From Talentadong Pinoy to the world

If there ever was a supreme success story resulting from a television talent search, for us it would have to be that of Wanlu, Hall of Fame puppeteer and ventriloquist in Talentadong Pinoy over TV5. Wanlu was a magician and illusionist for 22 years, but when he got his Hall of Fame award on his birthday March 30, 2009, he possibly took that as a sign to retire from magic and concentrate on his new career.

We remember Wanlu well having been an avid follower of Talentadong Pinoy (TP), because we considered its director Rich Ilustre a genius at having helmed such pioneering shows as TP and Shall We Dance? of Lucy Torres-Gomez. It is surely to Ilustre’s credit that TP is still going strong to this day.

Having learned the basics of ventriloquism from his friend Ony Carcamo, Wanlu researched on advanced techniques through books, watched instructional videos and had online ventriloquist discussions with experts. When he was ready, he joined TP as an amateur ventriloquist and started making a name for himself. Wanlu has been invited to countless TV shows, especially when he became a Hall of Famer. “My monkey puppet Enchong Go is now a regular in Talentadong Pinoy Kids. He is also a part of the Season 4 of Batibot. Being in Batibot is a dream come true for me,” he declares.

Appearing in Batibot is a dream come true for Wanlu (rightmost)

Wanlu has also been given the chance to travel. Last November, he was the sole Philippine representative to the ASEAN Puppetry Festival held at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia where he had the chance to bond with fellow practitioners and learned more about puppetry. Recently this month, he performed at the Hanoi Marionette Festival in Vietnam. He swears to learn even more about puppetry in that part of the world.

The best thing about Wanlu is that he never forgets those who have helped him reach stardom. He contributes to the cause of ventriloquism. He recently organized Wanlu’s Battle of Belly Talkers, which introduced many ventriloquists to the public. He sits on the Samahan ng Papetirs ng Pilipinas as director and board member. He uses the puppets for cause-oriented benefits like performing for kids in hospital wards. An act for the environment is dubbed Wanlu, Wan Earth, Me, Myself, and Mother Earth. Also promoting the world-class Filipino talent is Talentadong Pinoy Tayo.

Completely aware of the fact that one has to constantly update the nature of his shows so as not to bore the audience, Wanlu always prepares new material and develops new characters. “Sometimes I end up with a character that I never had the chance to use. At the moment, I have an Indian Swami named Ozham the Awesome, a cop named SPO1 Dela Cruz, a female pig named Bb Gandangbaboy, all of which I still have to use.”

With his experience of several years, one would think that he had covered all possible obstacles. There was an instance, however, at a party in a Chinese Restaurant when food was served in the middle of his show. “I had to cut my act short because nobody was responding anymore. It was a learning experience for me. After that, I always instruct the people in charge never to serve food during my act,” he relates.

At this point in his career as puppeteer and ventriloquist, Wanlu can state proudly, “Because of my exposure in Talentadong Pinoy, I have performed for all types of people and events. I am proud to say that I can perform from town fiestas to corporate events and product launchings; from a small barangay hall to the humongous Lido Theater of Star Cruises Superstar Virgo; from the slums of Tondo to the mansions of Ayala Alabang.”

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