Among the eight remaining contenders of GMA-7's reality-based artista search, StarStruck V, si Steven Silva na lang ang hindi nakakasama sa bottom group. Ito ay sa kabila ng madalas niyang pagiging "weakest" pagdating sa challenges, except probably for singing kung saan siya nag-e-excel.
Kaya lumalabas na malakas ang hatak ni Steven pagdating sa viewers' votes, lalo na raw sa gays. Fifty percent kasi ng votes ay galing sa text and online votes at ang natitirang kalahati ay galing naman sa StarStruck Council na binubuo nina Floy Quintos, Iza Calzado, at Lolit Solis.
STEVEN'S STAYING POWER. Sa pocket presscon na ipinatawag ng GMA-7 para sa Final 8 ng StarStruck V kahapon ng tanghali, January 20, ay tinanong ng PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal) si Steven kung ano sa palagay niya ang dahilan kung bakit hindi pa siya napapasama sa bottom group?
"Wow! Hindi ko alam po kasi... I mean, I was just really trying to focus on the StarStruck. Pero siguro po, maybe the support from the fans. They're really supporting so much and helping me... It's hard for me with the Tagalog kasi it's really like my first time. Pero I'm trying for them [fans] and they're also helping me," sabi ni Steven.
But is he making an effort to campaign or tell his friends and relatives to vote for him?
"Parang like this Sunday, I just tell my friends, 'O, please vote for me. Please tell your friends and families to vote for me.' But other than that, not too much really. Well, I think siguro my family sa Davao, they are asking people there."
Pero hindi ba siya nagwo-worry na palagi siyang "nangungulelat" pagdating sa challenges?
"No, kasi I just know that I have to do what I can do," sagot ng 22-year-old showbiz hopeful. "I mean, parang just keep practising. I can only do as much as I can. I just have to keep on improving and improving."
STEVEN'S WEAKNESS. Gaya ng nabanggit ni Steven, isa sa obvious weakness niya sa competition ay ang struggle niya sa pagsasalita ng Tagalog. Aminado naman siya na nahihirapan siya talaga.
"Para sa akin, alam ko that learning a language, hindi puwede talaga overnight. Every day, araw-araw, I'm just trying to keep up. Every day, just keep practising. Kasi people say, 'O, dapat magsalita ng Tagalog.' And I'm trying, but sometimes it's frustrating. But I keep telling myself, you know, it can only come little by little. But really, it's hard sometimes. I really get frustrated," aniya.
Understandable naman ang hirap sa pananagalog ni Steven dahil mga anim na buwan pa lang siyang naninirahan dito sa Pilipinas.
"The first three months I was here, I was doing my OJT [on-the-job training], my practicum for my school. And I wasn't trying to learn Tagalog kasi I didn't have StarStruck yet. I was thinking pagtapos yung practicum ko, babalik [na ako] sa States," paliwanag ni Steven.
Sa U.S. ipinanganak si Steven. Ang nanay niya ay half-Filipino, half-Chinese, samantalang ang ama naman niya ay Portuguese.
"Ang lahat ng buhay ko, sa States," sabi pa niya.
Talagang malaking adjustment daw para kay Steven ang pagsasalita ng Tagalog.
"Hindi medyo, very, very big!" natatawa niyang sabi. "Along with yung StarStruck experiences, 'tapos also like cultural experiences, I have to adjust. It's okay kasi I'm learning a lot. I also know that, you know, if you stop learning, parang you are not living. Maybe I'm just trying to adjust as much as I could."
Bukod sa hirap sa pagsasalita ng Tagalog, ang isa pang napupuna ng Council at maging ng mentors kay Steven ay ang kanyang kakulangan ng energy. Biro nga ng ilan sa kanya, siya raw ang male version ng kasamahan niya sa StarStruck V na si Nina Kodaka, na kulang din daw sa energy.
"Oh, I don't know," nangingiti niyang sabi. "I have energy, pero minsan, I don't know... Kasi sometimes, I get biglang tahimik. So, sometimes people are confused, like, 'You have no energy.' Pero I'm really okay. So, sometimes parang, like Nina, tahimik. But really, I'm okay. And sometimes, parang I'm kinda relaxed. Hindi ako marunong mag-Tagalog, so I have to stay back and parang just listen to make sure I understand."
THE COMPETITION. Araw-araw ay may schedule ang lahat ng survivors para sa kanilang artista tests. Hindi ba napapagod si Steven dito?
"Okay lang po kasi I know that it's part of it. Kasi even pagtapos ng StarStruck, it's gonna be the same. Parang we have to be used to it na for later. Siguro mahirap, pero after StarStruck, mas mahirap," sabi niya.
Of all the tests na ginawa nila, what was the hardest for him?
"For me, sigurado po sa acting... with Glaiza [de Castro]," sagot ni Steven. Ang tinutukoy niya ay ang acting test kung saan kunwari ay kinidnap siya ni Glaiza at itinali sa upuan habang sinasampal-sampal.
Paliwanag pa niya, "Kasi when I was acting, I really wanna try just Tagalog lang. During the acting, Direk [Brillante Mendoza] said, 'O, just express your feelings.' Pero ang feeling ko is like, just Tagalog. Sometimes, when I'm speaking in Tagalog, I have to go down."
Hindi raw kasi niya nae-express nang maayos yung feelings niya dahil nga sa hirap siyang mag-Tagalog. "Pero I really wanna try to do it with Tagalog. Kasi alam ko, like later on, I have to speak Tagalog," dagdag ni Steven
Bukod kay Steven, ang natitira na lang na male contenders sa StarStruck V ay sina Rocco Nacino, Enzo Pineda, at Ian Batherson. Among the remaining boys, sino sa palagay ni Steven ang pinakamabigat niyang kalaban?
"Si Rocco," mabilis niyang sagot. "Kasi para sa akin, si Rocco, he did well in all the challenges. Parang triple threat. I have to try to improve myself, that I'm ready to compete."
Pero sa palagay ni Steven, bakit siya ang dapat manalo bilang Ultimate Male Survivor sa StarStruck V?
"Because for me, I really sacrificed so much and I really want this.... You shouldn't try to join something if you don't plan to win," sagot niya.