"Davao Is Not The Place To Look For Idol" -- Pilita Corrales

What happened in Davao?!

Only a dismal 17 out of over 1,300 registrants got the much-coveted Gold Pass in the recent Mindanao Main Auditions of Philippine Idol. (The Davao Auditions was expected to yield at least 20 Gold Pass holders.) Seventy-five (75) aspirants faced the judges Francis Magalona, Pilita Corrales, and Ryan Cayabyab, at the Waterfront Insular Hotel. Apparently, the judges were not much pleased with what they saw.

"Maraming hindi magaling dito," Ryan Cayabyab was quoted in an interview with Philippine Daily Inquirer. "I really did not expect much from Davao."

Pilita Corrales seemed to agree. "Davao is not the place to look for an Idol," she said in the article. "All the good ones are in Cebu."

But Pilita had an explanation as to why she made that comment. She said, "People here are shy. I know because I used to handle a singing contest here. But there are a lot of interesting people."

Francis, meanwhile, had a different interpretation about the outcome of the Mindanao Auditions. "Hindi nila gaanong kina-career tulad ng sa Luzon Auditions (The auditioneers did not put much effort, unlike in the Luzon Auditions)," he wrote in his online journal. "The (contestants) were very polite and have a cavalier attitude," the Master Rapper added.

The Mindanao Gold Pass holders will join their Luzon counterparts in Manila by late July to slug it out in the much-feared Theater Eliminations, which will be held in Cultural Center of the Philippines. All transportation and hotel accomodation expenses will be shouldered by the Philippine Idol producers.

This Idol experience seemed like a douse of cold water to the Mindanaoans. We hope that Mindanao hopefuls would stand out in the next phase of auditions, and end up as part of the Top 24.

Keep visiting this site for more Philippine Idol Updates.

Philippine Idol's official website gets snazzier

Swing on by PhilippineIdol.com and check out the snazzy new look! Save for the rather odd looking haircut on Ryan Agoncillo, everything looks spectacular. Good job, ABC-5!

Philippine Idol Updates also says "Thanks a mil!" for the quick link to us from
PhilippineIdol.com. Welcome, all you excited Philippine Idol fans, to the most regularly updated Philippine Idol fansite on the Web today!

We are the only Philippine Idol fansite on the Internet that offers you:
- Virtually daily updates on everything Philippine Idol
- Weekly polls on Philippine Idol
- Videos and Pix (with permission! Nothing stolen here!)
- Links to some of the hottest information on the Web
- The opportunity to take part in the action! Wanna be linked? Wanna comment? Wanna send an article in? No problem - send us an email and we'll gladly see what we can do about it.

Bookmark Philippine Idol Updates and make us a daily habit, because once Philippine Idol starts, there's no turning back before we find the best undiscovered young singer in the Philippines today: our Philippine Idol!

ABC-5 Plans To Take Legal Action Against ABS-CBN's "Copycat" Logo

In an article at Manila Bulletin Online, ABC-5 was outraged at an Idol-like logo being shown on ABS-CBN's variety program "ASAP" for their "Champions Showdown" production. The network behind Philippine Idol are considering taking the matter to its legal department as well as to Fremantle Media, the British company that owns the Pop Idol franchise.

As Philippine Idol Updates researches on similar cases, it appears that Fremantle does not take this issue lightly. They are very firm in taking care of their copyright.

Last year, Fremantle Media--together with Fremantle North America and 19TV--sued Panamericana, a Peruvian television company that produced a singing competition called "Superstar," which Fremantle claims that the show had striking similarities with American Idol, including having two supportive judges and a caustic one, and thereby an infringement of their copyright. They wanted Superstar to be barred from being shown in the United States.

Meanwhile, Africa's fastest-growing TV show is Ethiopian Idols, which is being shown on an otherwise-dull state-run station. The production of this singing competition may pale in comparison to the Idol franchises, such as hastily-built stages, Ethiopian Idols boasts of their own version of a Simon Cowell in the form of musician Feleke Hailu. His catchphase "Alta fakedem" (you didn't make it) has caused shockwaves across this conservative nation, with its people not being used to direct criticism.

