Faith Da Silva
Flame On
Text By Aimee Anoc
Photos By Raymond Ignacio and Gerlyn Mariano
Shot on Location at Seda Vertis North
Faith Da Silva feels that it was just the “right time” for her to be chosen as Sang’gre Flamarra in the highly anticipated GMA fantasy series, Encantadia Chronicles: Sang’gre.
“I remember people were asking me, ang sabi nila, ‘Ano ba raw ang pinaghahandaan ko? Bakit daw ba sobrang effort ako.’ At noong time po na ’to hindi ko pa po alam na ako na po si Sang’gre Flamarra. And I would always say na, ‘I’m preparing for something big,’ At that moment, hindi ko pa alam kung ano ’yun pero ipinagkaloob ’to sa akin ng universe. And, I think this is the right time because sa lahat po ng pinagdaanan ko I feel like this is leading towards this moment,” she confidently said in an exclusive interview with GMANetwork.com.
Years before being chosen as one of the next-generation Sang’gres, Faith had previously auditioned for Encantadia 2016 for the role of Mira, Sang’gre Pirena’s daughter, but was not lucky to get picked. Even though she didn’t get a chance to be part of Encantadia 2016, Faith was not discouraged and tried to audition again when she learned that this iconic fantasy series would have a “continuation” in Encantadia Chronicles: Sang’gre.
Six years later, after passing two auditions and months of waiting, she finally bagged the role of Flamarra, the new keeper of the Brilyante ng Apoy, or the Fire Gem.
“Para siyempre makuha ko na naman ’yung role bilang anak ni Pirena, it means a lot to me. Until now, mayroon pa ring mixed emotions about it. Siyempre, hindi nawawala ’yung pressure, nariyan talaga dahil ang laki ng obligasyon namin para sa mga karakter namin. Pero ultimately, I felt at peace. Kasi feeling ko it was given to me at the right moment, na ito na ’yon.”
She is Flamarra
Encantadia first aired on GMA in 2005 and was a huge success. It created a huge fiercely loyal following that the network management was compelled to give it a remake in 2016, with Glaiza de Castro, Kylie Padilla, Gabbi Garcia, and Sanya Lopez as the lead cast. The groundbreaking series, which has always been a big draw for GMA Network, will be continued in the Encantadia Chronicles: Sang’gre, a fitting ‘present’ to celebrate its 20th anniversary .
No one is more excited to be a part of such a popular series than Faith herself. And, with her once-in-a-lifetime role as Sang’gre Flamarra, the 22-year-old actress understands the high expectations and great responsibilities that come with such undertaking.
“Ang Encantadia kasi bata pa lang tayo napapanood na natin ‘yan, kinalakihan ko rin ’yan. So para magampanan ko nang maayos ’yung character ko, I know it takes time and it takes so much effort,” she said.
To give life to Sang’gre Flamarra, Faith must take martial arts training to prepare her body and her mind for the many intense action scenes. In these challenging times, she is just grateful to have her co-stars, her fellow Sang’gres, Bianca Umali, Kelvin Miranda, and Angel Guardian as her guide and her support system.
She recalled her first meeting with actress Glaiza de Castro, who will return as Sang’gre Pirena and will play Flamarra’s mother in the series. “Noong story conference ng Encantadia Chronicles: Sang’gre talagang na-touch ako sa kanya kasi inupo n’ya ako tapos kinausap n’ya ako nang masinsinan. Sinabi n’ya na, ‘Alam mo ’yung pressure na nararamdaman mo ngayon, gamitin mo ’yan to fuel you’. Like, ‘Akala mo ba kami nu’ng time namin hindi kami na-pressure? Malaking pressure din ‘yun sa amin.’ Iyon din ’yung ipinapasok nila sa amin na, ‘Yes, there is pressure.’ You still have to be pressured dahil nga importante itong gagawin namin. But at the same time, mga anak na kayo ng Sang’gre so kayo ang gagawa ng sarili n’yong character, sa inyo manggagaling ‘yan lahat. Parang ngayon mas na-lessen na ’yung pressure ko kasi I know na may mga tao sa paligid ko that really is looking out for me. And kung ako gusto ko ma-deliver nang maayos ’yung trabaho ko, sila din, lahat kami teamwork.”
