Life has a funny way of resembling a trumpo or spinning top. Some days you glide smoothly, balanced and sure, while on others, you wobble at the edge. But you just need to keep spinning through whatever comes your way.
For Ricardo Cadavero a.k.a. Cardong Trumpo, every spin and turn of his top has felt like part of the way life has led him exactly where he’s meant to be. At 55, the construction worker from Cavite got the nation’s attention with his handcrafted trumpos and the kind of 'talentong Pinoy' worthy of the world stage, earning him the title of "Pilipinas Got Talent” Season 7 Grand Winner and a life-changing ₱2 million prize in the competition's "The Final Showdown" last June 22.
It's been days, but Cardo still can’t quite believe he won. He and his wife would often catch each other’s gaze and ask the same question, “Totoo na ba ’to?” The victory feels surreal, especially because, as Cardo himself admits, every finalist that night had what it takes to be the champion. But this victory was also an answered prayer, which affirmed what he’d always believed that with God’s presence and guidance, he would never be left alone.
During the semifinals phase, he prayed night after night asking God not to let go of him. And true enough, he pushed through that round with the highest public votes, securing his place in the Grand Finals. By then, though, Cardo found himself feeling humbled and even hesitant to ask for more. It felt as though he’d already asked so many favors from the Lord, so he tried to go into the finals on his own strength. But standing on that grand stage, he realized just how much he still needed divine help.
“Naging madaya ako sa sarili ko,” he confessed. “Sabi ko, ‘Lord, hindi ko pala kaya. Last na po. Bahala na po tayong mag-usap sa dulo, huwag N’yo lang po akong pabayaan ngayon.’” As he performed, he felt what he described as a sudden lightness, "Nagulat ako na may naramdaman ko sa katawan ko na hindi ko kailanman naramdaman," as if heaven itself was watching over him. And in that moment, he simply gave it his all and surrendered everything to the One who had always directed his path.
When his name was finally called as the Grand Winner, Cardo couldn’t even process the rush of emotions that washed over him. Part of him wanted to burst out crying, laughing, shouting all at once, but he kept himself calm while standing on stage.
Looking back, he feels it was all guided by something divine. Cardo actually said "no" when he was first encouraged to try out for "Pilipinas Got Talent" Season 7, thinking no one would bother watching him. But he was persistently pushed to give it a shot, and to his surprise, the viewers were already rallying behind him after the audition phase.
It wasn’t like this was his first contest either, since he had joined plenty before, including “It’s Showtime”’s “PINASikat” segment and his life had once been featured in an “It’s Showtime” Lenten Special episode, with Vhong Navarro portraying his story. "Hindi matatawaran ang kanyang pagtanggap sa isang katulad ko. Tinanggap niya ang aking kuwento. Masaya ako sa ginawa niya para sa akin," he said of Vhong.
But, "Pilipinas Got Talent" is by far his greatest feat as a trumpo-spinner. It’s a blessing beyond anything he imagined, especially for a humble construction worker whose only dream was to earn enough for a kilo of rice to feed his family for the day.
Playing trumpo was just a hobby he loved since he was around ten years old and never outgrew. He admits that he sometimes feels shy showing his trumpos to his wife, worried she might find it funny that a grown man would still play with a kid's toy. But the truth is, trumpo gives him comfort and the best part is that he could enjoy it on his own, fitted for someone who prefers to be alone, although “PGT” opened his eyes to the fact that he's never really alone because of the many people cheering him on.
That much was clear when even his fellow contestants rejoiced with him when his name was announced as the winner. To him, they were family, performers he admired and respected deeply. “’Yung sa akin, parang hindi ko pwedeng ikumpara,” he said. “Kumbaga, kung ikaw ’yung naging contestant, mahawakan ko lang ang laylayan ng damit mo, masaya na ako na nakasama ako sa inyo.”
What makes his talent even more remarkable isn’t just the complexity of his tricks, but the fact that every trumpo he uses is handcrafted by him. Cardo started out carving trumpos from guava tree branches, but later, when he began working at construction sites, he started collecting wood scraps and turning them into trumpos or even props for his performances. “Dumami dahil sa kakagawa ko gamit ang aking sariling kakayanan,” he shared about his trumpo collection at home. "Kapag ako ay nagtatrabaho, nag-iiwan ako ng isang araw o kaya may break time [na gumagawa ako ng trumpo]. Hindi ko pinapakita, ako lang ang nakakakalam."
It takes him about a full day to complete just one, because as he puts it, “Hindi biro ang paggawa na gano’n na lang. Kailangan ihubog mo siya, susukatin mo, dapat pantay, at ’yung ilalagay mong pako dapat maayos din."
At one point, his collection grew to around 45 trumpos, but now he’s down to about 25 since people often ask for one as a souvenir whenever he performs at barangay shows. The only ones he won’t part with are his four giant trumpos, just like what he used during his “PGT” Season 7 Grand Finals routine, all handcrafted from scraps of “palochina” wood. Each giant trumpo takes about six months to finish, shaped and pieced together slowly until everything fits just right.
But the most special one in his collection will always be his very first trumpo, given to him by his grandfather when he was just ten years old and which he’s kept safe for the past 45 years. He remembers his grandfather telling him, “Apo, ito ang una kong ipagkakaloob sa’yo. Ingatan mo ito at maaalala mo ako pagdating ng araw,” and to this day, Cardo sometimes brings that same top with him to competitions or shows, almost like having his grandfather right there with him whenever he performs.
If there’s one thing that defines Cardong Trumpo’s journey, it's that it’s a story of patience. After all the years of working hard and clinging to hope, he's now holding a ₱2 million prize and finally about to fulfill his dream of moving his family to a safer place, far from the small house they’ve been living in under a high-voltage electricity tower, which he described, “Hindi sa lahat ng oras ligtas." He used to tell his wife, “Darating ang araw na ’yan, huwag lang natin madaliin, nasa tama sigurong panahon ’yan." And now, that time has finally come.
Cardo’s struggles came in many forms, and there were times he’d turn to his wife and ask how they would ever make it. "Sabi ko sa maybahay ko, 'Paano ba?' Kasi lahat napasukan ko na, trabaho, contests, lahat nand'yan na," he mused. "Pero sa tuwing hahawakan ko ang trumpo, parang hindi siya bumibitaw... Itong aking ginagawang pagtutrumpo, minsan talo, minsan panalo. Pero hindi ko alam na ito pala ang maghahatid sa akin sa tagumpay na ito."
The trumpo, after all, is his companion and small source of comfort on days when the world feels heavy, and who would've thought that this same toy, this same childhood friend, would be the very thing that would turn his life around.