Although the producers behind Ethiopian Idols did not seek permission with Fremantle Media, the people behind the Pop Idol franchise intends to charge the producers a fee for each episode instead of filing a lawsuit.

Although ABS-CBN may deny that the Champions Showdown signage is based on Idol's blue ellipse logo, it is undeniable that the shape and font design is strikingly similar, or should we say "inspired."

We await for ABS-CBN's comment on the subject.

Updated Philippine Idol Wall of Fame

The following are photographs of Filipinos who claim to have received the Philippine Idol Gold Pass to the next set of auditions. If you received the Philippine Idol Gold Pass and would like your photograph here, send an email to philippineidol@national-champs.com with your photograph (preferably holding the Gold Pass, eherm).

Good luck to all of you!

Spread The Good Word, Beware Of Imitations

Other Philippine Idol fansites are beginning to ride in the "Philippine Idol Updates" bandwagon, so we encourage our readers and fellow Philippine Idol fans to spread the good word of our site. Only here in Philippine Idol Updates where you get your Idol news first hand, with extensive research and a dedicated team.

Please include the link http://philippineidol2006.blogspot.com in your blog, online forums, anywhere that can create good awareness sa ating site. This is a small deed that we can all do to make Philippine Idol a true television phenomenon.

Also, we are still calling for contributors in Visayas and Mindanao Auditions. Send your contributions in form of photographs, news articles, online forums, etc., to philippineidol@national-champs.com. Thank you for your continuing patronage for this site, and we will try our very best to bring you the latest Philippine Idol Updates.

One Of Philippine Idol Previews

You want videos? We can give you videos! Here's one of Philippine Idol's many previews currently being shown in ABC-5. Watch more of ABC programs so you could see the most exciting ones, like the audition phase where some aspirants sang and danced to tunes like "Babae Po Ako," "Voltes V Theme," among others.

Meanwhile, keep visiting this site for more Philippine Idol Updates!







All videos have been uploaded with permission of their respective owners.

Philippine Idol Timeslot Confirmed!

ABC-5 has announced a timeslot for Philippine Idol.

The phenomenon begins on July 29, Saturday, 8 pm. Only on your Idol Network.

Keep visiting this site for more Philippine Idol Updates.

Visayas Main Auditions Finalized! - updated!

Perci Intalan, ABC-5 Creative and Entertainment Production head, has announced through the Comments section of Philippine Idol Updates that Philippine Idol Visayas auditions will be held on July 4, 2006, at 10 AM, at the International Academy for Film and Television (Bigfoot Entertainment) in Mactan, Cebu.

Registration for the Visayas leg of Philippine Idol, however, will be at the SM Cebu Entertainment Center, from which shuttle buses will go to and from the International Academy for Film and Television (Bigfoot Entertainment) in Mactan.

Idol wannabes in Mactan may proceed to the International Academy for Film and Television and register there.

Is Drew The Supposed Co-Host? Network Wars Brew!

In a report by entertainment columnist Alfie Lorenzo, his sources in ABC-5 claimed that they planned on casting TV host Drew Arellano as Ryan Agoncillo's co-host in Philippine Idol. This would make TV history as two young and promising hosts team-up in one gigantic broadcasting event.

However, this plan was scrapped after GMA-7, a rival TV network where Drew is part of a morning show, refused to permit him to become part of a competing network.

Apparently, the country's major networks are beginning to be afraid of ABC's upcoming Idol search. First, we reported on ABS-CBN-2's drastic reformatting in the form of Pinoy Dream Academy which would pre-empt its supposed second season of Pinoy Big Brother, while GMA-7 recently released a statement that they do not need any so-called "program clones" to become successful.

In reaction to this, ABC-5 stated (according to a press release in Lorenzo's column) that they do not need to list down all the foreign and local shows that GMA-7 has cloned and retitled throughout the years.

Now it's official: ABC-5 is now part of the country's network war.

