The time has come for TNT winner Janine

Since she was a kid, Janine Berdin has actively sought a place in the entertainment industry. She was a finalist in the ABS-CBN talent search Star Circle Quest: Search for the Next Kiddie Superstars in 2010, took on supporting roles in several teleseryes while growing up, and even tried but failed to get into The Voice Kids.

Janine is now 16 years old, and 2018 would become the year when everybody knows her name. After years of trying to break into showbiz, she finally got her biggest exposure and recognition when she was named the grand champion of the second season of Tawag ng Tanghalan on It’s Showtime last Saturday (June 2) at the Aliw Theater.

She recorded the highest total average score of 96.11 percent from the combined judges’ scores and text and online votes, thrashing other grand finalists Ato Arman (74.27 percent) of Bukidnon and Steven Paysu (61.80 percent) of California, USA.

From left: Vhong Navarro, ABS-CBN COO of broadcast Cory Vidanes, Vice Ganda, Anne Curtis, ABS-CBN chairman Mark Lopez, Amy Perez and Jhong Hilario

It had been a long time coming for Janine, who has always loved performing but never imagined she would dominate the country’s biggest singing competition.

“As a student, I would simply watch people compete on television. I would tell myself, I should be the one there. I should be the one influencing people and showing them that they can reach their dreams even if they are different,” she said after her Tawag ng Tanghalan win was announced.

Although an early favorite of viewers and netizens to win the singing contest, Janine’s journey had not been easy.

“Many people told me that my voice wasn’t clean, that I couldn’t belt. Pero ngayon na nakaabot na ako sa pangarap ko — sino nga ba sila?,” shared Janine when asked why she chose to sing Sampaguitas’ Nosi Balasi in the first round of the grand finals.

Her voice — husky and roaring — was also what set her apart from the others. That she had spunk and heart at the same time also helped, because her performances were frequently praised by the judges and have racked up millions of views on YouTube.

Grand champion Janine Berdin performs a Bamboo medley in the final round

Janine has consistently drawn comparisons to KZ Tandingan and American singer Zhavia Ward, who both rose to popularity for their swag and style via reality singing shows.

“My style is from the heart. I’m not copying anyone. Of course, they (KZ and Zhavia) are my idols. I’m copying not their style of singing, only their passion and drive to prove to everyone that being different is not a hindrance to success,” Janine said.

Dubbed by judge and pop rock princess Yeng Constantino as “the new sound of OPM,” Janine can only look forward to better things and a thriving singing career.

“It’s overwhelming because my dream is to make my own music. That it came from a very honored music icon and my idol is so humbling. Thank you to those who appreciate what I’m doing. This is my passion and it is important to me that people love what I do,” said Janine.

She also thanked all of her supporters, and promised that she would use this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity “for the good.”

XJanine sings Nosi Balasi

In the final round of the TNT grand finals, Janine earned a standing ovation from the judges and the madlang people in the Aliw Theater after she sang a medley of songs by Bamboo, namely Noypi, Tatsulok and Hallelujah.

As the grand champion, Janine won an ultimate vacation package from 2GO, a musical gadgets package from JB Music, a livelihood package from Siomai house, premium television sets from HKTV, management contracts, a brand-new house-and-lot from Camella, P2M and a trophy created by renowned Filipino visual artist Toym Imao.

Janine said that she will use her cash prize to help with the medical bills of her grandmother, who is a breast cancer survivor. She will also help her siblings finish college.

Many Filipinos watched Tawag ng Tanghalan name its newest grand champion, as it recorded a national TV rating of 31 percent last Saturday, according to data from Kantar Media.

The grand finals also immediately topped the list of trending topics on Twitter worldwide, and lingered on people’s minds long after the winner was announced, as it stayed on the trending topics list for more than 24 hours.

TNT Boys

Netizens also watched the competition on YouTube. Its live-streamed video on the site racked up more than 100,000 concurrent views — the highest-ever recorded by a Kapamilya program or an ABS-CBN news coverage on YouTube. This is after the singing competition’s official Facebook page recently earned one million likes.

The votes amassed by this year’s week-long Tawag ng Tanghalan grand finals also exceeded the figure recorded by last year’s grand finals, as Filipinos all over the country and around the world campaigned for, supported and voted for their favorites to win the latest season.

After the vocal showdowns in TNT, beauty queens will take over the It’s Showtime stage in the grand finals of the Miss Q & A segment on June 30.

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