All the four Dreamers in the last batch made it through the screening. The Pinoy Dream Academy Dream Mentors were not only impressed with their talent but also their amazing and admirable true to life dramas behind their dreams.

Emotions overflowed as one of Pinoy Dream Academy Season 2 finalists, Jun Ross Dio, proudly showed affection towards his physically-challenged father after his performance in the final screening. Surprisingly, Teacher Kitchy Molina couldn’t stop her tears from falling down her cheeks upon witnessing a true show of affection between a father and a son. According to her, she couldn’t help but be hit by the striking empathy the father and son threw at her from backstage—genuinely pure and true. With this sudden burst of emotion, Direk Joey Reyes and Headmaster Ryan Cayabyab couldn’t help but be moved just the same. The overflow of emotion was truly contagious, far more moving than the Dreamer’s macho crystal clear voice that earned him a seat to the PDA Season 2’s Grand Opening Night.

Apple Abarquez of Cebu, on the other hand, proved that she is lucky not only for being surrounded by 12 loving parents but also for having the star quality voice in her. Her pride and confidence in terms of speaking about her unconventional family structure brought a plus factor on the impact of her personality, as well as her role as a good daughter to her family.

Speaking of good daughter, two other screening passers portray this same role in their own different ways. Ma. Consuelo Osorio, a daughter of a former film director, uses her voice to earn her family a living. Now, a possible ticket to success was handed over her with the help of her ever dependable bread-and-butter that is, unluckily, threatened by a vocal fault cyst.

As for the other good daughter, she can now have broader scope to prove how far she could go as the pride of her father, being the only daughter expected to pursue her father’s frustrations. 

The list is now cut down to 25 Dreamers, and the much awaited grand opening night is now only a sleep away. Who among the 25 would make it? It is for you to find out. Watch PDA Season 2’s Grand Opening Night.

Out of the eight screened dreamers, two days before the opening night of the Pinoy Dream Academy Season 2, five names stood out to finally make it to the final list for Saturday.

For the jump start, Van Louelle Pojas sang Edwin McCain’s I’ll Be. It was good, but unfortunately for him, it didn’t impress the judges that much. It could have been the end of his dream, but good thing his follow up heartfelt Visayan song was able to change their minds. His charms suddenly earned him a great potential of becoming “a face with the voice.”

As for Rafael Ignacio Ting, he proved the world that size doesn’t really matter, and that sandwiches could actually do a lot of wonders in terms of handling pressures. From such a big built, out came an incredibly soothing modulated voice that awed the Dream-credible team in an instant. Aside from his undeniable talent of playing with notes, his originality and creativity in terms of arranging songs to suit his current style also earned him the plus points that brought him near his dream.

Louise Christine Remata, on the other hand, got the attention of the judges with her amazing voice quality – sweet, moving, and clear. This Lea Salonga wanna be happen to reserve a seat of her own on a possible journey towards stardom.

With his aim of doing better than being a mere finalist, the video and disc jock finalist Ranjit Singh found an open window of being a step closer to this goal as the judges paved way to his chance in PDA on Saturday.

Showmanship and experience happen to be the ace cards that the dreamer Michellle Belmonte holds. Being a natural stand-up comic that she is, her performance blew like a breeze. Though some saw her to be “too professional and too conventional” for the Academy, coming up with a “fresher style” is a challenge she has to meet.

As the five names above stood up, sadly, three had to step out. Though she had proven herself “small but terrible,” Kat Pambuena failed to please the judges with her version of Because of You. Optimism, on the other hand, may not be enough for Anne Frances Pasco to reach her dream of becoming the next Yeng Constantino. Though she and Jorell Canuell are experienced in competitions as such, they may have to wait for a next time to prove themselves worthy, again.

Slots are yet to be filled in order to complete the list of scholars. Two more nights and the much awaited final list of scholars will be formally introduced to the public – something that is definitely worth looking forward to, so you better watch out for the grand opening night of PDA Season 2 on June 14.

Pinoy Academyfans are in for one exciting season as the Kapamilya network welcomes in the new batch of PDA scholars at the PDA Season 2 Opening Night this coming June 14. Out of the top 32 aspiring PDA dreamers, only half will be lucky enough to get a chance to enter the academy after a grueling set of auditions. “Out of the 32, siguro dalawa lang yung masasabi kong hindi karapat-dapat na andun. Lahat sila halos napahanga ako. Nanghihinayang ako na kailangan naming mamili kasi ang gagaling nila. Pero siyempre ang mapipili naming yung mga mas magaling,” new headmaster Ryan Cayabyab shared. After being part of another singing search in 2006, the Maestro says that he sees Pinoy Dream Academy as a better way of finding the next big singing star. “Mas gusto ko ito kasi right now, what I can say is, we will really develop the person who’s going inside the Academy. Karamihan ng mga contests, yung mga judges nagcri-critique lang. In the Academy, they come in and we hone them. So Kitchy (Molina) will really tell them how to sing it and Joey will tell them how to perform it. It’s not like critiques lang. They have workshops and classes to attend. That’s the main difference,” he stressed.

