Charm is a member of the idol girl group, Cherry, managed by the Japanese company, Make It Entertainment (MINT). A chance encounter with her co-member, Lily, opens a Pandora's box that reveals what happens behind the camera, off the stage and beyond...
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It was 2017 when the Japanese company, Make It Entertainment or better known by the acronym, MINT, launched a search for the members of the first idol girl group in the Philippines. Filipinos were familiar with the concepts of idols because of the influence of Kpop and Jpop which were the instruments of South Korea's and Japan's soft power. However, combining the terms "idol" to the words "girl group in the Philippines", the concept had become an abstraction.
Aside from revolutionizing the talent search process in the country by being the first talent company, pre-pandemic, to hold an online audition through the MINT app and website, MINT held a nationwide audition via its MINT Audition Bus. They navigated the entire Philippines from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao to search for the girls who would comprise its first Filipino idol girl group. Aside from these innovative-then talent search platforms, MINT partnered with one of the biggest TV networks in the Philippines to produce a segment of its talent search. This gave MINT a huge media mileage to the Filipino audience.
Unbeknownst to my family, I joined the auditions. I came across the search through my social media when a friend of mine shared it on her feed. Being a Kpop fan, I found the Filipino idol idea intriguing so I clicked on the link and watched the promotional video.
Ever since I was a kid, I loved to sing and perform on stage. It was my lifelong dream to be a professional performer someday. I was a member of our church and school choirs. I joined every singing contest in our barangay; I won some and lost some. I was always the pride of our family in every karaoke battle in our reunions and celebrations. Music was my language and singing was an innate aspect of my being. And so I thought, "Why not bring it to the next level?"
I found myself filling in the registration form in the MINT app. After I created a user account, I uploaded three photos - close-up, mid and whole body shots - and audition videos of me singing and dancing to pre-selected songs. It was an interesting new experience for me - being able to apply in a talent search outside our barangay, and to use other unconventional means, other than pen and paper, in the audition process. After a couple of months since I submitted my audition photos and videos online, I received a call from an unknown number. I was greeted by a lively young woman's voice.
"Hello, good afternoon! This is Sheila from Make It Entertainment. I am looking for Ms. Charmaine Cassandra Yap."
"Hello, speaking."
"Hi Ms. Charmaine! Congratulations for being shortlisted in our talent search! I would like to confirm some of the personal details you entered in our registration form before we proceed with the briefing. Is this okay with you?"
After confirming my personal details, Ms. Sheila asked me if she could speak to one of my parents but I told her that my parents were at work. After the brief introduction of the company and their audition mechanics, she told me that part of the audition process was for the shortlisted applicants to go to Manila and appear in the segment of a popular noontime show for around three months. They would shoulder all the expenses including the airfare, accommodation and food. As I was only sixteen years old back then, they required me to bring an adult guardian. She gave me three days to consult with my parents and decide if I would push through with the next phase of the audition. I also needed to have my parents sign some forms she sent to me via email so I knew that I had to face the daunting task of explaining this endeavor to my parents.
It took me the rest of the day after that call to process what was just explained to me over the phone. It dawned on me that I was a step closer to reaching my dream of being a professional performer. I was enthralled with the idea of me being an idol, performing on stage in front of many people and being watched on national TV. The vision gave me courage to face my parents and ask for their consent.
That night, I brought up the topic to our family dinner. It was a long discussion of doubt, hesitation and unending concerns. I was an only child. Well, technically, I was the younger one because my older sister died from a heart complication when she was only two years old. The loss of their firstborn bred a strong sense of protection and fragility towards their second born which by luck or misfortune was me.
My parents talked to Ms. Sheila the next day to clarify and know further details about the talent search. My unyielding determination resulted in my parents giving in to my conviction. My father said, "Okay, we will allow you this time because we don't want you to live on regrets and what ifs, and worse, we don't want you to look back and blame us for not giving you this chance."
In the end, my mother and I took the leap of faith and flew to Manila to pursue my dream.