Idol producers confident of Philippine talent

In an interview with the Philippine Daily Inquirer's Marinel Cruz, Philippine Idol judge Pilita Corrales and ABC-5 Creative and Entertainment Production head Perci Intalan said Fremantle Media/19 Entertainment producers behind Pop Idol (responsible for the hit reality show's incarnation in 35 countries) were confident of the quality of musicianship available on Philippine shores.

"[The producers] knew they were going to have a difficult time here," Corrales said. Corrales, one of Philippine Idol's three celebrity judges (the other two being Philippine songwriter Ryan Cayabyab and rapper/producer Francis Magalona), acknowledged the difficulty of turning down many talented individuals who may not fit the mold of what the runaway hit talent show is looking for.

"What we're looking for is a singer with a plus and plus," Corrales said, noting their expectations of a Philippine Idol are "really high," given the talent available in the Philippines. Professional singers and recording artists have taken their turn at trying their luck, and having had to turn down desperate applicants who simply did not meet the grade is one of the downsides of being a Philippine Idol judge.

Corrales admitted that there is no final date for the start of the show.

Philippine Idol auditions still ongoing
Philippine Idol's first batch of Luzon screenings, which included Philippine Idol auditions at SM malls and the Philippine International Convention CEnter, resulted in 240 contestants receiving the coveted golden pass. The Philippine Idol auditions in Mindanao on June 23 at the Waterfront Insular Hotel in Davao City are expected to produce another 25 hopefuls, as are the Philippine Idol auditions for the Visayas in Cebu City on July 4.

According to Intalan, a special registration desk will be set up at SM Davao City for the Philippine Idol audition-fast-track screenings in Mindanao.

Corrales, Cayabyab and Magalona will then whittle down to 100 the number of Philippine Idol contestants, from which 12 males and 12 females will be selected as as semi-finalists when the the theater elimination at the CCP Main Theater commences in August.

WANTED: VisMin Contributors

We at Philippine Idol Updates do our very best to provide you with the latest news about the country's search for the first Idol. However, since we are all Metro Manila residents, we are having difficulty searching about the goings-on in the Visayas and Mindanao Auditions.

That's why we need your help.

We are seeking for contributors from Visayas and Mindanao. Bring the Idol fever of VisMin to Philippine Idol Updates. If you have news clippings, photographs, online forums, websites, or any articles about Philippine Idol's VisMin Auditions, e-mail us at philippineidol@national-champs.com. Your contributions will be truly appreciated in making the musical talents of Visayas and Mindanao be heard.

Discussions For Visayas Audition Venue Are Underway

In a report from Inq7.Net, the people behind Philippine Idol are currently discussing with Big Foot Entertainment, a Hollywood-style production company in Mactan, Cebu, for a possible use of its vast studios on the Visayas leg of the auditions starting July 4.

Keep posted on this site for more Philippine Idol news and updates.

Philippine Idol Previews

ABC-5 is beefing up its promotion of Philippine Idol by featuring snippets of the PICC Auditions and interviews with judges Ryan C, Mamita, and Kiko.

In true American Idol style, crowds of aspirants were made to scream, "Ako ang first Philippine Idol!", while host Ryan Agoncillo waits for auditioneers to come out of the roasting room, ready to congratulate the passers or console the rejects. Pilita Corrales sings traditional song "Waray Waray" to a fellow Visayan amidst throngs of Idol aspirants waiting, crying, celebrating.

Soundbytes from the judges' interview highlight the qualifications that they look for in the first Philippine Idol, but what would be the most memorable is Francis M's quip: "Kapag sinabi kong 'Basura,' tanggal na 'yun."

But what topped these presentations is a teaser to Philippine Idol's opening billboard (which is similar to that of American Idol), with a triumphant winner on stage with hundreds of fans with the lighted logo of Philippine Idol on top. It simply gives chills on the spine.

Philippine Idol previews are being shown often on ABC's prime programs like PBA and Shall We Dance, as well as its news programs Sentro and Big News. That's a reminder to all Philippine Idol fanatics to watch ABC more often as the country's Idol search draws near.

