The newest faces of Sparkle GMA Artist Center are ready to turn their campus charm into showbiz dreams.
Far Eastern University’s Rayu Gravador and Enderun Colleges’ Frances Lacap emerged as the big winners of Sparkle Campus Cuties Season 2, held on August 9. Rayu, known in the competition as the “Cutie Lover Boy of Bulacan,” was crowned the Ultimate Campus Heartthrob, following in the footsteps of University of Santo Tomas’ Mad Ramos, who won the inaugural edition last year.
This year’s competition got even bigger as Sparkle introduced a separate title for the girls, with Frances making history as the first-ever female winner of Sparkle Campus Cuties.
And it looks like both winners already have a few dream names on their showbiz wish lists.
In an interview with 24 Oras, Rayu shared that he hopes to work with some of the biggest stars in the Kapuso network, including Alden Richards, Dingdong Dantes, and Marian Rivera.
“Nasa wishlist ko po ay si Alden Richards, si Dingdong Dantes, si Marian Rivera; kasi, ang galing nila sa craft nila,” Rayu said.
It’s easy to see why these stars made it to his list. With their years of experience in television, film, and endorsements, working alongside Kapuso A-listers would be a major learning opportunity for a newcomer like Rayu as he begins his own journey in showbiz.
Frances, meanwhile, has her sights set on another Kapuso icon.
The “Go-getter Influencer ng New Manila” revealed that it has always been her dream to work with Heart Evangelista, whom she admires not only for her talent but also for the way she carries herself.
“It was always a dream po to work with Heart Evangelista. Obviously, I love her craft as well, I love how she presents herself,” Frances shared in the news interview.
She also named Sparkle artists Anthony Constantino and Charlie Fleming as talents she would love to work with.
Beyond their major titles, Rayu and Frances also proved that they had strong fan support throughout the competition. Both received the Social Media Favorite recognition, while Rayu added another award to his collection after winning the TikTok Live Viewer’s Choice award.
The first runners-up were De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde’s Ronnie Pasamba and Angeles University Foundation’s Abi Arnold. Finishing as second runners-up were Enzo Torrano of Mapúa University Makati and Ysa Prats of Mapúa Malayan Colleges Laguna.
For all six finalists, the competition was only the beginning. Rayu, Frances, Ronnie, Abi, Enzo, and Ysa have all secured talent management contracts with Sparkle GMA Artist Center, giving them an opportunity to develop their careers under one of the country’s leading talent management teams.
But there could be more Sparkle recruits waiting in the wings.
GMA Network Senior Vice President Atty. Annette Gozon-Valdes praised this year’s batch and hinted that the network could potentially discover more talents beyond the official Top 6.
“Baka ‘di lang ‘yung Top 6 let’s see kasi lahat sila talented, they all have the looks, they all have the personality. I am very happy that they are all so wholesome, parang talagang role models sila,” she said during a media interview.
That means the other contestants may not necessarily be saying goodbye to their showbiz dreams just yet.
The rest of the Top 20 included Andrei Fajardo, Kady Costales, Ryke Regala, David Bunagan, Zed Malicsi, Ralph Miaco, Migs Concepcion, Akira Kurata, Mateo Monzones, Winston Stolk, Kiko Antonio, and Geanne Castro. With their talent, personality, and growing exposure, some of them could still find their way into Sparkle’s expanding roster.
For Rayu and Frances, however, the next chapter is already underway.
From campus competitions to standing alongside established Kapuso stars, their journey is just getting started. Rayu hopes to learn from the likes of Alden, Dingdong, and Marian, while Frances dreams of sharing the screen with Heart and working with fellow young Sparkle talents.
If their showing at Sparkle Campus Cuties Season 2 is any indication, these two new stars are more than ready to take their first big steps into the Kapuso spotlight.
Leave a comment