MANILA - Deafening shrieks greeted the first teen hoping to become the next big thing in the local entertainment industry, signalling the start of ABS-CBN's newest talent search "Pinoy Boyband Superstar" on Saturday.

The show is patterned after La Banda, a Latin American program created by music mogul Simon Cowell, the man behind One Direction. It aims to form the "ultimate" Filipino boyband by plucking talented teens from across the country and have them compete with one another for a spot in the five-member group.

As for the format, the aspiring teens will first need to woo 500 female fans with their looks, personality, and charm before getting the chance to face the superstar judges, which includes Korean pop star Sandara Park, comedian Vice Ganda, Aga Muhlach, and Yeng Constantino.

To move on to the next round, they will then have to show off their singing talent. At least three votes from the four judges would mean that they are qualified for the next level of the competition.

First up was Allen Cecilio, a 17-year-old from Caloocan City. With his dance moves, he got a score of more than 90 percent (contestants will only need 75 percent) from the all-female audience. He then sang "Yakap sa Dilim" and got all of the judges' votes.

"Hindi bagay sa iyo iyung kinanta mo. Feeling ko it's not age appropriate," Vice Ganda told Cecilio. Pero alam mo ang appeal mo? Iyong sungki mo kasi iyang imperfection na iyan ang nagpapa-tao sa iyo. Mas gusto ng tao ngayon ay iyong hindi perfect, iyong katulad namin lahat."

The other two contestants who moved past the audition round were Ford Valencia of Valenzuela City and Cebu City's Niel Murillo, who joined the contest hoping that it can help him pay for his blind brother's eye surgery.

"Sobra mong na-touch iyong heart ko sa performance mo," Constantino told Murillo, who sang Sam Concepcion's "Mahal Na Mahal." The singer added: "There's just something about you na para bang gustong-gusto kitang mag-succeed. I can't wait na makita ka ulit."

Hosted by Billy Crawford, "Pinoy Boyband Superstar" airs on Saturdays after "Home Sweetie Home" and Sundays after "Goin' Bulilit."