Angel Locsin is one of country’s leading performers on the Philippine silver screen. She was named Best Actress in the 29th PMPC
Awards for Movies in 2013, and has been considered as one of the most
awarded dramatic actresses today. From a television and film actress,
she has diversified into various media in the entertainment business: as
a commercial model, film producer, fashion designer and product
endorser.
Angel
was recently unveiled as one of the talented gurus who will be molding
the next generation of child performers in this season’s Promil
Pre-School i-Shine Talent Camp. She will be joining the star-studded
panel of esteemed mentors backstage: choreographer and G-Force director,
Georcelle Dapat-Sy and divine diva Zsa Zsa Padilla. As mentor, Angel
will be steering i-Shine participants through the acting workshops.
For
25 years, Promil Pre-School has been well known for talent development,
raising awareness for parental participation, proper guidance and good
nutrition as factors that play major roles in bringing preschoolers to
their full potential. The Promil Pre-School i-Shine Talent Camp is one
of Promil Pre-school’s advocacies, in which the talents of Filipino
children nationwide are engaged. Angel is excited to see how this year’s
mentees will fare under her tutelage.
Continuously mastering your craft
One
of her most remembered roles is her rendering of the iconic
superheroine Darna in the TV adaptation of Mars Ravelo’s classic
character. But despite her fame, Angel knows that she didn’t just wake
up one morning to success; she had to learn the ropes and work on her
craft assiduously – a painstaking process that she knows all budding
talents must go through, like the tiny tots of the Promil Pre-School
i-Shine Talent Camp who will be entrusted into her care.
“Paulit-ulit
kong sinasabi na iba yung honor na binibigay sa akin nito bilang isang
artista... Yung ma-appreciate ka sa talent mo at yung oportunidad para
ma-experience at ma-ishare mo sa mga bata yung mga natutunan mo – yung
mga tinuro rin sa akin nung mga naging mentors ko when I was young (I
always say that this is a great honor for me as an artist… That of
being appreciated for your talent and the opportunity to experience and
share to the kids what I’ve learned – those things that I’ve learned
from my own mentors when I was young),” she says. “Bawat talent,
bawat show, bawat acting piece na ginagawa mo, meron at meron kang
nadedevelop na kailangan mo pang i-enhance… Continuous process kasi yung
acting (Each talent, each show, each acting piece that a person
does, you get to develop something that you would still have to enhance…
Acting is a continuous process),” she adds.
The importance of proper nurturing and guidance
While
she feels that talent plays a big role in how a child stands out, it’s
really the combined effort and diligence taken by the child, parents and
teachers that make a difference. “I think there are many talented
individuals; but it’s really the masisipag (hardworking) that beat them in the end. So, kailangan talaga ng perserverance (You really need perseverance),” she points out.
Angel also understands how crucial mentoring is in the life of a child. “Natatandaan ko pa yung nursery teacher ko nung bata ako – Hindi ko makakalimutan yung pangalan niya. (I remember my nursery teacher when I was young – I will never forget her name.) That’s how much of an impact she had on me. Nakaka-flatter na baka ganun din yung mangyari sa mga bata. (It’s flattering to think that that could also happen to these kids.) Actually, challenge ito para sa akin na mabigay ko talaga yung dapat matutunan nung mga bata sa maikling panahon (It
is actually a challenge for me to give my best so the kids will get the
learning they need in such a short amount of time)."
And
she doesn’t discount the importance of family support, which she cites
as an important factor in her own development as an artist. “I am
very blessed na sila yung naging magulang ko sa lahat ng pinagdaanan ko.
Hindi kami galing sa showbiz family. Napakasimple lang ng pamilya ko,
pero nag-adjust talaga sila ng lifestyle for me para magawa ko ‘tong
gusto ko. Napakaswerte ko sa pamilya ko (I am very blessed to have
the kind of parents that I have. We are not a showbiz family. My family
is simple, but they adjusted their lifestyle for me so that I could
reach this far. I’m really lucky to have them).”
And this is why she likewise hopes that the i-Shine finalists will receive the same kind of support from their own. “Sana
itong mga bagets natin dito sa i-Shine, sana ganun din yung mga
magulang nila na nakasuporta dun sa gusto nung mga anak nila. Hindi
dahil sa gusto nila, pero dahil ito yung pangarap nung mga anak nila.
Sana i-encourage nila yung mga bata kung papaano mahalin lalo ‘tong
craft na ‘to, at i-enjoy pa ‘to kasi mga bata rin naman sila, diba?
Ayokong iparamdam sa kanila na ‘this is work’ diba? (I hope the
parents support their kids’ interest because this is what their child
dreams of doing, not because this is what the parent wants. They should
encourage love for this craft and for this kind of work and teach the
child how to enjoy it. The kids shouldn’t go through the experience
thinking that ‘this is work’ because they are children after all, aren’t
they?)” she shares.
Achieving success in performing arts through encouragement
Angel
has played many popular roles in the past, but her role as the acting
mentor for Promil Pre-School i-Shine Talent Camp 3 is a first for her
career. “Gusto kong bigyan ng opportunity yung mga bata to shine.
Sana mahalin nila yung craft, yung industry, at hindi nila isipin na
trabaho lang siya (I just want these kids to be given the
opportunity to shine. I want them to learn how to love the craft, the
industry, and not treat it as just a job),” she shares. “Challenge
talaga siya na maturo ko sa mga bata yung kailangan nilang matutunan sa
maikling panahon, pero the least I can give them is yung suporta at
encouragement na kailangan nila para maabot nila yung full potential
nila (It will definitely be a challenge to be able to teach these
kids all that I know in such a limited time, but the least I can give
them is the support and encouragement that they need to reach their full
potential),” she adds.
This
season’s i-Shine Talent Camp 3 is hosted by Dimples Romana, Matteo
Guidicelli, and Xian Lim. The Promil Pre-School i-Shine Talent Camp is
also giving away over Php 1 million worth of prizes and a contract from
ABS-CBN and Promil Pre-School to the grand winner. The previous year’s
Promil Pre-School Grand i-Shiner, Yesha Camille, has received quite a
number of television appearances after winning the feat, and is now
involved in an upcoming series with her i-Shine mentor Piolo Pascual.