Apart from being a judge on Tawag ng Tanghalan Grand Resbak, Ogie Alcasid admits he is also a longtime fan of Showtime’s popular singing competition. 

“Na-excite kasi ako sa format nito. Napakaganda ng format nito. Makikita natin na patibayan ito. It’s nice to see old faces. It’s doubly exciting to see new faces,” shared Ogie. 

“Alam niyo po, itong Tawag ng Tanghalan, ito ang pinakamahirap na singing contest sa buong mundo, dare I say. I think all of you would agree. It stands the test of time,” he added. 

Ogie explained how Tawag ng Tanghalan is a challenging contest, testing not only one‘s talent but one’s resolve. 

“I think there was a season na parang tumagal tayo ng halos isang taon. Season 6 yun,” he recalled. “It’s a marathon. Patibayan ito. Ang tagal ng season na yun. So isang taon kang kakanta, ganun katindi yun. But this is a very special season so I’m very excited.”

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Talking to the returning contestants in the show, Ogie revealed why he had actually never won a singing contest. 

“Real talk. I wasn’t built for this. I never won a singing contest,” he admitted. “You know why? Because I never joined one (laughs). Because I knew there were so many other that were better than me.”

Instead, he shifted his focus and got to know himself better. Ogie advised the contestants to take the time to reflect, to be aware of their personal strengths and how to improve. 

“So what did I do? I started writing songs about myself, how I felt, and then I started singing them on my own. That was my turn,” he shared. “So that is my advice: Talk to yourself. Really ask yourself how bad do you want this. Gusto ko ba maging kampyon? And then watch yourself. You know how to make yourself better. You’ve already honed your talent and you know what it feels like when you’ve nailed a performance. So I think it’s really more of a mental thing. Kausapin niyo yung sarili niyo.”

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After more than a decade since being elected the president of the Organisasyon ng Pilipinong Mang-aawit (OPM), Ogie shared why he does not have any regrets at this point in his life. 

“Matanda na kasi ako, so I think there have been many opportunities that I thought were meant for me but never transpired. And of course, it comes with greater disappointment. Parang ikamamatay mo ‘pag hindi mo makuha ‘di ba? Pero minsan, I think at this point in my life, what I’ve embraced is, I know that there is a better plan for me, from the Man above,” he shared. 

“I will just take whatever is for me. At the end of the day really, I am thankful and grateful that I have a family, I have a wonderful wife, and children that I have. That’s my priority. Everything else is secondary,” he added. “As long as I am able to do what I’m doing which is to write music and sing them, that’s all I care about.”

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During the media conference for Tawag ng Tanghalan’s Grand Resbak season, Ogie shared some advice to the 48 returning contestants on how to deal with failure. 

“I think you have to talk to yourself first. Gusto mo ba talagang gawin ito? Because there are so many things you have to consider,” he explained. “One is the mental aspect of it. Ang laking bahagi nun. ‘Yung kumanta ka lang sa harap ng magulang mo o best friend mo, may anxiety na kaakibat ‘yun eh, tapos you expose yourself. You’re saying so many things about yourself that maybe you don’t want to reveal. So you have to ask yourself: how bad do you want to do this? How bad do you really want to be the champ? Kasi if the answer is no, it’s not about failing. There’s other things you can do as a singer. Competition itself is different. It’s built for a different kind of singer.”