The competition to be included among the first generation members of the soon-to-be-launched idol group MNL48 just got a little bit tougher.

On Saturday, it was announced that "It's Showtime" will eliminate five out of the 75 remaining aspiring members each week.

Determining the bottom 5 girls will be based on various criteria such as coaches and staff opinions, and their perceived potential by their advisers that include "G-Force" founder Georcelle Dapat-Sy.

This week, it was Zara, Zhyra, Ica, Isha, and Krizia who had their dreams of joining an idol group cut short.

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But if there were tears, there were also smiles.

Cabantuan City's Eunice Santiago and Legazpi City's Sayaka Awane managed to maintain their hold on the top spot among the aspirants for a second week in a row.

These rankings were based on votes on the official MNL48 app.

The two led this week's top 10, which featured new entries Gabb Skribikin and Trixie Tano, as they performed on "It's Showtime."

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The search for MNL48 members will conclude in 10 weeks.

The MNL48 concept is based on the mega-popular Japanese idol group, AKB48. It is officially recognized as an international sister group, alongside existing ones in Thailand and Indonesia.