Future is bright for DreamPlay Sing Off champ

MANILA, Philippines — Talents who top high-profile singing competitions are expected to make it big in the music scene. Their victory is seen as good proof of their potential to go further. 

Sean Mio Pongos, grand winner of last month’s DreamPlay Sing Off finals, is no exception. That particular Sunday at City of DreamManila’s grand ballroom, something in his voice and overall presence prompted the judges to award him the title. 

He was given P50,000 cash and the priceless promise of support for stardom. 

One of the judges, in a chat with The STAR, actually stated, “The guy that won, Sean, is just amazing. I mean we were unanimously agreeing it’s him given the fact each singer has a quality all his or her own.”

Joining for the second time, Sean Mio bested nine other finalists and won with his strong rendition of Happy Together, a classic track from the soundtrack of DreamWorks animation movie, Minions.  

First runner-up plum went to Aaliyah Faye Geling while John Kenneth Once bagged second runner-up honors. Both were given less cash, but the level of competition displayed that afternoon meant they’re likewise special. 

Michael Ziemer, City of Dreams Manila VP for Hotels, Food and Beverages, shared, “DreamPlay continues to stage the Sing Off competition as a platform to discover promising young performers from around the country and enable them to hone their talents and fulfill their dreams of being the next generation of superstars.”

Launched in 2017, DreamPlay’s Sing Off has been participated in by more than 500 children. DreamPlay, the first DreamWorks-inspired interactive play space in the world, also hosts the annual King Julien Dance Off competition which kicked off its preliminary round last June 15.

With his win, Sean Mio is expected to put himself among the growing list of remarkable Sing Off alumni serving as source of pride for the singing tiff’s organizers. 

Among them include 2018 grand winner Maria Queen Elizabeth Casas (who later emerged as Singing Olympics Champion and finalist in ABS-CBN’s Star Hunt competition), 2017 finalist Felicity Kyle Napuli (who then got the lead role in Matilda The Musicale and joined the cast of Lion King International Tour and Les Miserables in Manila), and two-time finalist Cheska Rojas (who is now a host and theater artist).

Another two-time finalist, Eleana Gabunada, clinched the Golden Buzzer and semi-finalist spot at Asia’s Got Talent 2019. She rendered a special number during the talent-filled event, literally trimmed down from 150 hopefuls by way of considerably tough elimination and semifinal rounds. 

The other seven finalists were Carmela Lorzano, Rhadni Matthew Tiplan, Princess Bernabe, Adrian Chase Sape, Prince Suzuki, Roshan Jill Borbon and Michael Cedrick Ebe.

“We couldn’t be more proud of the Sing Off’s alumni who are bagging awards and capturing the hearts of audiences in local and international stages in the last two years,” Ziemer related. 

The grand finalists were judged based on voice quality (30 percent), song rendition (30  percent), star quality (20 percent), audience impact (10 percent) and stage presence (10 percent). Somehow, Sean Mio knew how to excel in all departments as required for a future star.