A vintage chess set, camera for Insta, and dog outfit

Marco Masa

The new crop of young talents is determined to make a mark in the entertainment industry. GMA Network’s Sparkle Teens were introduced a couple of months ago at an event in Quezon City where they performed in a group dance and talked a bit about themselves.

We asked a few of them what their favorite things are and why they chose these particular items. Marco Masa picked three things: a basketball, a cue stick and a chess set.

The 15-year-old former child star who was a mainstay on the kiddie program “Goin’ Bulilit” chose these items because of their connection to his family with whom he is very close. “My most favorite of the three is the chess set because of the lessons learned from playing against my father. He was the one who taught me how to play and now it’s our way of bonding,” Marco said.

The chess set his dad gave him for his birthday came from an antique store which Marco said made it doubly special. His dad also taught him the basics of billiards and now, he and his older brother play billiards with their dad.

“When I was younger, my Dad had a tako (cue stick) made for me so I could play properly. Now that I’ve grown taller, my brother and I traded cue sticks because I’m taller than him.”

Basketball is one sport he discovered on his own. “I like it for its health benefits, but also because I feel really good after a good game,” he said. “The ball I’m using now isn’t the original one. I’ve had to replace them after a while because they blow out or get deflated.”

Ashley Sarmiento

Capturing memories

Meanwhile, Ashley Sarmiento was also a child star and appeared in “Goin’ Bulilit” and a teleserye. Her favorite item is her Sony camera, a gift from her mom on her 16th birthday.

“I’ve long wanted to have my own camera, not just because I like taking selfies, but also because I enjoy taking nature photos or things that I feel have potential when edited. I always take it with me when I go out, and post the photos I take with it on Instagram,” Ashley said.

The camera can be flipped and has different effects, like black and white and other filters. It also has a fisheye lens. “I can easily transfer photos for uploading because it has a Bluetooth function as well.”

Aya Domingo

Among the Sparkle Teens, Aya Domingo is one of the youngest at 13 and is known as “Bunsong Palaban.” She describes herself as a pet lover and, to prove her point, her favorite thing is an outfit worn by her first pet dog who has since gone missing.

“I kept his outfit even if he’s disappeared and I let our other dogs wear it as well. My dog really liked to be dressed up and wearing different outfits. Umiiyak s’ya pag wala s’yang damit.”

Ashley said she held on to the red and white striped outfit, even after her dog went missing, and likes sniffing it from time to time.

“My Mom wanted to wash it because it was already soiled, but I wanted to keep it smelling that way,” she said.

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