Exodus
BY MARIO BAUTISTA
‘Birit Baby’ Jude Matthew
Servilla gets own segment
"EAT Bulaga’s" latest addition is bedimpled 12-year-old Jude Matthew Servilla, winner of "Birit Baby 2009."
The country’s longest-running noontime show, where the likes of Aiza Seguerra and Jericho Rosales got their start, so believes in the youngster’s talent that they’ve decided to feature Jude Matthew in his own segment every Monday and Wednesday, "Songs from the Heart," where the talented boy performs the song requests of fans from all over the world.
It’s a vote of confidence for this Baptist church choir member, who grew up in a poor but happy home in La Carlota, Negros Occidental with his two younger brothers and parents Wilfredo and Georgina. Jude Matthew captured the hearts of viewers during the grand finals last October 3 and made it as People’s Choice because of his touching rendition of "Hanggang," a Wency Cornejo original.
Fans are awestruck by the young singer’s pure voice. But one thing that sets Jude Matthew apart from other hopefuls, aside from his outstanding vocal talent, is his unaffected personality. Asked by "Eat Bulaga" host Allan K., he revealed his simple wish to be able to afford black shoes. During the grand finals, he candidly confessed that he thought Kris Angelica dela Cruz, his runner-up, would end up bringing home the title.
And there is no tinge of sadness when he recalls his life in the province: practicing his singing while fetching water, picking up sugarcane left by farmers in the fields where he plays with his kid brothers, and recalling how water seeps into their rented hut during heavy rains.
The down-to-earth kid seems to be handling celebrity well. He shyly admits people now recognize him in malls and asks to have their people taken with him. He is also ready to accommodate song requests.
Right now, he is still settling in, adjusting in the new home provided by "Eat Bulaga," which is handling his career. He and his brothers are also in a home-study program, courtesy of the show.
With "Eat Bulaga’s" track record of plucking unknowns and turning them into household names, Jude Matthew is very well on the road to stardom.