Former Folklorama ambassador now a celebrity in the Philippines

A celebrity overseas has local roots in Winnipeg’s Filipino community.

Wayne Avellano now hosts big events all over the Philippines, but says he still carries his Folklorama experience with him.

“We’re doing something amazing by preserving the Filipino culture by having Folklorama and that is a celebration in itself,” said Avellano.

Avellano has been away from Winnipeg for seven years but says he still carries the cultural knowledge he learned through being an ambassador at Folklorama’s Pearl of the Orient pavillion.

“Looking at it now, whenever I travel to different parts of the Philippines for a provincial show to perform or to host, I can always kind of relate to what I’ve learned in Winnipeg.”

Avellano says it was his love for Filipino culture that prompted him to move to Manila, without any connections, to try and make it in the entertainment industry.

“I didn’t really know what life was like. After learning about the culture and the heritage, it was just so nice to get reconnected,” said Avellano.

Avellano says his hard work paved the way to his success. He now makes a living as an events host and social media personality.

“It’s honestly such a blessing that I could really make use of God’s gift, which is to entertain, and be a part of so many big events that people both equally enjoy and love.”

Avellano says one of the highlights of his career was hosting Miss Universe Philippines. He says it’s a different kind of world, as pageantry is an extreme sport in the country.

“Pageants are so popular. Filipino fans are the best pageant fans. They’re super supportive. It is the national holiday when there’s a pageant in the Philippines. Just like it is when [Manny] Pacquiao has a fight.”

Avellano says when he hosted the pageant, he was surprised at how many people were involved in bringing each contestant to the top of their game.

“A lot of people go through so many challenges because they have to work with big teams. So not only are they thinking about themselves, but they’re also thinking about the team that they’re with in order to be on that stage. To look poised, to have a great answer. It’s really tough mentally and physically for them.”

He says despite working with big names and talents regularly, he did get star-struck when he met Pia Wurtzbach, who is arguably the Philippines’ most famous pageant queen.

“She was so nice and just, just like, super normal. It didn’t seem like she was this big celebrity but, you know what, she really had that aura of a superstar,” Avellano explained.

Avellano says he’s taking the next step in his career, transitioning into movies. He says a new, secret project is underway, that will take him from pageant host to leading man, but what he’s most excited about is coming back home to Winnipeg to share his successes with his family and friends.

“It’s been a long journey and telling them in person is not enough to really, kind of make them feel how I felt in those moments that I’ve overcome triumph or celebrated small and big wins,” said Avellano.

“I literally went to Manila without having a network of people but I’ve built myself from the ground up and that, to me, is a testament.”