Fil-Am Malaya Watson, finalist in “American Idol 13”

Photo: Facebook Page of Malaya Watson

Another Filipino pride.

Fil-Am Malaya Watson, 16, from Southfield, Michigan, after singing Ray Charles “Hard Times (No One Knows Better Than I), landed as a Top 13 finalist in the 13th season of “American Idol.”

In an interview with the Manila Bulletin, Malaya said, “This is a dream come true for me. I have always wanted to be on ‘American Idol.”

Malaya who has a Filipina mother said she’s in the competition to represent the Filipinos.

Though born in the United States, Malaya has a big heart for her countrymen in the Philippines. She revealed that she wants to help the Filipinos who were badly affected by Typhoon Haiyan, “I want to give back to the Filipino people because of the disaster (Typhoon “Haiyan”) that happened to them in the Philippines. I want to help,” she replied when asked what she would do if she won the “American Idol” title.

According to Malaya’s mother, she brought her daughter to the Philippines when she was in first grade and they’re hoping that they can come back soon. Some of the simple Tagalog words that Malaya has already learned include ‘Tatay,’ ‘Nanay,’ ‘Lolo’ or ‘Lola.’

Praises for Malaya

Jennifer Lopez believes that Malaya is “definitely one of the powerhouses in this competition.”

While Harry Connick, Jr. shared that “Malaya is very talented. She is the kind of girl who could go to my school at the New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts because she is really young and raw. She has a lot of raw talent there.”

Host Ryan Seacrest has also good words for Malaya, “I like her a lot. She is very interesting. She really works on stage. She really deserves to be in the Top 13 finals.”