Newbie hunks see bright show biz future in ‘new normal’

Miko Gallardo (Contributed Photo)

MAKATI CITY, Philippines — Two show biz newbies are giving the entertainment industry a crack despite the ongoing pandemic, which saw large parts of the country in quarantine.

Miko Gallardo and Iñaki Torres are optimistic about their show biz debut once the government lifts the community quarantine, which was imposed to address the COVID-19 pandemic, and television productions are given the go-signal.

“I know it’s tough to nail down a plan for the future. Sometimes you want this and that, and so on. But once you decide on what’s important to you, there are definitely some right steps to take towards reaching those goals,” Gallardo told the Inquirer in an online interview.

For his part, Torres said, “All I want to do in life is to inspire my generation. I want to help others as much as I can. I want to make an impact on their lives.”

The 21- year-old Gallardo lived in Dubai for almost a decade, and broke into the local television scene via the reality contest “Bidaman” on the ABS-CBN noontime show “It’s Showtime,” where he became the “Head Hurado’s Choice.”

Torres, meanwhile, had a taste of fame as a social media celebrity who ventured into modeling.

Iñaki Torres (Contributed photo)

The two will top-bill the online series “#MyDay” to be helmed by director Xion Lim for Oxin Films. The project will ride on the current hype enjoyed by the BL (boy love) genre among Filipino viewers, after the success of the just-concluded Thai drama “2Gether: The Series” that also hit the Philippines.

“This project and film will also feature countless delicacies, tourism destinations, and numerous rich cultural heritage aside from promoting gender equality, love, and respect,” Lim said in a statement.

Prime Event Productions Philippines Foundation (PEPPS), which stages the annual Misters of Filipinas pageant, and the global Man of the World contest, has partnered with Oxin Films for the series.

PEPPS President Carlo Morris Galang, who also serves as “#MyDay” project head and producer, said in a statement: “Our various social media platforms will usher us to the so-called ‘new normal’ where people will definitely concentrate and focus on numerous online initiatives and latest technologies.”

While waiting for the project to finally go online, Torres appealed to the citizens to “listen well to the instructions by the officials, follow the guidelines, and expand our understanding for the government.”

Gallarado, for his part, asked everyone to “stay at home, look after yourselves. If we all do our best to stop the spread, we can flatten the curve.”

As of this writing, the Philippines has recorded 14,319 confirmed cases, with 3,323 recoveries, and 873 deaths.

/atm