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Surviving depression, 'Philippine Idol' champion picks up pieces in 'Tawag ng Tanghalan'

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Miguel Dumaual, ABS-CBN News

<p>&quot;Philippine Idol&quot; was a turning point in Mau Marcelo&#x27;s life, as she had finally become the winner after three consecutive times of just nearly clinching the trophy in different TV singing competitions.</p><p>That was in 2006, and one might expect that since her champion moment, Marcelo&#x27;s music career would have taken off. But the high from her &quot;Idol&quot; triumph waned almost instantly. After competing in the Asia-wide version of the format a year later, Marcelo returned to the Philippines to find her star beginning to lose luster.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yAWV8b7bVaQ?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="~//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="~//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><p>Twelve years later, on Thursday, Marcelo finally mustered courage to try again, this time via &quot;Tawag ng Tanghalan&quot; on ABS-CBN&#x27;s &quot;It&#x27;s Showtime.&quot;</p><p>&quot;Na-depress ako nang husto at naging alcoholic,&quot; she said in a taped interview shown before her performance, referring to the time when her career plummeted.</p><p>Speaking with ABS-CBN News Friday, Marcelo recalled that dark time, when she turned to alcohol to numb her feeling of hopelessness. &quot;Nawalan ako ng gana, nawalan ng pag-asa,&quot; she said. &quot;Pag may problema, pag may iniisip ako, mas gusto kong uminom, ta&#x27;s matutulog na lang ako. Gano&#x27;n &#x27;yung pakiramdam. Actually, everyday.&quot;</p><p>A mother of two at the time, Marcelo, however, realized that she needed to carry on, to earn, in the way she best knew -- even if it meant being apart from them.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WF-HVo_v-8o?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="~//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="~//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><p>&quot;Sa pagbagsak ng career ko, nag-iisip lang ako lagi kung ano pang puwede gawin, ano puwede mangyari habang kaya ko pang kumanta,&quot; she said. &quot;Umalis ako, nag-abroad na lang ako, kasi wala na akong work dito, e. Mas ginusto ko um-abroad, at least sa sarili kong way, hindi natigil &#x27;yung singing ko.&quot;</p><p>This led her to Abu Dhabi, and later Dubai, where she worked long years as a bar singer and stand-up comedienne.</p><p>In August 2017, Marcelo returned to the Philippines and by chance caught an episode of &quot;Tawag ng Tanghalan.&quot; Admittedly, seeing performers like her soar on television triggered nostalgia in Marcelo, and later a realization: What was stopping her from taking a second chance on her singing career?</p><p>&quot;Naisip ko, kaya ko pa naman,&quot; she said. &quot;Dito sa &#x27;Tawag ng Tanghalan,&#x27; back to zero siya pag sumali ka. Walang problema sa kanila kahit nanalo ka na.&quot;</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IbTZnwdQgzo?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="~//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="~//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><p>Marcelo seemed to have a ready answer, when this writer shared tweets pointing out her &quot;Idol&quot; title and how competing again must have taken swallowing one&#x27;s pride.</p><p>&quot;Kasi ang tagal na no&#x27;n, e,&quot; she said, matter-of-factly. &quot;Para sa akin, sobrang tagal na. Ang hirap nang [alalahanin]. Limot naman na.&quot;</p><p>Indeed, over a decade has passed since, but &quot;limot&quot; or forgetting didn&#x27;t seem to apply to &quot;Tawag ng Tanghalan&quot; judge Gary Valenciano, who easily recognized Marcelo when she took the stage Thursday. Valenciano was one of the superstar guests during the live finale of &quot;Philippine Idol&quot; in 2006.</p><p>&quot;I remember you,&quot; Valenciano told Marcelo, before giving her encouraging words that brought the contestant to tears. &quot;Your season of being a champion, it may have disappeared. But the seasons always come back.&quot;</p><figure class="op-interactive"><div id="IVS_ABS_Body_Video_1_Container"> <ivs-player id="IVS_ABS_Body_Video_1" data-ivs-spid="3001339" data-ivs-key="e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603" data-ivs-vid="1438830" data-ivs-floating="1"></ivs-player> <script src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/js/iframe-parent.js"></script> <script src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/js/loader.js"></script> </div></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="~//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="~//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><p>With her applauded rendition of &quot;Neither One Of Us,&quot; Marcelo bested the two other daily contenders on Thursday, and subsquently unseated the defending champion with &quot;Saving All My Love For You.&quot;</p><p>On Friday, however, when it was her turn to fend off challengers from stealing the &quot;golden microphone,&quot; Marcelo fell short two points against the episode&#x27;s daily winner, Bernaldo Flores, and was ultimately sent home.</p><p>Marcelo spoke with ABS-CBN News after the announcement, and while visibly disappointed, she was far from disheartened about her TV comeback. In fact, she said she feels optimistic and hopeful -- a far cry from the time when alcohol was her constant companion.</p><p>&quot;Ang expectation ko: may kumuha ulit sa akin, may mag-manage ulit sa akin somehow na naniniwala pa sa akin. Hindi naman porke&#x27;t talo ka... &#x27;Di ba nga minsan, kung sino pa &#x27;yung talo, siya pa &#x27;yung mas na-e-expose. Kahit natalo ako ngayon, ang akin, maisip nila, nandito pa ako,&quot; she said.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XqplQoEszsE?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="~//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="~//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><p>Going by her words, Marcelo seems to have taken to heart Valenciano&#x27;s advice the day prior, or at least drew from it further resolve to keep on.</p><p>&quot;Keep your heart open kasi hindi natin alam kung paano ka gagamitin ni Lord upang ikaw ay maging champion niya,&quot; Valenciano had told her.</p><p>&quot;This is your chance, this is a new door opening up. Hindi ako mangangako [ng bagay] na maaaring hindi umabot sa kung ano man ang gusto mo mangyari, but I know this is an open door. This is God opening up a road, a highway for you para makabalik sa season ni Mau Marcelo na maging champion ulit.&quot;</p>

<p>"Philippine Idol" was a turning point in Mau Marcelo's life, as she had finally become the winner after three consecutive times of just nearly clinching the trophy in different TV singing competitions.</p>

"Philippine Idol" was a turning point in Mau Marcelo's life, as she had finally become the winner after three consecutive times of just nearly clinching the trophy in different TV singing competitions.

Surviving depression, 'Philippine Idol' champion picks up pieces in 'Tawag ng Tanghalan'

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Surviving depression, 'Philippine Idol' champion picks up pieces in 'Tawag ng Tanghalan'

Miguel Dumaual,

ABS-CBN News

Published February 23, 2018 07:45 PM PHT

|

Updated February 23, 2018 08:37 PM PHT

Read More:

Mau Marcelo

Gary Valenciano

It's Showtime

Tawag ng Tanghalan

Philippine Idol

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