Ronnie Liang: It pays to dream

Because he’s new in the business and staying in a condo unit (meals by delivery because he doesn’t cook), his first time to be alone and away from his family based in Pampanga, Ronnie Liang is rumored to have a gay benefactor.

"It’s not true," said Ronnie, 22, third-placer in the first and so far only edition of Pinoy Dream Academy (PDA), the ABS-CBN reality-TV search won by Yeng Constantino (of Hawak Kamay fame). "I’m renting the place with my own hard-earned money. It’s convenient for me because it’s near my place of work, near everything."

The nasty rumor is some kind of a baptism of showbiz fire for the B.S. Education graduate of the Holy Angel University (Angeles City, Pampanga) and the youngest among seven children.

"I’m learning how to take things like this in stride," added Ronnie whose father is half-Chinese. That’s showbiz!

Ronnie started singing with the church choir in Angeles at age 10, honing his voice until he entered college. He attended his classes in the afternoon and evening (3 to 9 p.m.). Mornings, he worked at McDonald’s and then at Video City, and "sidelined" as a ramp model, also in Pampanga. That was how a talent scout (now his manager) discovered him.

"I didn’t have a choice; I had to be a working student," said Ronnie. "My father got sick of tuberculosis and my mother of arthritis. Now I’m saving money to pay the bank which is about to foreclose the mortgage we got, with our house as collateral."

Before he landed at the PDA, Ronnie did a stint with the GMA talent search Pinoy Pop Superstar where he was declared champion for four weeks but was disqualified when he was discovered to have a manager (it’s against the contest criteria, something allowed at PDA).

"Actually," recalled Ronnie, "I was reluctant to audition. But my manager insisted. He was in a hurry because only 700 would be taken in, and there were thousands lining up for the audition. It was my manager who filled up the application form and fell in line. He called me only when my turn came."

Gerald Santos eventually emerged the over-all champion. Ronnie was asked to return his P120,000 prize money but he said, "So sorry, I’ve spent it already."

His disqualification from Pinoy Pop Superstar turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

"If it didn’t happen," said Ronnie, "I wouldn’t have had a chance to join PDA. I was a Pinoy Pop champion for four weeks but I stayed at the PDA for four months."

As PDA third-placer, Ronnie received P100,000 cash, a motorcycle and a condo unit in Valenzuela, Bulacan.

And more.

He has just signed a contract with Universal Records which has dubbed him "the emerging Prince of Balladeers" as it launched his debut album Ang Aking Awitin (a duet between Ronnie and Nikki Gil), with Vince Katindoy’s Ngiti as carrier single. The 14-track CD also carries remakes like George Canseco’s Saan Darating ang Umaga?, Gino Padilla’s Gusto Kita, and Nais Ko, the pop classic composed by Ryan Cayabyab which Ronnie sang during the PDA finals.

Executive-produced by UR’s lady boss Kathleen Dy Go (who saw Ronnie’s potential even before the PDA finals), along with Ito Rapadas, the CD also includes Kaibigan Ko (by Pett del Rosario), Nag-iisang Ikaw (composed and produced by Vehnee Saturno), Kung Ako’y Uuwi (a song for OFWs by Ito Rapadas), Ikaw (by R ’n B legend Keith Martin), and Sa ‘Yo Lang and Walang Iba (both by John Barnard Borja).

Ronnie is now on a US tour, performing with other ABS-CBN talents until April 23. It’s his first time to be in America.

"And my first time to ride a plane bound for a faraway destination," he said.

Asked what he learned at the PDA, Ronnie said, "How not to lose hope...to continue dreaming and to pursue your dream with determination."

Jim Paredes, PDA head master, told the scholars to scan magazines and to clip pictures that seemed to be "talking" to them and paste them on a cartolina.

"So I clipped a picture of a singer’s album because I wanted to have an album, and now I have an album. I clipped a picture of a car because I wanted to have a car, and now I have one (a brand-new Honda Civic). My manager lent me money for the down payment. I clipped pictures of foreign places because I wanted to go abroad, and now I’m going to the US. It’s nice to dream, di ba?"

Ronnie has gone a long way since he sang his first song, Vehnee Saturno’s Dadaanin Ko Na Lang Sa Kanta, during a family gathering. But even when he was with the Angeles City church choir, Ronnie said he never realized he would be a singer by profession.

"I really wanted to be an actor. I did a bit role in (Regal Films’) Ako Legal Wife as the love interest of John Prats (who played a gay character). I auditioned maybe a hundred times for several other movies and for TV shows, unsuccessfully. But when I auditioned as a singer, natanggap kaagad ako. It was only when I joined Pinoy Pop Superstar did I realize that I could sing professionally. I think God really wants me to be a singer."

He has put his love life on hold and concentrating on his career.

He contents himself with just dreaming about and stealing glances at his crushes (Angel Locsin, Anne Curtis, Bea Alonzo, Nikki Gil and Precious Lara Quigaman with whom he co-starred in an episode of the ABS-CBN show Your Song).

Meanwhile, if you are in the vicinity of Panay Ave. near ABS-CBN and you hear somebody "vocalizing" from his condo unit, you should know who he is.

Laughed Ronnie, "Sometimes the guard would go up to my unit and ask me to tone down because my neighbors daw are complaining."

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