Note Worthy: Shouldn't We Support Our Artists Before They Make It Big Abroad?

As a people, Filipinos love to dance and sing, get up and do their thing. There’s no doubt that ours is a country whose cup runneth over with the sheer amount of musical - and performing arts - talent. And yet the road to even a modicum of recognition, not to mention decent pay, for our artistes is a long, arduous and often thankless one. Is it any wonder that they end up performing overseas in front of appreciative audiences? From Broadway to the West End, from HK Disney to The Ellen Show, Filipino performers are present, and applauded. Tanya Manalang played Kim in Miss Saigon in London, and Rissey Reyes Robinson is a Disney Princess, while Reb Atadero has appeared in Ang Huling El Bimbo, among others. They flip and float the possibility of our government and fellow countrymen investing in and supporting local talent, instead of claiming them only after they find fame and success overseas.