Idol Philippines Grand Winner Zephanie Dimaranan wowed the Magandang Buhay audience as she sang the hit song “Salamat,” and later on performed “Pangarap Kong Pangarap Mo” last Thursday, August 1.
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Prior to her Idol Philippines stint, Zephanie previously joined in other singing contests of ABS-CBN, wherein she fell short in nabbing the championship. She was one of the two protégés of Coach Sarah Geronimo who reached the finals during the second season of The Voice Kids Philippines in 2015 which was won by Elha Nympha and also came face-to-face with Tawag ng Tanghalan Season 2 winner Janine Berdin as a daily contender.
READ: How Zephanie Dimaranan’s past rejections turn her into a fierce Idol Philippines contender
Zephanie admitted that there was a time when she lost hope and wanted to give up on her dream of becoming a singer. She talked about how she cried at the time when she was defeated by Janine Berdin. Her mother, Richelle, told the MB hosts that there was an incident when they couldn’t approach their daughter and she wouldn’t speak to anyone. “Minsan po gusto kong gumive-up,” she uttered. However, she snapped out of it and decided to sally forth with her career. The young star never seized to amaze her mother, who stressed that she had always been mature for her age and would even help with household chores. Zephanie’s aunt would even catch her sweeping and mopping the floor when she didn’t really have to. She is also the type of child who would respectfully greet her parents, valued money and understood the meaning of budgeting.
But times were tough for the singer’s family, particularly when their limited financial resources became a hindrance. Mommy Richelle recalled the days they didn’t have enough money to pay for their electricity.
The rising star also underlined that she appreciates the support her parents gave her when it came to pursuing her career but admitted that she is not really the expressive type who tells them what she feels. She gathered all the courage she has to finally tell her mom how she really felt and said, “Nandito na tayo, magkakaroon na tayo ng magandang life. Nagbunga lahat ng effort at hirap natin before kaya thank you so much and I love you,” she said crying.