Date Of Visayas Main Audition Moved

We have just been informed that Visayas Main Registration and Auditions has been moved to July 6, Thursday, still at Waterfront Hotel in Lahug, Cebu City.

Tune in to your local iFM and RMN stations for more information and updates.

UPDATE: Perci Intalan, ABC's Head of Creative and Entertainment Production, clarified through this site that the Visayas Main Audition is still on July 4. Audition venue will be confirmed soon.

We at Philippine Idol Updates are glad that we are beginning to be recognized as a prime fansite of the country's search for the first Philippine Idol. Thank you very much for your support.

VisMin Pre-Screen And Audition Updates!

The Fast Track phase of both Visayas and Mindanao Auditions will have an added stage which is called the Pre-Screening Stage. Passing through this stage will give you an automatic slot in the Fast Tracks.

Pre-Screenings are held at different iFM stations in Visayas and Mindanao. Tune in at your local iFM station for the schedule.

In Cebu, Pre-Screening will be held on June 16 and 17 from 9 AM to 5 PM.

Meanwhile, Cebu's Main Audition Registration will be on July 4 at Waterfront Hotel in Lahug.

Luzon Gold Pass Wall Of Fame

*NEW*










*NEW*






These are some of the "non-professionals" who got the Gold Pass in the Luzon Phase of Philippine Idol Auditions. Expect this post to have more pictures as soon as we research for more information.

Juday Pulls Off A Joke

FIRST A BREAKING NEWS: It is confirmed that Ryan Agoncillo will be the "sole" host of Philippine Idol.

Ryan's girlfriend, popular actress Judy Ann Santos, stopped by the Philippine Idol auditions last week and she pulled off a practical joke to everyone.

She entered the audition room as an aspirant with a hood covering her face. The judges (Mr. C, Mamita, and Kiko) asked the auditoneer to remove her hood but she refused and instead sang her audition piece.

She did her rendition to Kiko's "Mga Kababayan Ko."

The judges became a bit furious since she still hadn't removed her hood, but when she showed her very familiar face, everyone in the audition room were stunned and had a good laugh.

Juday got herself a gold pass.

Three Days Of Torture And Drama

Last June 8 to 10 was a baptism of fire for Philippine Idol's main judges.

For three days, top-notch composer Ryan Cayabyab (aka Mr. C), Asia's Queen of Songs Pilita Corrales (aka Mamita), and Hip-Hop Hall of Famer Francis Magalona (aka Kiko) faced the shortlisted Luzon aspirants for the first time. This is also where they comment on each contestant much like what we see on American Idol.

And it wasn't an easy job after all.

In a text message to Manila Bulletin, Mr. C confided that he "got so emotionally drained having to say no to all the pleading, pleading, crying, crying."

"This is not fun anymore," he joked in the end of the mesage. "Torture!"

Accomodating around 100 auditioneers a day, the search slowly evolves from what was perceived as an American Idol clone into a show on its own. Basically because the auditions were filled with so much talent and passion for music.

The auditioneers were so impressive, the judges had difficulty finding major vocal faults to them, and instead count on flat notes and mispronounced lyrics.

As much as 70 out of around 300 aspirants got a gold pass, making them eligible for the next round of eliminations, but not without some drama.

Many auditioneers hang on the balance as the continuously pleaded their cases to the judges. They were allowed to sing as much as five songs to redeem themselves during the first day of audition. But the day after, Mr. C decided that one song is enough.

One Alicia Keys-wannabe was so frustrated after Mr. C and Mamita said "no" that she stormed out of the room and walked out, refusing to be interviewed by both the Philippine Idol staff as well as host Ryan Agoncillo.

A student from Laguna was also rejected by the judges and then asked them to sign her numbered sticker.

As posted in a previous article, several recording artists tried their luck in the Philippine Idol auditions. After facing the main judges, some were rejected, and others got in. One artist was so far confirmed and that is Reema Lucido (of Search for a Star and Born Diva).

Other interesting characters who attended the auditions are leather-and-spike-clad rockers, an anime-looking Fil-Korean, and a grandchild of Comedy King Dolphy.

