R U Tough Enough (RUTE)

KIX names toughest Pinoy
By Key Kaluh

34-year-old Reyn Talosig wins KIX's R U Tough Enough finals (RUTE) over the weekend. Called the 'Daring Dreamer,' he bested eight other hopefuls who all went through the five phases of the competition and be hailed as the season's Toughest Pinoy.
“As iron sharpens iron so am I by my fellow finalists. And with this victory comes my deepest respect towards my co-competitors. If you ask me if I'm tough enough, I'd say no; but God is! I'm good in martial arts so perhaps my training helped. My weakest performance was the spinning challenge in Stage 3 while my strongest performance was in the pulling challenge in Stage 4,” shared Talosig, who describes himself as a poet-musician.
Zealous about music, film, poetry and art, he makes fitness a priority in life as he toughly pursues his passions and his dream of one day becoming a popular classical musician.“Toughness is the relentless pursuit of one's dreams, like your art and your aspirations,“ he added.
Eight men and, initially, two women competed for the title of Toughest Pinoy who'll receive the grand prize of Php250,000 at the culmination of the search. At the last minute, 28-year-old entrant Cheann Kubota backed out from the the competition. The remaining tough men and woman battled it out at the showdown held at the ground level of SM Megamall's Fashion Hall.
Anchored by reality star and actor Daniel Matsunaga as the show's ambassador, RUTE has generated over 300 applications from Filipinos across the archipelago and from all walks of life. Shortlisted applicants were invited to a closed-door auditions last August 16th. They were then narrowed down to ten finalists who demonstrated their physical, mental and emotional strengths to take on the challenges.
“It's amazing how all the finalists went through all the challenges. RUTE is connected with my active lifestyle. Tough is when you're in a place alone without your family. I've been through tough times and where I am today is by the grace of God. Anybody can make it if you'll believe in yourself,” intoned Matsunaga, who advised that everybody must balance food with gym activity.
The other finalists were Markus Lim (Courageous Chinito), Rhimbo Severino (Charitable Champion), Nathaniel Sanchez (Determined Dabawenyo), Neil Boclongan (Ferocious Firefighter), Jaime Completo (Dauntless Daddy), Ribhi Saleh (Fearless Foreignoy), Rocky Ramos (Extraordinary Ex-Rebel) and lone female hopeful Lei Villanueva (Independent Idealist).
KIX is the ultimate TV destination for action entertainment. Stay updated for upcoming competitions through the contest Web site, www.KIX-TV.com/tough. KIX is available on SkyCable Ch.63, CableLink Ch.220, Destiny Cable Ch.10, and Cignal Ch.133.