Senate President pro tempore Jinggoy Estrada on Monday filed a resolution “commending and congratulating” Sofronio Vasquez III for being the first Filipino and first Asian to win “The Voice USA” international singing competition finals held last December 11.
In filing Senate Resolution No. 1262, Estrada said Vasquez, 32, from Misamis Occidental, made history as the first Filipino and first Asian to be hailed as grand champion in the popular reality singing competition’s 26th season.
“’The Filipino phenom’ made waves early in the competition, becoming a four-chair turner during the ‘Blind Audition stage where all four superstar coaches, namely rapper and record producer Snoop Dogg, country singer and actress Reba McEntire, rock band singer Gwen Stefani, and jazz crooner Michael Buble expressed their desire to recruit Vasquez for their teams expressed interest to recruit him for their respective teams upon hearing his rendition of the R&B song ‘I’m Going Down’,” Estrada said in the resolution.
He said Vasquez’s inspiring journey represents the aspirations and unwavering spirit of many Filipinos and promising young artists “as his triumph reminds us how dreams can be achieved with persistence, hard work, and continuous learning.”
Vasquez delivered show-stopping performances of “Unstoppable” and “A Million Dreams” during The Voice USA’s finale and bested four other contestants, including Shye, Sydney Sterlace, Danny Joseph, and Jeremy Beloate.
He got the highest number of votes across America to take home the highly-coveted The Voice trophy, $100,000 in cash, and a recording contract with Universal Music Group.
Vasquez studied to become a dentist before moving to the Utica, New York where he is working as a dental assistant. He previously joined the local singing contest “Tawag ng Tanghalan” where he honed his craft even if he fell short of clinching the championship title multiple times.
The Senate has consistently recognized outstanding Filipino artists and performers who win in prestigious international competitions and who bring pride and honor to the country.