To be entrusted with this massive project, Faith assured herself, the GMA Network, and Encantadia, that she would give it her all to justify Flamarra’s role. “This is something that we have been preparing for. Ako to be honest, I am putting my heart and my soul into this project. This is once in a lifetime opportunity. And para palagpasin natin ito at hindi natin ibigay ’yung lahat ng lakas na mayroon tayo, sayang s’ya ’di ba? I cannot promise anything to anyone but I know I will show up for myself, for my network GMA, and para sa legacy ng Encantadia. Hindi ko pahihiyain ang mga tao dahil gagawin ko lahat ng effort na kinakailangan para mabigyan ng justice ang para kay Flamarra.”
Aside from Bianca, Kelvin, Angel, and Glaiza, Faith will be working with Rhian Ramos, Sanya Lopez, Kylie Padilla, Gabbi Garcia, Rocco Nacino, Ricky Davao, Sherilyn Reyes, Jamie Wilson, Luis Hontiveros, Vince Maristela, Shuvee Etrata, Pamela Prinster, and Gueco twins Vito and Kiel.
Unexpected Showbiz Career
Faith had never dreamed of becoming an actress. Entering the world of show business was unexpected for her. Her personality as a child was far different from what we know of her today--approachable and funny. Faith was a very shy seven-year-old girl when her mom asked her to join GMA’s morning talk show SiS, where she only needed to play a fairy. Faith remembers that she left the show crying when she saw the comedian Tessbomb dressed in an animal costume.
“Sa totoo lang hindi ko s’ya dream noong bata ako kasi noong time na nag-aaral pa lang kami ng kapatid ko, siya ang nag-aartista, siya ang talented kasi siya ang bibo, ako mahiyain akong bata like hindi ako nagsasalita, hindi ako kumakausap ng kung sinu-sino.”
But as fate would have it, she eventually found herself doing a VTR for a food commercial at the age of 12. “Noong nagkaroon ako ng chance na makapag-VTR for a commercial, first VTR ko’ to for juice commercial, nakuha ako agad. Doon talaga kahit papaano naging proud na ako sa sarili ko na kaya ko naman pala. Hanggang sa tinuloy-tuloy na namin puro commercials.”
She went on doing solely for commercials until Direk Maryo J. de los Reyes called her and asked her if she wanted to be an actress. Faith became curious since she knew Direk Maryo would not bother calling her if he didn’t notice anything about her. After they met to talk about his plans for her, she had the courage to audition for a spot in the sixth season of GMA’s reality show StarStruck in 2015.
She recalled, “Noong nag-start naman ako sa StarStruck hindi ko talaga in-expect na I would really get here. Kasi noon hindi talaga ako marunong umarte like feeling ko talaga, ‘Bakit ko ba ‘to pinasok hindi naman ako marunong umarte?’ Nag-aaral pa ako noong time na ito. Sa Laguna pa kami nakatira noon. Like ang hirap, imagine may time na from Manila sa bahay ng lola ko hanggang sa GMA kami lang dalawa nung kapatid ko. Nu’ng time na ‘yun 15 pa lang ako tapos ‘yung brother ko ilang taon pa lang din. Pero talagang nilaban ko. Nandito na ako gagalingan ko na lang din.”
Like how she landed the role of Flamarra, it was fate that led her to landing roles and opportunities that would allow her to entertain and inspire other people.
Following her StarStruck journey, she has appeared in a number of television shows and drama series, including Once Again (2016), My Love From the Star (2017), Kambal, Karibal (2017),The One That Got Away (2018), and Ika-5 Utos (2018), Sahaya (2019), The Gift (2019), and Anak ni Waray vs. Anak ni Biday (2020).
“After ng StarStruck, tapos noong nagkaroon na ako ng chance para makapag-workshop for acting, speaking, and personality development, doon ko na-appreciate ’yung craft itself. Hindi dahil sa gusto kong kumita ng malaki o sumikat kaagad, ang gusto ko lang ay umarte dahil finally na-realize ko nandirito pala s’ya, hindi ko lang alam paano ilabas ang power na ’yun.”
