TULAD ng mga karaniwang kabataan, naging biktima rin ng pambu-bully ang ex-PBB housemate na si Ylona Garcia, lalo na nu’ng pumasok na siya sa showbiz.
Ayon sa Filipino-Australian singer-actress, noong estudyante pa lang daw siya sa Australia ay nabu-bully na siya dahil sa kanyang kulay at itsura. At nu’ng naging bahagi siya ng PBB hanggang sa lumabas ng Bahay Ni Kuya ay meron pa ring namba-bash sa kanya.
“When I was in grade 4, I was bullied for my skin, for the way I speak, for the way I am, for basically —being me,” seryosong sey ni Ylona.
Ang pinakamatinding panlalait daw na natanggap niya mula sa bashers ay hindi raw siya kagandahan para maging showbiz personality, “Some people say that I should get my face done. That I don’t even belong in showbiz.”
May mga nagsasabi rin daw sa kanya ng, “That I don’t even belong in this world. That I don’t even belong to my mommy.” Pero sa halip daw na sagutin at awayin ang kanyang bashers, dinedema na lang niya ang mga ito.
“People say whatever they want to say because I just put myself out there. I don’t reply to it kasi that’s their opinion and I respect that. That’s who they are as a person.
“Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, so I’m okay with that. What I do is I just love. Yeah!” sey pa ni Ylona nang matanong about her experience sa grand launch ng kanyang debut album titled “My Name Is Ylona Garcia!”
Dagdag pa ng tinaguriang Next Teen Superstar, “One thing I learned from that was to stay strong always. They are just bullying you for what was God-given.”
At para patunayan ang in born talent niya sa pagkanta, pinagkatiwalaan siya ng Star Music na i-launch bilang recording artist. Ano ang reaksiyon niya nang sabihin sa kanya na magkakaroon na siya ng album?
“Grabe! ‘Yun po yung nasabi ko. Then I told them, sige push na tayo! And it’s really a dream come true for me. This album I guess is an inspirational one,” sey pa ni Ylona na hindi pa rin makapaniwala na certified recording artist na siya.
Ilan sa mga track na kasama sa “My Name Is Ylona Garcia” ay ang “Don’t Say Goodbye,” “Win The Fight,” “Each Day,” “Not You Bae,” “Fly Tonight,” “Stop The Bully,” “Stop Think” at “Dahan Dahan Dahan Lang.”
Bago pa pumasok sa PBB house noon si Ylona naging front act na siya sa mga past concert nina Martin Nievera, Gary Valenciano at Sarah Geronimo. Nakapag-perform na rin sila sa concert nina Toni Gonzaga and Alex Gonzaga.
Last July, she simultaneously headlined a digital concert for ABS-CBN music portal.
Bukod sa compositions ni Ylona, may isinulat din na kanta para sa album sina Marion Aunor, Nica Del Rosario, Moira dela Torre at Jamie Rivera.
The album is now available on Spotify, which also included Ylona on its Spotlight list of hottest new cats for 2016. Available na rin ang “My Name Is Ylona Garcia” sa mga record bars produced by Rox Santos.
For more information about the album, visit Starmusic.ph or follow Star Music’s official social media accounts at Facebook.com/starrecordsphil, Twitter.com/starrecordsph and Instagram.com/Starmusicph.
Samantala, natanong din si Ylona Garcia kung kumusta na sila ng kanyang ka-loveteam at ka-batch sa PBB na si Bailey May. Anang dalagita, okay na okay pa rin ang samahan nila ng batang aktor.
Best of friends pa rin daw sila ni Bailey, though medyo bihira na raw silang magkasama ngayon dahil may kanya-kanya na rin silang projects simula nang lumabas sila sa PBB house, napanatili pa rin nila ang kanilang closeless. Nilinaw din niya na magkaibigan lang talaga sila.