Mr.C also declared that they will really do their best this season to bring out the best in his students. “We will be focused on honing them to become the best singers, the best entertainers that we can. Importante na maging maggaling sila na performers kasi yun ang kailangan natin ngayon. The performers should really be original, to affect the audience and they will really have to have a lasting expression on the Filipino audience. We want to have the best performers that the Philippines has ever seen in the past years,” Ryan declared. After hearing comments that the last season’s batch of scholars were too pampered, he said that the scholars are in for a tougher time. Performance Master Joey Reyes also echoed this sentiment. “In the Philippines, everyone can sing. Sa bawat kanto, meron kang maririnig na marunong kumanta. But we don’t need just a good singer. We need a great singer who can become a star,” Direk Joey said.

Joey, who is known as the disciplinarian inside the academy, defended himself against those who think he is too harsh on the scholars. “Unang-una, I’m not tough for the sake of being tough. You don’t become bitchy for the sake of being bitchy. You do not criticize for the sake of being the next Simon Cowell. There is no next Simon Cowell. Anybody else attempting that will be a second rate copycat (laughs). I am tough as teacher because I want to instill a certain discipline sa mga estudyante mo. I am going to be two times tougher here. And judging sa mga in-audition naming sa final casting. This is a really, really impressive lot to be tough at,” he concluded.

Aside from Mr. C and Direk Joey, PinoyDreamAcademy’s Dream-credible team also includes Voice Master Kitchy Molina, Voice Mentor Monet Silvestre and hosts Billy Crawford, Nikki Gil and Toni Gonzaga.

Ryan Cayabyab and Billy Crawford were formally welcomed into the Pinoy Dream Academy family during a July 3 presscon for the second season. Along with hosts Toni Gonzaga and Nikki Gil and Season 1 mentors Joey Reyes, Kitchy Molina, and Monet Silvestre, the two new inclusions promise to make PDA into one exciting show.

Maestro Ryan, who has been teaching music for over two decades, will take over headmaster duties from Jim Paredes, who has decided to return to Australia. International pop-R&B sensation Billy will be hosting the daily afternoon show Uberture, giving updates and other factoids on the PDA Dreamers. Toni will host the primetime edition of PDA while Nikki will be delivering daily updates. Toni and Billy will also host the weekly performance and expulsion nights.

Another new aspect of the show is the inclusion of a live-in voice mentor. Monet Silvestre will be staying inside the house to provide guidance to the scholars both in and out of the classroom. “This is something you should look forward to because it is a different take on PDA. Ibang klase,” Headmaster Ryan says. Voice master Kitchy and performance master Joey are also back to help mold the scholar’s talents and personalities.

This new season also heralds the start of including Little Big Dreamers into the show. These are younger singing aspirants who will also undergo classes and have a special performance every Sunday. Out of these young contenders, there will also be a top three students, just like the PDA scholars. “The academy will be open to them on weekends, but they will come in later on. We thought we should also open it up to younger aspirants. Kasi ‘di ba the younger they are, the better to teach the kids. Since nandito na yung PDA, hindi pa naman alam kung kelan mangyayari yung Little Big Star, we’re already opening it to younger singers. Mas importante yung may matutunan sila kesa yung competition itself. So abangan ninyo nalang yun,” shares PDA Business Unit Head Lauren Dyogi.

International artist Billy Crawford has asked people not to make a big issue out of his becoming a part of the Kapamilya network. His upcoming gig as PinoyDreamAcademy Season 2 host was coursed by his management abroad through Endemol, which in turn made the negotiations with ABS-CBN. “Trying to make this decision was a little hard at one point, but I’m excited to come back to the Philippines.”

The singer also cleared that this has nothing to do with the network wars. “It’s not about the two different channels. It’s about me coming back to the Philippines. Lahat ng ginagawa ko, pinagmamalaki ko ang Pilipinas. There’s so much going on with contracts here and there… You know what? God will guide me as to where I need to go.” Billy also clarified that German Moreno, who has been a family friend since he was three years old, never managed his career.

Aside from hosting PDA, Billy was pretty psyched about getting to work with old friends like Gary Valenciano and Vina Morales on ASAP 08. He also has a concert lined up at the Araneta with Sarah Geronimo.He’s very open to working with anyone, like KC Concepcion, if given the chance. “I’ve known KC for a long time… You know, I think Tita Sharon (Cuneta) has to approve everything first before I say anything so…” Billy shared with a very big grin on his face. “I’m excited!”

Talk about Billy’s upcoming projects at the Kapamilya Tambayan!

Prepare for a back-to-back treat this 2008 as Pinoy Big Brother Teen Edition and Pinoy Dream Academy return for their respective second installements. But according to the two alumni of these two programs, Pinoy Big Brother and Pinoy Dream Academy don’t just fulfill dreams, they also change lives.

Since her big win on PBB Teen Edition last 2006, Kim Chiu has been transformed from a typical high school student to today’s most-sought after teen celebrity. The Cebuana lass said that she didn’t really expect to win and become successful at a very young age. Not only did PBB pave the way to achieve her dreams, the show also helped Kim discover things about herself which enabled her to become a better and more confident person. Kim has already starred in the primetime soap Sana Maulit Muli, the weekly mini-series LoveSpell, and two blockbuster movies under Star Cinema, all opposite her ka-loveteam and fellow teen housemate Gerald Anderson. She and Gerald are also set to appear in the upcoming Sineserye Maligno with Claudine Barreto.

