Written by: Kiana Palacios
It’s no secret that the Philippines is home to talented people. From various competitions within the country to contestants making it to shows overseas, the Filipino people sure know how to entertain and they do not disappoint. With the many Filipinos whose journeys we have watched and followed as they reach their dreams, here are 12 Filipinos who made their mark not only locally, but even internationally, proving the Philippines to be home of amazing talents.
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12. Alisah Bonaobra
Starting her singing career in 2014 with The Voice of the Philippines, Alisah Bonaobra finished as runner up with the Black Eyed Peas’ apl.de.ap as her coach. In 2016, she won one gold and three silver medals in the World Championship of Performing Arts in Long Beach, California, Senior II female 18-24 category. And in 2017, came the biggest event of them all, the X Factor UK. Alisah performed “Listen” by Beyonce and ran through a pretty intense season. From barely making it to the next round, she finished at 6th place, still managing to make her country proud.
11. 4th Impact
Sisters Almira, Irene, Mylene, and Celina Cercado from Santiago City wowed audiences from the UK and all around the world with their audition piece in The X Factor UK 2015. Performing Jessie J, Ariana Grande, and Nicki Minaj’s “Bang Bang”, their audition video went viral and is currently the most watched video in the show’s history. They were no stranger to talent searches though. In 2014, they joined Superstar K, a talent search show in Korea. At this time, they were called MICA, and they performed U&I by Ailee, who was also a judge at the show. In the end, they made it to the 8th place, being the only non-native Korean speaking contestant that made it that far in the show. Their X-Factor journey ended at quarterfinals, with them bowing to their opponent to move on to the semifinals with 5th place.
10. Gerphil Flores
Dubbed as “Asia’s Golden Girl”, Gerphil has won locally acclaimed awards even before she joined Asia’s Got Talent in 2015. Being exposed to theatre and opera from such a young age, she is a proud holder of seven Aliw Awards from 2013-2016. These awards include Best Classical Performer and Best Crossover Performer. When she joined Asia’s Got Talent, her audition piece “Speak Softly, Love” from The Godfather got her a standing ovation and a golden buzzer from David Foster, one of the judges on the show. She finished in 3rd place overall.
9. Angelica Hale
When Angelica Hale sang “Rise Up” by Andra Day in the 12th season of America’s Got Talent, she never expected to get the golden buzzer from Chris Hardwick, one of the guest judges during the Judge Cuts. The whole Philippines were backing her up throughout the competition despite her having to bow down to Darci Lynne Farmer, a young comedy ventriloquist. With her finishing as a runner up, she still managed to break records as she now owns the title as the youngest runner up in the show’s history. She came back in America’s Got Talent: The Champions, singing “Fight Song” by Rachel Platten and earning her yet again another golden buzzer from judge Howie Mandel. Sadly, she didn’t make it to the top 5.
8. Jessica Sanchez
Almost every Filipino knows the story of Jessica Sanchez in American Idol Season 11. Her mom being from Samal, Bataan, Jessica was only 15 when she auditioned for the show with “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” by Aretha Franklin. By week 7 on the show, she had the lowest number of votes but it wasn’t the end of her journey just yet. She was saved through a judge’s save and was spared from elimination. This save made her the first female and fourth finalist in American Idol history to be saved. By the time she was in the top 4, she was the last remaining female contestant. But all good things must come to an end; Jessica ended her American Idol journey as a runner up to Philip Phillips.
7. Lance Busa
Born and raised in Butuan City, Lance was a finalist in GMA 7’s talent search show “To The Top”. With this experience in tow, he joined Michael Bolton’s Bolt of Talent and despite all odds, emerged victoriously and as a winner of the competition overall. As a reward, Lance got the chance to join Michael Bolton in his world tour, and sign a record deal as a prize for his win.