And as a bonus note, one judge (guess which one) lambasted to an aspirant: "You work at a call center, 'di ba? Mag-call center ka na lang."

Meanwhile, Francis M shared his thoughts about his experience as Philippine Idol judge in his blog (www.magalona.com). He even wrote his tips and advice for those who want to audition.

Those who got the coveted gold pass will undergo the next plase of auditions starting July 31 at CCP Main Theater where they also get to meet the gold pass receipients from Mindanao and Visayas. This is where they will choose the Top 24, who will perform at ABC Studios in Novaliches.

Turf war between ABC-5 and ABS-CBN escalates

The turf war just got tougher.

The ABC-5 vs. ABS-CBN battle for supremacy in finding the country's latest star came to a head today in an article in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, two days after Philippine Idol Updates surmised about it in our ABS-CBN challenges Philippine Idol with Pinoy Dream Academy post.

RP Idol vs. PBB, a piece by entertainment writer Bayani San Diego Jr., hinted at the potential Philippine Idol warfare being waged by stalwarts of ABC-5 and ABS-CBN:

With both shows being foreign franchises (Philippine Idol from Fremantle Media/19 Entertainment and Dream Academy from Netherlands-based Endemol), talent searches cum reality shows, and airing nightly (Perci Intalan of ABC-5 apparently bit back at ABS-CBN's Lauren Dyogi, who claimed incorrectly that Philippine Idol would air only two nights a week), it is only a matter of time before both networks go head to head in this war for primetime supremacy.

A hitch for ABC-5: their broadcasting signal has been criticized in the past for being poor in the provinces, unlike ABS-CBN's juggernaut broadcast reach.

Dyogi also noted that Dream Factory would conduct auditions for Filipino talent in Australia, Dubai, Jpaan, Italy, and the United States. Philippine Idol Updates hopes that it will be significantly better than their last audition, which, as reported by the Manila Bulletin, was all but blasted away in numbers and talent by the first round of Philippine Idol auditions.

Mindanao Main Audition Set!

Start practicing, Mindanao!

Now it's your turn to prove that you are the first Philippine Idol!

Join in the Fast Track Auditions, click here for the complete schedule. Remember, only a limited number of aspirants will be accepted so get in line early.

You could also try your luck at the Mindanao Main Auditions, which will be held on June 23 at the Waterfront Insular Hotel.

Click here for a map to the venue.

So what are you waiting for? Make the Land Of Promise proud!

Check out the official website of Philippine Idol (www.philippineidol.com) for more information on audition requirements or tune in to iFM and your local Radio Mindanao Network station for more audition updates!

Those Who Joined, Those Who Passed

More on Philippine Idol's Luzon Main Auditions last Saturday.

In an interview with Inquirer Entertainment, ABC's Head of Productions, News, And Public Affairs Department Jim Libiran disclosed that 80 aspirants passed last Saturday.

Among them is an boy who suffers from autism, another guy who had to borrow shoes from a PICC security personnel because he didn't have money to buy his own shoes, a girl who defied her mother's command not to join the audition, and another girl who cried so hard after learning that she passed the two stringent screenings.

It was at that moment that Libiran realized how Philippine Idol is so important to a lot of those who auditioned, that it is not something to be toyed about.

Also, a number of those who auditioned at the fast tracks and main auditions joined singing competitions from other networks, making Philippine Idol their last chance to shine.

Among those who passed are...



Flori Mae Lucida and Jason Velasquez (in photo, from Star For A Night),



Cherryl Ubasa (from Search For A Star),



and Czarina Rosales (from Star In A Million 1).

Will one of them be able to make it to the Final 12?

ABS-CBN Challenges Philippine Idol with Pinoy Dream Academy

Who is afraid of Philippine Idol?

ABS-CBN apparently.

Last Sunday, ABS-CBN, the country's largest network and currently ranked #2 in Mega Manila ratings, launched its latest franchise from Endemol, "Pinoy Dream Academy."

