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'Star Circle Quest': Why
Sandara is in, Neri is out
Posted:11:29 PM (Manila Time) | May 27, 2004
By Marinel R. Cruz
Inquirer News Service
KOREAN Sandara Parks received more than half a million text votes in last week's "Star Circle Teen Quest" on ABS-CBN but she was ahead of fellow contestant Neri Naig by a mere .2 in the overall standing, according to network programming executive Deo Endrinal.
Sandara and Neri are among the remaining six of the 10 finalists-5 boys and 5 girls-in the popular talent search. Each Saturday, one finalist is eliminated until just one winner remains. Last Saturday, it was Neri's turn to be voted out.
"(The difference in their score) was very minimal," Endrinal told entertainment media people in a Quezon City restaurant last Tuesday. "But the text votes gave Sandara a big big edge over Neri."
TV host and Star Circle Quest juror Boy Abunda said in a separate interview that he disagreed with the decision booting Neri out of the competition.
"Last Saturday, I apologized to Neri," he told Inquirer Entertainment. "I even said, 'Sambayanang Pilipino, vote for talent.' But over the years, there have been changes in the way winners are picked in talent competitions. Text messaging is now a big factor. The result of text messaging, for me, mirrors the choice of the public."
Endrinal admitted that the show had received complaints from viewers who insisted that Neri, 18, is more talented than Sandara, 19, and should not have been voted out of the competition.
"But this is not just a talent search, but a star search," said Endrinal. "To win, one should have a combination of talent and charisma."
According to Endrinal, a contestant's overall score is drawn from the average of what he or she receives from four groups: the three-member board of judges, the mentors, text votes and ABS-CBN votes.
"Compute this and we come up with a composite score," he explained. "Sandara's score was higher than Neri's by .2."
Sandara said she felt guilty for being the reason Neri was eliminated. She admitted that Neri "is more talented than I."
"But I also gave my best," added Sandara, a fourth-year high school student of Pasay Chung Hua Academy. "We all exerted the same effort. It's just that my ranking is low. Maybe for now, I will just have to prove to the people who voted for me that I deserve to be part of the Magic 5."
Endrinal described Neri as a "slow burn." He said the second-year mass communication student of the University of Baguio "was only showing her best in the last two or three weeks of the competition."
"We don't just take into consideration what happened during the week," he explained. "We also consider how a contestant has developed from the time he or she was still part of the top 10."
The competition started last February with more than 5,000 hopefuls, of whom 200 were picked. The number was whittled down to 50, then 25 and, in March, to 10.
Endrinal said the search eliminated one contestant every week until last Saturday when the number was reduced to five: Sandara, Hero Angeles, Roxanne Guinoo, Joross Gamboa and Melissa Ricks.
"Star Circle Quest" is divided into two categories: kids ranging from 5 to 8 years old, and teens from 13 to 19.
The final five in the Star Circle Kid Quest are Sharlene San Pedro, Nash Aguas, CJ Navato, Mikylla Ramirez and Aaron Junatas.
"We put all these contestants through all sorts of challenges related to what a typical show biz newcomer would have to go through," said Endrinal.
The 10 teen and kid "questors" will be stars of a youth show which will be shown in the "star Circle Quest" time slot, he said.
"Star Circle Quest" is hosted by Luis Manzano and Jodi Santamaria.
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Posted by realm3/agathacaraveo
at 5:05 AM EDT
Updated: Monday, 7 June 2004 12:59 PM EDT
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Updated: Monday, 7 June 2004 12:59 PM EDT
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