Charice Pempengco, International Child Star

The local Filipino showbusiness industry might boast of a plethora of child stars like Makisig Morales, Aiza Seguerra and Aga Muhlach, but not one of them could probably surpass the feat of one of today’s hottest Filipina talents: Charice Pempengco. Born and raised in the Philippines, Charice’s prowess in singing got discovered by her own singer mom when the little Charice sang a rather loud and enthusiastic “Happy Birthday” song. From then on, Charice’s mom taught her proper vocal techniques and, by the age of seven, she started competing in local singing contests to support her mother’s income.

Later on, she joined and lost in network giant ABS-CBN’s singing contest for kids: Little Big Star. Yet her loss there did not hamper her way to fame as her contest videos posted by avid supporters on a famous video-sharing website became her shot at winning the world’s heart. Her phenomenal voice has earned her appearances on world-renowned talk shows like the Ellen DeGeneres Show and the Oprah Winfrey Show where her popularity immensely grew. Currently, she is gaining considerable exposure with the release of her US debut CD.