So what's the difference? Think of it as a combination of defunct Star Circle Quest, Search For A Star In A Million, and Pinoy Big Brother. It is a talent search wherein the candidates are housed in a "academy" filled with spycams. Different musical training will be held in the academy and will have a talent show (and elimination) on weekends

The introduction of a show similar to Pinoy Big Brother may cause the audition for PBB's second season to halt. And what of SFASIAM? Maybe that will go, too, and it will be retitled "Search For A Star In A Million In Pinoy Dream Academy."

ABS-CBN may claim that this was planned early on, that it has nothing to do with ABC's introduction of Philippine Idol, but it cannot be helped that they are desperate to pull Philippine Idol down (especially when they realized how so many people flocked at the auditions), like a bully picking on nerds at the locker room.

And you know what they say about Filipino culture that we always root for the underdog.

Idol Phenomenon Around The World

Do you wonder what difference Pop Idol makes in other countries?

As the pilot for Philippine Idol draws near this July, let's take a peek at other Idol productions around the world.

Let's start with our next-door neighbor, Indonesia.



The first season of Indonesian Idol last 2004 had its share of controversy. Its first winner, Joy Destiny Tobing, ceased her ties with both Fremantle Media and the Indonesian Idol franchise several weeks after winning the title due to contract disagreements. Since then, everything about her was erased at the show's official website while the runner-up, Delon Thamrin, a former salesman, had been promoted heavily by Fremantle.

The show's third season opened last April.

Next stop: Malaysia.



Malaysian Idol has both its highs and lows. Its first winner, Jaclyn Victor of Kuala Lumpur, became a household name. Her first album (which was released prior her joining the competition) was sold out within days, even if its price was tripled from the original.

The highlight of her career was when she won at Asian Music Festival in Shanghai where she belted out her winning song in Malaysian Idol, "Gemilang" (Glory). She also won four out of seven nominations at this year's Anugerah Industri Muzik including Best New Artist and Album Of The Year.

However, its second season was just as controversial as Indonesian Idol. Many viewers protested about how Daniel Lee Chee Hun won in the competition and was speculated that most of his votes came from young girls who make up most of his fanbase. Because of this ongoing debate, it was announced that Malaysia will not expect a third season.

Wanna go far? How about, France?



Nouvelle Star (New Star), the search for a singing superstar in all French-speaking countries, debuted in 2003 as A La Recherche De La Nouvelle Star. It is currently in its fourth season.

Probably the most famous among the winners is Jonatan Cerrada, who after winning the competition had two albums and became France's representative in Eurovision Song Contest 2004 (a big deal in Europe), where he finished 15th.

Getting excited? So are we! Visit this site often for more Philippine Idol updates and other Idol previews!

Send us your photos

Were you at the Philippine Idol auditions at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) yesterday? Did you audition?

Regardless, here's your chance for fifteen seconds of fame! Send us your .gifs and .jpgs of you at the Philippine Idol audition and we promise to post it on Philippine Idol Updates! Send your photos to philippineidol@national-champs.com, and we'll take care of the rest!

Luzon Main Audition, A Success!

We have been receiving reports that today's audition at PICC was a rousing success. Thousands of aspirants have showed up at the audition venue (some camped out as early as 3:00 a.m.).

Staffers are working double-time as they coordinate the screenings, interview some of the auditioneers, and photographing the whole event. The atmosphere was indeed festive with sponsor booths and even a karaoke booth for the aspirants to practice their singing.

Also working hard was host Ryan Agoncillo as he cheer up those who passed and console those who failed their screenings. Apparently, ABC is still looking for his co-host (who is speculated to be male).

Those who passed the day's two screenings will get to meet the Ryan Cayabyab, Pilita Corrales, and Francis Magalona, on June 10. Both Corrales and Magalona were at the venue to observe the auditions.

But not all stories in the PICC Auditions were happy. According to reports, the screenings were so stringent, even aspirants with great singing voices were met with "you're not what we're looking for" from the judges.

The event ended with heavy rain, could it be heaven's blessing or that their bets did not make it?

Congratulations to ABC 5, Manila Broadcasting Company, and the rest of the Philippine Idol crew, for this immense success!


