ONE of 16 contestants chosen to compete on The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition, Filipino Lara Alvarez said the experience was to remember and has taught her a lot.
Born and raised in Baguio City, single parent Alvarez said the show thrusts her to a world different from what she was used to, but only served to strengthen her as she moves on in life.
“Participating on the show was incredible. The production was topnotch and it was nothing like I had ever experienced before. Getting to visit Singapore and see the way locals live, see the beauty of the country, it gave me a deeper sense of pride for my own country. It gave me hope, not just for my own life, but for everyone else as well with all the difficulties we’re dealing with today. I definitely learned a lot from my time in the boardroom,” said Ms. Alvarez in a statement.
Ms. Alvarez is no stranger to adversity, having worked for long hours even as a child on her father’s farm, where she harvested crops and sold them at the local market.
She works as an accountant and trains martial arts with Baguio’s own Team Lakay and she is looking to take things higher by winning it all in the reality TV show and be an apprentice to ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong.
Also a motivation for Ms. Alvarez is providing a better life for her son, whom she had when she was 22 years old.
She admitted she had reservations in joining at first, but eventually decided to give it a go.
“I just wanted to give my son a better life, that’s what compelled me to try and audition for The Apprentice. At the time, I didn’t really imagine I could get in. But I was determined to give it a shot. So when I got the news that I was accepted, I was in shock. I just couldn’t believe it. But I was super happy I got in, and from there, I was motivated to succeed,” she said.
Ms. Alvarez is one of two Filipinos representing the Philippines in the show filmed entirely in Singapore, the other being champion mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter-turned-corporate executive Louie Sangalang from Manila.
“Up to now, I still can’t believe I was on The Apprentice. I’m glad I took a chance. It’s made me a stronger person, and a better mother today. I’ve gained more confidence in myself. I think I’ve proven that being a single mother is not a setback. It is far from a setback. It’s a blessing because I was able to push myself harder. It gave me the strength to push past my limits,” said Ms. Alvarez while also expressing hope that viewers can learn things from her journey.
The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition has 16 people competing for a US$250,000 job offer to work directly under Mr. Sityodtong for a year as his protege in Singapore.
The participants are asked to solve business problems in real time, but a twist — in the form of physical challenges with MMA stars — is also involved.
To make the challenges well-rounded for the participants, it has invited executives from top companies to join the show.
It is set for airing in Asia beginning March 18 over AXN. It will have 13 episodes and will also be available on other platforms and TV networks across Asia, including TV5 here in the Philippines. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo
