Filipino Child Prodigies – Where Are They Now?

The world has long been fascinated by prodigies—gifted kids whose accomplishments at such a young age, shed light to a child’s inherent talent, intellect and precocity.

In the Philippines, perhaps no other personalities represent the concept and reality of what gifted children are than the three who illustrated it via one of the most memorable television commercials of the 90s—Kiko Galura, James Flores, and Shaira Luna.

But what has become of the three gifted kids featured in the brand’s most prolific commercial yet? The budding poet? The promising astronomer? The medical marvel?

First of all, they’re all grown up now and second, their accomplishments as adults are just as impressive as what they were able to deliver as kids.

The young poet, Kiko Galura, has an established career as a publisher in one of the country’s biggest publishing houses. From making words come to life in his poems, he now provides an opportunity and a voice to other storytellers.

James Flores, who was known for his proficiency in astronomy stayed within the sciences, albeit in a different field, taking his masters in clinical psychology. From his love of the stars and their radiance, he helps bring out the brilliance in every child through outreach programs in music for children.

And finally, Shaira Luna, who was poised to enter into the medical world, grew up to become one of the most talented photographers of her generation. From her mastery of the human anatomy, she now captures the best in human form with her photography, building a successful career around her passion.

Was there ever any doubt that they wouldn’t grow up to become successful gifted alumni?

It’s easy to assume things come easily to naturally gifted kids. But it’s important to remember that it’s a factor of different things that will carve out a good future for any child.

“A gifted child can be expected to learn faster than other children, have more varied interests, have greater depth of feeling and generally be more than other children,” explains Dra. Leticia Peñano-Ho, President of the Philippine Center for Gifted Education

That said, one can only imagine how they have to struggle with expectations and the machinations of educational systems not built to support such young talent, not to mention the pressure it puts on a child’s social development.

But environmental conditions, honing the dedication to succeed at such an early age, as well as providing good nutrition, are all factors that contribute to their development—and are all typically provided for by their family.

To celebrate the current success of the gifted alumni, Promil Pre-School brought back together the famous trio, almost 20 years after their commercial first aired on national television. The brand’s heritage on giftedness is further exemplified through their achievements and their journey towards becoming valuable gifts to society.

“Throughout the years, Promil Pre-School has been encouraging parents to keep nurturing the gifts of their children. As we usher in a new year, we encourage others to become advocates of giftedness as well,” says Dian Yu, Product Manager of Promil Pre-School.

Parents always envision the best for their children –From providing expert care, to the highest quality nutrition, to supporting their children’s interests and endeavors. Whilst some parents are deeply involved in their children’s development, the idea remains to be unsupported and uncelebrated by most.

In 2015, Promil Pre-School is launching their Gifted Movement campaign, which is a movement to supporting and celebrating giftedness in the country. The brand aims to spark interest and gain the commitment of moms and consumers to take an active role in advocating giftedness and nurturing it.

“Promil Pre-School, as a catalyst for the Gifted Movement campaign, puts focus on discovering and bringing out the inherent talent of today’s youth, by way of providing the proper nutrition, and proper care,” says Yu. “Combined with the support of parents to continuously encourage kids to find their passion and make learning enjoyable, there’s no end to what this new generation can accomplish, ” she adds.

And as a testament to this, one only needs to look at how these alumni successfully grew to become the passionate, well-rounded individuals they are today.