Speaking of auditions, ABS-CBN launched its second season of "Search For A Star In A Million" and started the audition last week. However, according to an article in Manila Bulletin Online, sources said that their mall audition only came up with 14 auditioneers, all of them are of low caliber. And what shocked the ABS-CBN staff who were at the event was that all of those who wanted to become singing superstars made a beeline at the Philippine Idol Fast Track Audition nearby.

This is proof of the astounding reception Philippine Idol has gathered. Who wouldn't want P2 million pesos, a management contract with 19 TV Entertainment (the same agency handling the careers of American Idols), and a chance for international superstardom?

Even before Philippine Idol airs on late July 2006, this show has become the signature of ABC, as compared to GMA's StarStruck and ABS-CBN's Pinoy Big Brother. It could even become ABC's bid to become a major competitor in the TV race once again.

Mindanao And Visayas Fast Track Schedule Complete!

The official website of Philippine Idol has posted the complete schedule list for Mindanao and Visayas Fast Tracks.


MINDANAO FAST TRACKS

June 3 (today!) -- Uvengco Mall, Zamboanga City

June 10 -- SM Cagayan De Oro

June 17 -- SM Davao


VISAYAS FAST TRACKS

June 17 -- RTR Plaza, Tacloban City

June 18 -- SM Iloilo

June 24 -- SM Cebu

Aspirants in General Santos City are advised to proceed to SM Davao, while aspirants in Bacolod City are advised to audition at SM Iloilo.

Get in line early because only 150 aspirants will be auditioned in each Fast Track leg.

The winners in each Fast Track leg will skip the main auditions in Davao and Cebu and will instead face the judges (Ryan Cayabyab, Pilita Corrales, and Francis Magalona) at a later date for another round of elimination.

Remember, just like in the Luzon phase, dates in the Fast Tracks are subject to change, so stay glued to this site or tune in to your local ABC and Radio Mindanao Network stations for further updates!

Additional Philippine Idol Main Audition information posted

In a forum entry on a thread titled Philippine IDOL NEWS from the Philippine Idol Production Team on the official Philippine Idol forum, the Philippine Idol Production Team disseminated last-minute information on the Philippine Idol main Manila audition taking place tomorrow, June 3, at the Philippine International Convention Center.

Gates open early. The Philippine Idol Production Team announced that PICC gates will open at 6AM to accommodate early registrants. The team acknowledged that while contingency measures are being taken to accommodate the large number of Philippine Idol audition applicants anticipated to audition, slots may not be limitless, and encouraged Philippine Idol audition applicants to come early, bringing umbrellas, water, and all their requirements. They stressed there is no other day to register.

Festive atmosphere. Food booths from San Mig Coffee and McDonald's, among other sponsors, would be set up to accommodate contestants and chaperones' food requirements, and Magic Sing booths will be set up so contestants can even practice their singing. Radio booths from radio station sponsors Love Radio and YesFM will also be available.

Accommodation procedures in case you don't get to audition. The first 1,000 Philippine Idol applicants will be accommodated at the Philippine Idol auditions tomorrow, June 3, at the PICC, while the remaining Philippine Idol applicants who are unable to audition for Philippine Idol will be scheduled on succeeding days at venues to be announced tomorrow. Two shortlists may be created to trim down the number of Philippine Idol applicants who will meet and audition before Philippine Idol judges Ryan Cayabyab, Pilita Corrales, and Francis Magalona.

Philippine Idol Fast Tracks in other areas of the Philippines. The Philippine Idol Production Team also announced that Fast Tracks will be held at SM Batangas on June 3, SM Sta Rosa on June 4 and SM Marilao on June 5 to accommodate Luzon-based Philippine Idol applicants.

Philippine Idol Requirements.
You must be at least 16 but not more than 28 years old on July 1, 2006, and be either a Filipino citizen or possess dual citizenship (i.e., possessing both Filipino citizenship as well as foreign citizenship). Dress well and don't wear clothes with visible logos. You must also not be under any existing talent management or recording contract. If you are below 18 years of age, you need to have your Philippine Idol application form signed on your behalf by either your parent or legal guardian.

