ABS-CBN Studios chats with Marko Rudio after his win as the "Tawag Ng Tanghalan All-Star Grand Resbak 2025" Grand Champion. 

In every successful edition of "Tawag ng Tanghalan" on “It’s Showtime,” there's always a story of perseverance that stands out. In the recently concluded "All-Star Grand Resbak" edition, which gathered 48 "resbakers" or contenders from past seasons who previously fell short of the championship, Marko immediately emerged as a standout from his very first performance. His strong presence and frontrunner status became even more evident when he managed to save his team, Pangkat Agimat, from near elimination in a head-to-head battle against Pangkat Alab. Marko defeated Pangkat Alab’s Nowi Alpuerto, securing the safety of his team, almost like a hero saving his group from defeat.

But who are the "heroes" Marko looks up to when it comes to music? After his big win last Saturday, April 26, Marko opened up about his wish of one day sharing the stage with Gloc-9 and Rico Blanco, two artists whose songs made up most of his repertoire during the "TNT All-Star Grand Resbak."

Of course, his ultimate idols, Parokya Ni Edgar, were also on the list." Sila 'yung childhood heroes ko. Sa kanila ako natutong tumugtog kasi sobrang simple lang, sobrang catchy. Mula no'ng pagkabata ko no'ng napanood ko 'yung 'Inuman Sessions Volume 1,' sabi ko, 'Ganyan ang gusto ko paglaki ko,'" he said of the band fronted by Chito Miranda. 

In fact, on his social media last year, Marko shared the unforgettable experience of performing at the same event as Parokya Ni Edgar in his hometown of Pangasinan. When he found out that the band would be there, he personally requested the organizers if he could front-act for them. 

Marko didn’t think twice when he received the invitation to join “Tawag ng Tanghalan All-Star Grand Resbak,” as it had been a long time since he last set foot on the TNT stage. His last appearance was during Season 6, which ran from 2021 to 2023, where he also made it all the way to the Huling Tapatan but missed out on the Top 3 who advanced to the medley round. When asked why he accepted the challenge, he was quick to answer, "Game agad ako kasi alam kong opportunity 'to." His passion for performing made it an easy yes.

As for the hardest part of the competition, Marko said it was arranging the songs he would perform, "Kasi ang hirap pumili ng kakantahin. At pinakamahirap 'yung pag-arrange ng kanta kung papatok ba sa pandinig ng mga hurado.” He admitted that he felt nervous facing every contender throughout the competition. But it didn’t matter who he was up against; he just gave his best every time. "Nakatatak sa isip ko na kahit sino makalaban ko, kailangan kong galingan para sa pamilya ko," shared the pride of Pangasinan. 

Marko's entire “TNT” journey taught him perseverance, and what it really means to fight for one's dreams. "'Pag meron kang pangarap, huwag mong sukuan. Natalo ka man ngayon, bumangon ka. Magpahinga ka pero huwag kang susuko," he said. 

Catch the newest season of "Tawag Ng Tanghalan" this Monday, April 28, on "It's Showtime."