In 2021, Faith got her biggest break when she bagged the role of Scarlet in the GMA afternoon series Las Hermanas. This series was also an honor for her because she had the opportunity to work alongside Yasmien Kurdi, Thea Tolentino, and veteran actor Albert Martinez. “Noong time na ’yun sobrang answered prayer lang talaga ako kasi syempre pandemic noon. Even I was struggling to get myself booked dahil limitado ang mga trabaho noong time na ’yun. Pero nakakagulat lang din na ang daming naging magandang nangyari sa akin right after Las Hermanas. I was shaken. Na-shaken ’yung pagkatao ko kasi alam ko na I’m gonna go through hardships. Malaki ’yung obligasyon kasi siyempre Albert Martinez ’yung makakasama mo, hindi lang siya artista kundi director din. So ’yung pressure nun sa akin para siya ’yung maging asawa ko, iyon na lang din ’yung pinang-fuel ko para mas maging confident. Tiwala sa network, tiwala sa Sparkle, na kaya ito binigay sa akin because I was meant for this character. Grateful ako, of course, but at the same time, malaking tiwala at humingi rin talaga ako ng suporta sa mga kasama ko.”
Following her breakthrough role, Faith Da Silva starred in the GMA series Unica Hija (2022), Mga Lihim Ni Urduja (2023), and Maging Sino Ka Man (2023), where she gained lots of great feedback because of her witty portrayal of Betty.
“Natuwa rin ako siyempre,” she happily said about the viewers’ positive reaction to her character in Maging Sino Ka Man, the primetime series bannered by Barbie Forteza and David Licauco. “Kasi si Betty noong nailatag siya sa akin kontrabida siya. Hindi siya dapat ’yung katutuwaan ng mga tao ’di ba? I mean, marami pa rin namang galit sa akin pero mas marami ’yung natuwa at natawa sa akin. At saka dito sa Maging Sino Ka Man naging iba ’yung openness ko, kumbaga kasi hindi naman ako comedian. Sabi nga nila, mas madaling magpaiyak kaysa magpatawa. Pero talagang tinotodo ko na lang ‘yung energy ko du’n. At saka malaking bagay din na nakatrabaho ko si Barbie Forteza kasi isa rin ‘yun, kalog talaga si Barbie. Na-inspire ako sa kanya, na kung gaano kami kakulit dalawa off-cam, ganoon din on-cam. At saka ang ganda ng dynamic kasi happy lang kami doon and ang laki ng tiwala ng mga taong nasa paligid.”
Faith will soon inspire everyone as Sang’gre Flamarra, the new keeper of the Fire Gem in the iconic fantasy series Encantadia Chronicles: Sang’gre.
Passion for Hosting and Music
Faith is undoubtedly a versatile and multi-talented woman. She is an actress, a host, and a recording artist. Faith embarked on hosting last year when she joined Kim Atienza, Pokwang, Rabiya Mateo, and Jayson Gainza as regular hosts of the GMA’s countdown variety show TiktoClock. The actress never imagined herself venturing into hosting and becoming a variety show host since she always thought that she wasn’t good at public speaking.
“Noon talaga mayroon akong notion na kapag host ka kailangan sobrang talino mo kasi nga kailangan gumagamit ka ng mga eloquent words, kailangan hindi pangkaraniwan talaga. ’Yung kumbaga kapag narinig ka ng ibang tao na nagsasalita, you’re able to communicate kung ano ’yung narrative na gusto mong sabihin and also maiparinig mo sa kanila nang maganda. Nu’ng time na ’yun parang hindi ako bilib sa sarili ko. So never ko talagang in-expect na magiging host ako kasi I always thought na hindi ako magaling sa communication, ’yun pala hindi lang ako nabibigyan ng enough medium para maipakita ko kung ano ’yung pwede.”
