It has been a long time since I last saw Wilbert Ross. His recent guesting on “Fast Talk with Boy Abunda” brought many happy memories. I managed his career when he became a talent at Asian Artists Agency, Inc., the artist management company I established after Backroom, Inc. Armed with grit, passion and ambition, Wilbert left his hometown of Davao to seek his fortune in Manila and fulfill his dream of becoming an artist.
I’m very proud of what he has achieved so far in his career. Wherever he is today, it’s because of his hard work and constant sacrifices. I’m also excited about what the future holds for Wilbert, as the best is yet to come. I always remind him to stay humble and save money because he doesn’t know what will happen next.
He recently held his first major concert titled “WRten by Wilbert Ross” at the New Frontier Theater to celebrate his 10th year in showbiz. Tickets sold out within 15 minutes of release. He said during our conversation, “Sobrang thankful ko noong time na iyon. Hindi ko siya in-expect. It’s an honor na mabigyan ng chance na mag-concert, at para ma-sold out iyon nang 15 minutes, sobrang ganito na pala karaming willing na marinig iyong musika ko, ng mga sulat ko. I-ne-embrace ko na siya na I need to write more songs to inspire more people.”
His favorite song in the concert is Hello by Lionel Richie, which he sang in “Tawag ng Tanghalan.” Wilbert explained, “That was the first song na kinanta ko po sa harap ng TV. Sa ‘Tawag ng Tanghalan’ as a contender. Bumalik lahat sa akin na, ‘Dito ako nagsimula. Dito ako unang nakita ng mga tao.’” However, the contest didn’t yield a favorable result for him. He tried his luck again by competing in ABS-CBN’s “Pinoy Boyband Superstar” until he was chosen from another audition to be a member of Hashtags, who regularly performed on “It’s Showtime.”
Wilbert invited his “It’s Showtime” family to be part of his anniversary concert. He has always been grateful to the program for giving him all the opportunities to showcase and improve his craft as an artist. He talked about Vice Ganda’s surprise appearance. “Alam kong guest ko siya, pero hindi siya nag-re-reply. So, natakot kaming lahat kasi walang nag-re-reply sa kanyang team. Tapos, nagsisimula na iyong concert. Konting numbers na lang, so ready na akong kumanta nang mag-isa. Ready na akong kantahin iyong part niya, pero bigla siyang kumanta. Bumuhos lahat sa akin kasi isa siya sa mga taong naniniwala sa akin ever since noong mga time na sobrang konti pa lang ang naniniwala sa akin.”
He considers his reunion performance with the Hashtags members very special. According to Wilbert, the last time they danced together was before the pandemic.
The young actor-singer is now being linked to actress Bea Binene, who congratulated Wilbert on his 10th year in showbiz with a short video message. He kept mum on the status of their relationship when I asked him about it. “Partner ko siya sa maraming bagay ngayon. Like we have a business together,” was his simple reply. Popularly known as WilBea, the two stars previously acted together in the series “Golden Scenery of Tomorrow.” They are currently business partners for the Sunset Avenue brand.