Metro Manila, Philippines – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has invited Filipino-American singer Jessica Sanchez to perform during the Philippines’ hosting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in May 2026, Malacañang said Tuesday.
Marcos and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos welcomed Sanchez, the grand winner of the 20th season of “America’s Got Talent,” during a courtesy call at the President’s Hall on Dec. 30, 2025.
During the meeting, the First Lady shared that Lawrence Wong, Singapore’s prime minister, is a fan of Sanchez and had earlier raised the idea of a performance during a previous meeting in Cambodia.
Sanchez said she was excited by the invitation but noted the responsibility of representing Filipinos on a regional stage.
“I’m very excited for that. I think I need some time to really plan out what I’m gonna be singing because I’ll be representing the Filipinos, so I wanna take my time figuring out my song choices,” Sanchez told reporters.
She said she plans to release a new album in the first quarter of the coming year, which will include Filipino songs and collaborations with local artists.
“I’ll be releasing my album in the first quarter of this upcoming year and I also plan on doing some Tagalog songs and also collaborating with Filipino artists,” she said. “I’m very excited for you to hear the new music.”
Reflecting on her career, Sanchez described a long journey marked by persistence, from auditioning at age 11 to returning years later and eventually winning ”America’s Got Talent.”
“I feel like when something is really worth it, when something is meant for you, it’s a long journey,” she said. “I’m so happy that my journey was recorded for my world to see.”
She said the past year was especially meaningful, as it coincided with both her competition victory and the birth of her first child.
“That was amazing, and waiting that amount of time was a struggle,” she said. “But this was really my year because not only did I win, but I was also pregnant and I gave birth to my first baby.”
Sanchez encouraged aspiring Filipino artists to persevere.
