If there is one thing Pinoys annihilate, itβs making their competitors feel inferior on whatever grand stage they find themselves. Case in point: two beautiful women, Veejay Floresca and Jessica Sanchez, both carrying Pinoy Pride on their sleeves as they battle it out in Project Runway and Americaβs Got Talent, respectively.
Jessica Sanchez (yes, the same powerhouse vocalist who was runner-up on American Idol years back) is out there in all her pregnant glory, reaching the highest note of Beautiful Things by Benson Boone, which earned her the coveted Golden Buzzer from SofΓa Vergara. This catapulted her straight to the semifinals, where her version of Ordinary by Alex Warren became the much-buzzed-about performance of that episode. For her third appearance, she plumbs the depths of her voice, conquering one of the toughest feats for any singer: mastering the lowest registers with Golden Hour by JVKE. For now, the world waits with bated breath for her Grand Final number, if, of course, she makes it to the next round.
On the other end of the talent spectrum is Veejay Floresca, a transwoman who many recall as a runner-up in Project Runway Philippines. She is now slaying on the international edition of the iconic design competition, where the mantra has always been: βIn fashion, one day youβre in, the next day youβre out.β Veejay isβspoiler alertβcurrently in the Top 5, after almost being sent home in an earlier episode. She also boasts a design win from the Unconventional Materials Challenge, where she transformed shuttlecocks into a sartorial stunner.
Behold these formidably talented women, rewriting not just their herstory but also that of our country, with their unwavering ability to rise as the best.
