Rose Fostanes takes first place at Israeli X-Factor
Filipina diva, who took Israeli reality TV by storm, put human face on country's thousands of foreign workers, announced winner of reality singing show
Rose Fostanes, the Filipina caregiver who competed in the Israeli X-Factor final Tuesday night, has taken the first place in the popular reality show.
Rose thanked everyone who voted for her and all her Israeli fans.
The 47-year-old Filipino caregiver has emerged as the newest star of Israeli reality television, putting a human face on the thousands of foreign workers who toil away in menial, back-breaking jobs in this country.
Israeli viewers of the country's myriad of reality shows have grown accustomed to successful candidates from various backgrounds, including black-clad ultra-Orthodox Jews, Ethiopian immigrants and a German convert to Judaism who became a celebrity chef. But they've never seen anyone like Rose Fostanes before.
The diminutive woman with the powerful voice has taken "X-Factor Israel" by storm and emerged as a national phenomenon. Known simply as "Rose," she is mobbed by fans wherever she goes.
Fostanes arrived six years ago to work as a caregiver so, like millions of other Filipino workers around the world, she could send money back home to her family and her girlfriend.
She spends her days caring and cleaning for an ailing woman in her 50s. To save money, Fostanes lives with seven others in a crowded apartment in south Tel Aviv, a downtrodden area inhabited by foreign laborers.
Until recently, Fostanes was among the thousands of Filipinos who work in similar positions in Israel. The site of Filipino workers wheeling elderly Israelis in public places is so common that the word "Filipini" has become synonymous with "caregiver."
Several months ago, a friend encouraged her to enter "X-Factor", a popular show worldwide that was coming to Israel and hosted by Israeli supermodel Bar Refaeli. Standing just 1.50 meters-tall (4 foot, 11), Fostanes has captured her audiences' hearts with a surprisingly strong and soulful voice, belting out such hits as Shirley Bassey's "I have nothing". On Tuesday night, she won a spot in the competition's final, and is widely seen as a favorite.
Fostanes said she has been a caregiver since the age of 23, working in Egypt and Lebanon before coming to Israel. She is among the roughly 10 million Filipinos, or 10% of the overall population, who work abroad.
Israel's estimated 40,000 Filipinos enjoy relative freedom, as long as they have work permits. Most remain for an agreed-upon period of time before returning home.
Fostanes said Filipinos around the world have heard about her and frequently send her text messages of support. But her success has been tempered by the distance from her loved ones. She last visited the Philippines two years ago.
