Gubat Mayor Sharon Rose Glipo-Escoto in Sorsogon Province gives high regard to locals who bring pride to the town.
On Friday morning, LGU Gubat welcomed Adrian Nebreja who recently secured a semi-final spot in ABS-CBN’s It’s Showtime’s Tawag ng Tanghalan, putting Gubat on the entertainment map.
Adrian is a 21-year-old singer from Barangay Luna Candol who proudly represented Gubat in the national competition.
According to Adrian, he was only 6 years old when he started joining singing competitions. Singing has become his passion, as his parents were also singers.
He was also a member of the church choir and an entertainment group based in Casiguran.
Meanwhile, his father Mr. Danny Nebreja narrated that Ian, whom Adrian is fondly called by his family, really loves to sing.
In 2006, Adrian won first place in his first singing competition in Cota na Daco.
“Naruyag ako magparaintra sa mga singing competitions kay an premyo pag nanggagana”, Adrian elaborated.
He added that every time he won a competition, he would give his prize money to his parents and would just ask a little for his personal expenses.
Before joining ABS-CBN’s Tawag ng Tanghalan, he had already competed with at least a hundred other singing competitions in Gubat and other towns in Bicol, the farthest of which was in Camarines Sur.
Adrian said the “Tawag ng Tanghalan” is the most challenging singing competition he had joined since he did not have the privilege to choose his piece, and had very limited time to prepare.
But despite the pressure, he is happy to make it to the semi-final round of the contest.
Mayor Sharon, on her part, congratulated Adrian for winning a spot in the semi-final round and wished for him to take home the grand prize.
“Adrian, we are very proud of you! You are indeed a pride of Gubat, congratulations! We hope that more Gubatnon singers will be inspired by your experience.”, Mayor Sharon said.
Under Mayor Sharon’s leadership, she has continuously pushed for the enhancement of talents by engaging the youth in various cultural activities of the municipality.
These include the Dayaw, a cultural program showcasing and promoting Gubatnon songs, poetries, and stories; the establishment of the Gubat Heritage Center, which is now the center for cultural arts where young Gubatnons can showcase their talents; Christmaskipaps, which features upcoming Gubatnon singers and bands; and support to organizations such as the Gubat Music, Arts, Dance Federation (GuMADFED).
By promoting various cultural activities, Mayor Sharon is highlighting the need to invest in people, and the development of potential talents especially among Gubatnon youth, which she considers as the town’s pool of talents.
Mayor Sharon is calling all Gubatnons to support Adrian’s next stage of the journey, and hopes to become the ultimate champion in “Tawag ng Tanghalan”.