You must be prepared to sing a fast song and a slow song.

Don't forget to bring
1. Your completed PHILIPPINE IDOL Application Form (download the forms here).
2. A ballpen!
3. Two photos: One 2x2 close-up, and one full body (at least 3R size)
4. The original and two certified true copies of your birth certificate. Certified true copies of your Philippine passport will be be accepted. In the case of contestants of dual citizenship, original and two certified true copies of his Philippine passport will be required.
5.One picture I.D. (passport, driver's license, SSS/GSIS I.D., school I.D., company I.D. and/or professional I.D.).

Philippine Idol Updates is choice of other Idol websites for material

We at Philippine Idol Updates are thrilled. Our humble blog is apparently one of the Top 10 Philippine Idol websites of choice, according to Google and other search engines.

We acknowledge ABC Forums for linking to us. We broke the Philippine Idol press release news online of the selection of Philippine Idol judges Ryan Cayabyab, Pilita Corrales, and Francis Magalona (given that Inq7 didn't have its online version up, we still did not choose to print the PDI article verbatim, and gave our two cents in the article we drafted). Thanks to starczamora, who linked to us in the thread Who's the Lucky Judges and did the right thing by not copy-pasting our material.

We also acknowledge another Philippine Idol fan site, Philippine Idol News, which chose to publish our 'Philippine Idol judges panel complete' text verbatim, without crediting us. Check out the screenshot from Philippine Idol News to the left and compare it to our entry. Thank you, Philippine Idol News. We're proud that, along with Inq7.net, Manila Bulletin Online, and Tempo, we are your choice for content.

We also acknowledge Philippine Idol's entry on Wikipedia, which consistently deletes Philippine Idol Updates from the listing because we are a blog, yet allows another fansite, which is essentially a Wordpress blog, to stay. We won't fight fire with fire. At the end of the day, we all work to provide you Philippine Idol information on the ABC-5 reality show Philippine Idol. Isn't democracy sweet?

Visitors to Philippine Idol Updates can rest assured they get fresh, original content. As the Technorati screenshot below shows, we post first, and with material not lifted verbatim off the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Tempo, or other sources.

As writers, we work to create original material for a living, giving new spins on the same news. When you take our material and post it verbatim without crediting us, you are 1) plagiarizing; 2) robbing us of our rightful dues as creators of the content; and 3) being really mean.

You know who does a good job of creating original content? Empress Maruja. Entertaining and not plagiarized. Truly original. Good job! Take a tip, you other Idol fansites.

For Philippine Idol news, Philippine Idol updates, Philippine Idol audition information, and Philippine Idol reviews, among other things Philippine Idol, you don't have to look very far: come to Philippine Idol Updates. Bookmark Philippine Idol Updates and get new Philippine Idol information fresh and fast.

Philippine Idol main audition two days away

Philippine Idol wannabes have two more days to get ready.

With the main Philippine Idol audition, the first of three major Philippine Idol auditions for the local franchise of the explosive Fremantle Media/19 Entertainment-owned American Idol, scheduled for June 3 at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) on Roxas Boulevard, excited amateur and professional singers have themselves a chance to perform in front of millions and essentially make all their wildest dreams come true.

According to a Philippine Idol press release published on page C7 of the June 1 issue of the Philippine Star, the registration venue for Philippine Idol applicants is at the back of the PICC building, the Secretariat Building. Philippine Idol applicants may line up as early as 6AM on June 3, although they should have eaten and gone to the toilet, because apparently, no food and drinks will be allowed inside the Philippine Idol audition room.

Qualifiers of the Philippine Idol Fast-Track screenings held at various malls throughout the nation, will be allowed to line up in different lines, provided they have their Fast Tracks pass with them.

Interested Philippine Idol applicants should be at least 16 but not more than 28 years old on July 1st, 2006, and must not hold any talent or recording contract. They must present two valid IDs, original and two certified true copies of their birth certificate, and two photos (a 2x2 and a full-body shot). They should be prepared to sing a fast song and a slow song.