Throwback! You’ll love what Yeng Constantino bought with her first “Pinoy Dream Academy” cash prize

For many performers, there’s always that unforgettable first time on stage. For Yeng Constantino, it wasn’t on national TV or a big concert venue. Before she became the Grand Star Dreamer of “Pinoy Dream Academy” in 2006, Yeng’s very first performance happened at a small, just-for-fun singing contest sponsored by a barangay chairman in San Mateo, Rizal, with a grand prize of five pesos. "May bangko lang doon, tapos, [sabi ni Chairman], 'Sige, kanta kayo. Kung sinong pinakamagaling bibigyan ko ng limang piso,'" Yeng shared. 

That might be a small-time contest but it sparked something big in her heart. "After no'n, ‘yung high ng pagkapanalo, [sabi ko], 'Ang sarap no'n ah! Seryosohin ko nga 'to,'" she looked back. From then on, she started joining more singing competitions, borrowing her dad’s cassette tapes with multiplex tracks to rehearse. Her siblings were the first singers in the family, but it was Yeng who really ran with it. Carrying that passion, she joined “Pinoy Dream Academy Season 1” on ABS-CBN and emerged as the champion on December 16, 2006.

The throwback fun continued as Yeng reminisced more of her major “firsts” as a singer-songwriter in the “Kapamilya Chat Firsts” Challenge.

Just six months after winning “Pinoy Dream Academy,” Yeng already had her first major concert, headlined “Rock Enroll: Yeng’s Rock to School (Back to School) Concert,” at the Aliw Theater on June 23, 2007. Looking back, she admits the pressure was intense, especially since her dad was right there in the front row. "Hindi ko tinitingnan ‘yung front row. Naaalala ko ‘yung anxiety," she said. 

Her first out-of-the-country show was definitely a core memory as well. It was in Japan, and not only was it her first time performing abroad, but it was also her first time experiencing snow. And to make it more unforgettable, one of her fellow performers, also a “Pinoy Dream Academy” graduate, took on a playful dare to remove some clothing right in the middle of the snow.

When asked where her first payout as an artist went, Yeng revealed that her first big talent fee wasn’t actually her prize money as the “Pinoy Dream Academy” Grand Star Dreamer.  Her very first talent fee came from a songwriting competition inside the ‘academy,’ where she won in the two categories—the Christmas jingle (“Pasko Sa Pinas”) and the theme song. For that, she received P60,000. And the very first thing she bought with it was a bucket of fried chicken from a popular fast food chain.

"Masasabi ko lang na may kaya na ako sa buhay kapag kaya ko nang umorder ng bucket ng chicken. Kasi ‘pag inoorderan kami nina Mama dati, hindi kami pwedeng sabay-sabay [na magkakapatid], tapos tig-iisang chicken lang, so parang 'meron' na talaga no'ng kaya ko nang bumili ng chicken,” said Yeng, whose monster hits also include “Hawak Kamay” and “Salamat.”

As for her grand prize of one million pesos (which came with a brand-new car, a condo unit, and a recording contract), the very first thing she did was pay off all her father’s debts. "Kasi never kaming naka-experience na buo ‘yung sweldo ng Papa namin. Kapag sweldo niya, nagbabayad siya ng utang tapos mangungutang ulit siya para may panggastos kami." So one of her biggest dreams then was to let her dad experience what it felt like to keep his entire salary. After that, she bought a piece of land, as she really wanted to build a house for her family. 

Speaking of "Pasko Sa Pinas," Yeng was asked how it feels to have written songs, like this one, that never really get old. She smiled, saying it still makes her feel kilig whenever she hears people singing her compositions. But there’s a special kind of warmth, she added, when she hears "Pasko Sa Pinas" being performed by kids as a caroling piece. “Narating ko na ang [level ng] 'Sa may bahay ang aming bati.' Nakarating na ako do'n," she gushed, so excitedly she sounded like she just won the lottery.

When asked about the first thing she does to prepare before a performance, Yeng mentioned that brushing her teeth is number one, especially when "Chinito" is on the setlist as she usually invites a fan to join her on stage whenever she performs that song. 

She further revealed that she could be a bit of a rebel when it comes to her pre-performance rituals. For instance, she drinks coffee even though her vocal coach strictly advises against it. But in her defense, Yeng explained that caffeine is her must-have pick-me-up before going on stage to combat chronic fatigue.

Yeng definitely took us on a trip down memory lane in this “Kapamilya Chat Firsts” Challenge!