MANILA, January 15, 2014 (AFP) – Celebrations broke out in the Philippines Wednesday after a Filipina who has spent nearly half her life as a caregiver overseas won Israel’s first “X Factor” competition. Rose Fostanes, one of millions of Filipinos working abroad, won the television talent show late Tuesday with a rendition of Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” that delighted fans in both countries. Local television, news websites, social media and even the president lavished praise on the unmarried, openly gay 47-year-old, who has worked abroad for more than two decades – including six years in Israel – to support her family. “We know the situation she was in and we are very proud that she has again given the Philippines pride in the showcase of her talent,” President Benigno Aquino’s spokesman Edwin Lacierda told reporters Wednesday. “The Filipino has an innate advantage when it comes to the arts…It clearly shows that the excellence of the Filipino can be expressed anywhere, everywhere, when they are given the opportunity to show their talent.” Fostanes has been likened by fans to Susan Boyle, the middle-aged Scottish singer whose humble looks and shy demeanor belied a scintillating voice that captivated millions on the television talent show “Britain’s Got Talent” in 2009. Fostanes’ day job had been to care for an elderly employer in Tel Aviv. She is one of some 10 million Filipinos, about a tenth of the population, who have gone to work abroad to escape poverty and joblessness back home. Israel’s media Read More …
