'Artista Academy' Newcomer Brent Manzano's Tale Of Woe

AMONG THE 8 guys in “Artista Academy”, only Brent Manzano cried after his name was called as a finalist. Why? “Nag-flashback kasi sa’kin lahat ng hirap na pinagdaanan ko sa buhay,” he says. “I joined PBB and Starstruck before, rejected ako. That night, ready na rin ako to be rejected again, kaya when I made it, napaiyak ako.”

An only child of a Pinay mom and an American dad, he was born on December 12, 1991. “My parents daw met in Boracay, tapos nabuo ako. I met my dad only once when I was 7, tapos never na uli. I was raised in Tibagin Island off Hagonoy, Bulacan. Hanggang 2nd year high school lang ang inabot ko kasi at 16, iniwan ako ng mom ko who went to Saudi. Natira kong mag-isa sa isang vacant lot and our neighbors just gave me food. Namulot ako ng basura. At 17, I went to Manila at sumali sa mga bikini contest to earn a living. Dun ko na-meet si Direk Manny Valera, who’s now managing me. Malaking utang na loob ko sa kanya.”

His real name is Bryan. “Yung Brent in my dad’s name. Full name niya is Brent Rule. Dream ko, hanapin siya sa America. Manzano is from my mom. Dream ko ring mapauwi ang mom ko rito para magkasama kami uli.”

Brent is just one of the many half-breeds in “Artista Academy”. The others are Jonathan Orlando and Alberto Bruno (both half Pinoy-half Italian), Mark Neumann (Pinoy-Croatian), Chris Leonardo (Pinoy-French), Akihiro Blanco (Pinoy-Japanese, a nephew of James Blanco), Stephanie Rowe (Pinay-English), and Malak Shdifat (Pinay-Palestinian).