President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Tuesday welcomed “America’s Got Talent” Season 20 grand winner Jessica Sanchez during a courtesy call at Malacañang and invited her to perform at the Philippines’ hosting of the ASEAN Leaders’ Summit in May 2026.
Marcos congratulated the Filipino-American singer for her international achievement, saying she brought pride to the country.
“You made us all very, very proud,” the President told Sanchez.
He said the invitation comes with high expectations, noting that ASEAN leaders anticipate world-class performances from the host nation.
“The problem is with the ASEAN, they expect now a really high level of performers and of musicality. We got the best,” Marcos said.
The President also encouraged Sanchez to reconnect with Filipino audiences across the country and suggested that she tour the Philippines.
“You have to do a tour around the Philippines so that everybody can see you. We only saw you on TV,” he said.
Marcos asked Sanchez about her artistic growth since her earlier stints in international talent competitions. Sanchez said maturity and self-awareness played a major role in her recent success.
“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 is already well known among regional leaders. She recalled a conversation with Singapore Prime Minister during a previous ASEAN engagement, saying the Philippines’ musical talent, including Sanchez, was cited as a strength.
“Even in Singapore, they know you,” the First Lady said, adding that if Sanchez were to do a world tour, it should begin in the Philippines.
Sanchez, who recently gave birth, said she continues to work on new music and is currently preparing an independently produced album set for release in the first quarter of next year. She added that the project will include collaborations with Filipino artists and may feature a Tagalog song.
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 want to 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 marked by early rejections and runner-up finishes before finally claiming the title.
