Jona, Team Sarah’s 3rd artist to bag grand championship

The Voice Teens first grand champion, Jona Soquite (Photo by The Voice Teens ABSCBN/Facebook)

Jona Soquite of Team Sarah, is The Voice Teens’s first grand champion, after garnering 44.78% of the public text and online votes in the grand finale last June 29 and 30.

After a duet with her coach, Sarah Geronimo on the song “Better Days” by Dianne Reeves, her rendition of Lady Gaga’s “Just Dance,” and “I Believe I Can Fly” by R. Kelly as her power ballad and finale song, the youngest finalist, Soquite was able to sway the audience to vote for her.

Right after Soquite’s last performance, moments before the announcement, Coach Sarah described her artist as an obedient and terrific singer. “Napaka-humble mong bata ka (You are a very humble child). Discipline and humility – these are the traits of a true champion and I believe you possess these.”

Back in the blind auditions, the 13-year-old was remembered for getting all the four coaches to press their buttons, chairs turning with “I want you” blinking on her rendition of “Anak ng Pasig” by Geneva Cruz.

She joined different singing contests in her hometown to help her family who lives by the river. But now as the grand champion, she took home more than what she asked for. She was awarded with a fashion package, a business package, a dental service package, P1 million cash, P1 million worth of trust fund, P2 million life insurance plan, and a brand new house.

The Tabing Ilog Sweetheart of Davao is Coach Geronimo’s third artist to be a champion, with Lyca Gairanod as the champion of the Voice Kids season 1, and Jason Dy as the champion of the Voice of the Philippines season 2.

The Voice Teens The Champion’s Night second place was Team Bamboo’s Isabela Vinzon with 22.42%, followed by Team Lea’s Mica Becerro with 17.79%, and Jeremy Glinoga of Team Sharon who got 15.01%.