Finals was held on Sunday, December 5, at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.
Eula bested three other contestants: 16-year-old Ritz Alzul, 17-year-old Christian Samson, and 14-year-old Morisette Amon. As the winner of "Star Winner," Eula will become TV5's first homegrown talent. Aside from the one-million-peso management contract with TV5's talent management and division group, Talent5, Eula also won one million pesos in cash, a house and lot from Moldex reality, and a four-year college scholarship from AMA Education System.
The three finalists also received scholarships from AMA, as well as 100,000 pesos in cash.
The winner of "Star Factor" was decided based on their performance that day. Stage director Audie Gemora, film director Jose Javier Reyes, photographer Raymund Isaac, talent manager Annabelle Rama, and composer Ryan Cayabyab served as the competition's judges.
For her performance during the show's live finale, Eula did a combination of acting and dancing to the tune of Evanescence's "Bring Me To Life." Second placer Morisette sang "Defying Gravity" from the Broadway musical "Wicked," as popularized by the musical-comedy show 'Glee."
Ritz, who did an elaborate dance number, placed fourth and was named Flawless Shining Star.
Eula's edge
When asked what gave her an edge against the other three finalists, Eula said it was her truthful final performance.
"Yung performance ko, hindi ko siya pinerform lang to please the judges. Ang pinakaconcern ko dun is ipalabas ko yung totoo sa sarili ko, although hindi siya verbal na kailangan kong sabihin na ganito yung nangyari. Pinalabas ko yung emotion ko, kung ano yung nararamdaman ko. It was filled with emotion na totoo sa sarili ko," she said during the press conference held right after the "Star Factor" Grand Finals.
Expectations
As TV5's first homegrown star, network Head of Creative and Entertainment Production Perci Intalan said there is only one expectation from Eula: that she grows with the network.
He said, "Kumbaga kung paano naggrogrow yung network, ganun din naggrogrow si Eula because ano yan e, after having ‘Star Factor,' kumbaga the challenges keep on coming for her. Napagusapan na namin ni direk Audie yun that the training has to be continuous kasi the type of projects will become more and more elaborate."
Intalan also said that, as of the moment, the network still has no concrete plans for the budding dramatic actress since they had to wait who among the four "Star Factor" finalists, who each had different talents and distinct possible niches in the industry, will win. But he confirmed that Eula's first projects with the network will have a "level of prestige."
"Si Eula, being the first Star Factor champion, hindi naman pwedeng nasa likod lang siya basta basta. Dapat yung project niya, which we will choose carefully, dapat lalabas yung acting prowess niya," Intalan explained.