Hosting a variety show requires not just outstanding speaking skills, but also a keen sense of humor. “And aside from hosting ’yung comedy naman. Like sino bang nag-akala na nakakatawa rin pala ako ‘di ba? Sa totoo lang dahil naka-work ko siguro si Ate [Eugene Domingo], Tuesday [Vargas], Kuya Joey Paras, at iba pang magagaling na komedyante, doon na open up talaga ’yung puso ko na parang ’wag kang matakot.”
Faith has also been a regular performer on All-Out Sundays where she does comedy skits, dances, and sings. But did you know that before becoming an actress, Faith’s first love was singing? In fact, when she auditioned for StarStruck Season 6, her sole talent was singing. That is why, even after becoming an actress, Faith continued her passion for music. When GMA Playlist offered her a singing lesson, she grabbed the opportunity. She recorded songs such as “Pabalik-balik,” “Stay,” and “Wag Na Lang,” which were used as the official soundtracks of the GMA series The Good Daughter, I Can See You Season 2, and Las Hermanas, respectively.
On Feb 25, 2022, she released a song titled “Sana Sabihin Mo Na Lang,” her first single as an official recording artist of GMA Playlist. The song expresses the pain of letting go. “Siyempre tayo we go through different relationships. Most of the time, bago maghiwalay ang mag-partners dumarating tayo sa point na alam nating hindi na ito magwo-work. Parang hindi na okay kung saan papunta ang relationships nyo. Pero dahil sa sobrang sanay na kayo sa isa’t isa or nanghihinayang kayo sa kung anong mayroon kayo, nag-i-stay pa rin kayo. ’Yung ‘Sana Sabihin Mo Na Lang,’ just let me know kung ayaw mo na ako na mismo ang gagawa ng paraan para hindi ka na mahirapan pa na mag-explain because I understand. Just let me know.”
Faith’s tracks are mostly melancholic. She can also relate to her songs because she recorded them while she was in the same circumstances in her life.
“Music to me is energy. It’s how we communicate on a different level,” recalled Faith, who comes from a family of singers. “It comes with so much artistry, so much effort. ’Yung paggawa pa lang ng music it takes so much of a person to make it happen. Kasi hindi lang siya lyrics, hindi lang s’ya words and melody, it’s a story. Like how you communicate in a different form of expression. Ako sana in the future, makapagsulat din ako ng sarili kong kanta at makapag-produce din ako.”
In almost a decade in the entertainment industry, Faith has learned a lot about her craft, such as if you want to succeed, you must work hard for it.
“Hindi siya ibibigay lamang sa iyo. You have to work hard for it. Natutunan ko na maging go-getter, na kailangan mapamaraan ka. Kasi kaya nga tayo mga artista dapat hindi tayo nahihiya sa mga sarili natin. If alam mo sa sarili mo na mas kaya mo pang mag-effort, mas galingan mo pa. Hindi sapat na mayroon kang proyekto ngayon, walang kasiguraduhan kung kailan ’yung magiging next mo so while you are at it ibigay mo talaga 100 percent. Kailangan hindi lang ikaw ’yung magiging masaya sa trabaho mo, kailangan lahat ng nakapaligid sa iyo masaya sa trabaho mo at masaya dahil marunong kang makisama sa kapwa mo. Ngayon, naririto na ako sa stage ng life ko na career ko na ‘yung focus ko. Ngayon ako na ‘yung naroroon sa TV tapos ako na ‘yung nakakapagbigay ng saya at ligaya sa mga taong manonood. So mas masaya ‘yung life kasi hindi lang ako kumikita at nagagawa ’yung bagay na gusto ko, marami rin akong mga tao na nata-touch ko ’yung puso nila so mas nakaka-inspire magtrabaho and to try more things.”
Shoot producer: Gabby Reyes Libarios | Art Direction & Layout Design: Kris Nagamos | Stylist: Perry Tabora |
Makeup: Rick Calderon | Hair: Ja Feliciano
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Faith Da Silva: Flame On
Published :April 12, 2024 01:08 PM PHTFaith Da Silva believes that everything has its perfect time. After not getting the 'roles' that she thought were meant for her, she now understands why fate took her sweet time to give her what she had always asked for. She's the living proof that good things do come to those who wait.
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