A son of two UAE-based overseas Filipino workers (OFW) proved that Filipino talents can shine bright in the international stage.
Ian Cris Tocle, The Filipino Times Entertainer of the Year awardee last year, bagged nine silver medals in the World Championship of Performing Arts (WCOPA) at the Long Beach Performing Arts Center in Los Angeles, California
Tocle was handpicked by Scott Murphy, national director of WCOPA in the UAE, to represent the UAE in the instrument, vocal, and vocal self-accompaniment categories.
“I won nine silver awards from different categories. One is through playing ‘Fly me to the Moon’ in the piano while blindfolded,” GMA News quoted Tocle as saying.
The multi-skilled performer, who currently studies at the GEMS Winchester School, was also recognized from playing and dancing the “Phantom of the Opera” and “Flight of the Bumblebee” as well as his original composition “Light Within You” in the violin.
At the age of 14 years old, Tocle has participated and won in several talent search competition in the Philippines in the UAE. He won the UAE leg of Asia’s Singing Superstar in 2015, DFC KidzStarZ 2014, and Kidzania Superstarz in 2014. He also reached the semifinals stage of TV5’s Talentadong Pinoy.
TFT Awards, which is an annual gathering of the who’s who of UAE’s Filipino community in a glitterati red-carpet event in honor of exemplary Filipinos, honored Tocle the award Entertainer of the Year 2016 for his world-class talent.
