Former Star in a Million finalist Garth Garcia could not believe it when he found out that he will be one of the awardees of The Outstanding Filipinos in America Awards (TOFA).
TOFA is an annual event to commemorate Filipino-Americans who have excelled in business, politics, entertainment, fashion, health, community service, culinary arts, culture, sports, and finance.
Garth received his recognition during the awarding ceremony held at The Town Hall in New York last September 16, 2022.
During his acceptance speech, he said, "Looking back, fighting for your dream was hard and it was through these hardships that I was able to obtain life’s best lessons.
"Truly, it is through passion and commitment that we defy the odds—conquer the peak of success.
"Never stop dreaming. Dedicating this award to God, my family, my friends, and to all dreamers and believers out there. We can do it!"
In a statement sent to PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal), Garth said he definitely did not expect to be included in this year's batch of awardees.
He recalled, "I’m super surprised when I learned about it.
"It is hard to get selected for TOFA, all nominees are screened rigorously by its board. I’m grateful for the recognition.”
Garth was among the personalities recognized for his contributions to the Youth along with Dubai-based fashion designer Michael Cinco, social media star Bretman Rock, Emmy-award winner Lisa Lew, and the first openly gay Mayor of the City of Boynton Beach in Florida Ty Penserga.
FINDING SUCCESS IN THE U.S.
Garth has been living in the U.S. for over five years.
He migrated to the States in 2017, to join his family and pursue his postgraduate studies at Harvard Business School.
Asked about his experience in the U.S. so far, Garth said it's definitely one of the most fulfilling decisions he has ever made since he still gets to pursue his passion for singing while doing other things in life.
Garth said, "I left for the U.S. to live with my family who has been living here already."
He added, "Living in the U.S. recently is more fulfilling, I get to book more shows and concerts. I still miss doing shows in the Philippines, though."
Within that span of time, Garth was able to start two businesses. One of which is Starlink Productions, an events and concert production company.
The other one is called Doctors on the Go, which helps licensed medical personnel who make home visits to patients.
Garth said this business venture was officially launched in December 2019 and had achieved a lot of success over the past two years.
He said, "Doctors on the Go is a mobile doctor company based in Los Angeles, California.
"We started the business in 2019 and it has been successful so far. We just opened a second branch and a branch with my sister in San Francisco."
With all his success in the U.S., is he planning to make a comeback in the local showbiz scene?
He answered, "I am definitely coming back soon.
"After all my commitments here, I would like to do a coming home show to reunite with people who have been supporting me even if I already moved here."
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