President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday welcomed “America’s Got Talent” Season 20 grand winner Jessica Sanchez at Malacañang in Manila.
The President invited the Filipino-American singer to perform during the Philippine hosting of the ASEAN Leaders’ Summit in May 2026.
During the courtesy call, Marcos congratulated Sanchez for her international achievement and underscored the pride she brought to the country.
“You made us all very, very proud,” the President told Sanchez.
Marcos said the invitation also comes with high expectations, noting that ASEAN leaders anticipate world-class performances from the host country.
“The problem is with the ASEAN, they expect now a really high level of performers and of musicality. We got the best,” he said.
The President encouraged Sanchez to reconnect with Filipino audiences nationwide.
“You have to do a tour around the Philippines so that everybody can see you. We only saw you on TV,” Marcos said.
He also asked Sanchez about her artistic growth since her earlier stints on international talent shows.
“What did you do differently? Did you train extra?” Marcos asked.
Sanchez replied that maturity and self-awareness made the difference.
“I think I was just really young. I was 16 years old and now I’m like grown. I know who I am, I know what I want … So, this time I’m coming fully confident,” she said.
First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos shared that Sanchez’s reputation is already well known among regional leaders.
“We were in Cambodia with the Prime Minister of Singapore. My husband was nervous about the ASEAN and the Prime Minister said, ‘You guys have no problem. You are so musical, you know you have Jessica Sanchez,’” she said.
“Even in Singapore, they know you,” the First Lady said. “If you do a world tour, you should start here.”
Sanchez, who recently gave birth, said she continues to work on new music.
“I’m working on an album now. It will be released by the first quarter of next year,” Sanchez said, adding that the project will be independently produced and include collaborations with Filipino artists.
“I also wanted to do a Tagalog song,” she said.
In an ambush interview after the courtesy call, Sanchez said she is carefully preparing for the ASEAN performance.
“I’ll be representing the Filipinos so I wanna take my time figuring out my song choices,” she said.
Sanchez won “America’s Got Talent” Season 20 this year, completing a two-decade journey that began with early rejections and runner-up finishes before finally claiming the title.
