Winners pose with judges and Angeles City First Lady Herminia
Pamintuan.
PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHAEL CANLAS
ANGELES CITY – Jeepney and tricycle drivers showed their artistic talents in the recently held “Super Tsuper Season 3: The Search For The Ultimate JODA(Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association) and TODA(Tricycle Operators and Drivers Association) King 2013 at the SM City Clark here last Tuesday.
The contestants were able to show their talents in singing, acting and dancing and displayed their confidence and pageant skills. Hosted by Augie Dizon, the event was organized by the Angeles City Tourism Office (ACTO).
The contest was divided into two categories: the JODA and the TODA categories. According to Zeny T. Ponce, one of the organizers from the ACTO, Super Tsuper started in 2011 with leading City Councilors Edu Pamintuan, Jericho Aguas, Maricel “Marang” Morales and Alex Indiongco conceptualizing the contest.
The four councilors said jeepney and tricycle drivers should have a venue to showcase their artistic talents in order to have a break from their otherwise monotonous lifestyle.
Ponce said they will be able to show and express their talents and at the same time forget about their problems and just have fun. She said the event is also a venue for the city government to train the participating jeepney and tricycle drivers to become “tourist drivers” since the city is a famous tourists’ destination.
Ponce also said the city government is planning to organize a seminar for the drivers to educate them in the tourism industry.
Among the contestants from JODA category were Fernando Pangilinan, Armand Acut, Jose Bay Diyalang, Eduardo De Asis and John Ruel Castro. TODA contestants were Elmer Mamangun JR., Nelson Manlupi, Romeo Reyes, Michael Garcia, Teodoro Atriano, Teodolfo Sales JR., Marvin Caguiva, Ronnie Manilang, Jenzen Ichan, Lion Cabrero, Marvin Bayungan and John Andrei Catacutan.
The audience had a great time watching their performances especially Acut when he sang “No Touch” because of his sexy and funny rendition of the song. Another stand-out is the performance of Sales Jr. who impersonated Lito Lapid by acting out an action-flick like performance with somersaults and by cartwheeling across the stage.
Herminia Pamintuan, who was one of the judges, commended the contestants. She said Sales is even better looking than Lito Lapid himself. “This is the third year of the Super Tsuper contest and I know that the judges will be having a hard time judging them,” she said.
“We all know that these tsuper (drivers) are not just drivers, but they are husbands, boyfriends, fathers or even your friends and I know that this is their biggest break,” she added.
She said she is aware that every time that they are having this contest they don’t earn their boundaries. “I would like to thank them for joining this event. I hope that they look like this when they drive because they are all very handsome,” Pamintuan said further.
The winners will be announced on September 25 at the finals.
–Michael Canlas, Charmane Cayanan and Yeo Intaek/ SPCF-OJT