On the other hand, PDA’s first Grand Star Dreamer Yeng Constantino treasures the new life she now has since winning in the reality talent show. Yeng is now considered one of the top-selling recording artists in the music industry with her triple platinum debut album, a sold-out solo concert, successful world tours, numerous awards, and a newly released sophomore CD. The singer-song writer is very grateful for not only has PDA made her dream come true, it has also granted her family’s deepest wishes. She hopes that another “dreamer” like her will have a chance to shine in the second season of the show.

Indeed, PBB and PDA have gone out of its way from being hit reality shows to being factories of great talents. Catch PBB Teen Edition Plus as makes its much-awaited return this Easter Sunday, March 23. Also, watch out for the coming of the Pinoy Dream Academy Season 2 scholars this May.

Bigger dreams are yet to come true as Pinoy Dream Academy launches its primer tomorrow night during the airing of Pinoy Big Brother Teen Edition Plus! Hosted by PDA Season 1 Grand Star Dreamer Yeng Constantino, Get to know the 30 Star Dreamers of the most prestigious music school in the country and see whether they have what it takes to be the country’s next singing sensations. More surprises await all PDA fanatics for the show will also reveal a lot of never-before-seen footages of its outstanding graduates such as Jay-R Siaboc and Ronnie Liang plus other exciting happenings during the Season 1 auditions.

Who among the thirty semi-finalists will be lucky enough to make it to the esteemed scholar list? Find out tomorrow night on Pinoy Big Brother Teen Edition Plus right after I am KC only on ABS-CBN.

“Di naman ako umalis, I’ve always been a kapamilya.” Maestro and music legend Ryan Cayabyab is now on the prowl for new trainees as Pinoy Dream Academy’s second season head master. First and foremost a teacher of music, Mr. C as he is known in the industry, is ready to bring out the best performers in the land.

“Pagka-hands on ko dito, I’ll be training as a teacher. Ito yung love ko, yung mga train, magturo sa larangan ng musika,” he shared.

When asked about the difference of his jugding duties before from his head master duties, Mr. C says that on Pinoy Dream Academy he definitely has a lot of work to do.

“My duty then was to judge for a 1-hour show, magjudge kung di maganda ang ginagawa, mali ang pagkanta. Dito iba, training the students for almost 6 hours a day. In still in them discipline which is very important.” Mr. C said.

Together with academician Kitchie Molina and TV/film director Joey Javier, Ryan Cayabyab is right in saying that this season’s contestants have a force to reckon with. His advice to his soon-to-be pupils?

“Para sa mga papasok sa Academy, matakot kayo. This a formidable team you’d be facing and dito hindi pwede yung pwede na. Akala kasi ng mga bago pagnatuwa sa kanila ang mga tao, made na sila. That’s far from the truth. Di lang pagawit at pag-perform ang dapat nilang matutunan kundi pati na rin ang disiplina at pagmamahal sa craft ng pagkanta.”

When asked about how she feels about comments on her lyrics being “superficial,” Yeng appeared anything but offended.

“Hindi naman po ako nagpapaka-weirdo,” answered the first-ever Pinoy Dream Academy grand champion. “Hindi naman pwedeng ipilit ang di kayang gawin.”

Some may criticize her music but Yeng is no doubt a certified hit-maker, what with her phenomenal hits, such as Hawak-Kamay, Salamat and a double-platinum debut album aside from that.

Yeng, also a mainstay in ASAP ‘07, follows one rule when it comes to her music.

“True lang po ako sa sarili ko,” she admitted. “Ang importante sa akin ay ma-share ko ang sinusulat ko.”

Yeng will soon come out with her second album, which she describes in one word: astig.

“Kalahati ng (mga kanta sa) album, gawa ko pa rin po,” shared the petite teenager. She derive her inspirations from her friends’s experiences and her own in composing songs. Her songs talk about emotions and love but disclosed that more happy songs dominate her album.

She intended to use common words in her latest compositions so that more people could relate to them, Yeng said.

It cannot be helped that Yeng be compared with another popular artists, like Kitchie Nadal.

“Influence ko po siya,” admitted Yeng. “Pero hindi puwedeng magkaparehong-magkapareho kami. Mas pop lang ako ng konti.”

She is loveless but Yeng is not the least bothered. The singer who celebrated her 19th birthday last December 4, said that her flourishing career is enough to atone to her passive lovelife.

“Ngayon ko lang naa-appreciate ang kahalagahan ng career ko,” she confessed. “Sabi ng tatay ko, ´wag palampasin ang binibigay (na biyaya) ng Diyos. Natupad lahat ng pangarap ko.” 

She dismissed rumors that claim that she is a lesbian. People may get the wrong impression because of her “boyish” movements but she assured that she is a 100% woman.

“Iba lang siguro ang kinalakihan ko,” she offered, adding that as a child, her environment was surrounded by guys, like his brothers and playmates.