President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has invited Filipino-American singer and “America’s Got Talent” grand winner Jessica Sanchez to perform during the Philippines’ hosting of the ASEAN Leaders’ Summit in May 2026, which will be held in Cebu.

Sanchez paid a courtesy call to the President at the Malacañan Palace on Tuesday, 30 December. 

During their meeting, Marcos praised the singer for bringing pride to the country, saying her achievements have raised expectations for the Philippines’ cultural presentations at major international events.

“You made us all very, very proud,” Marcos told Sanchez. “The problem is with the ASEAN, they expect now a really high level of performers and of musicality. We got the best.”

The President said the Philippines’ hosting of the summit has placed pressure on organizers to deliver world-class performances, noting that regional leaders now expect exceptional musical presentations from the country.

Sanchez shared her excitement about her upcoming ASEAN performances, noting that she wants to be deliberate in choosing the songs she will sing, especially as she represents the Philippines.

“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,” she said. 

Marcos also encouraged Sanchez to tour the Philippines so more Filipinos could see her perform live. “You have to do a tour around the Philippines so that everybody can see you. We only saw you on TV,” he said.

Asked by the President about what she did differently to win this time, Sanchez said personal growth and confidence played a major role in her performance.

“I think I was just really young before. I was 16 years old, and now I’m grown. I know who I am, I know what I want… So this time I’m coming fully confident,” Sanchez said. 

Marcos praised Sanchez’s maturity, which was evident in her performance.

Meanwhile, First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos shared that Sanchez’s name is already well-known among regional leaders. 

She recalled a conversation during a previous ASEAN meeting in Cambodia, where Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong expressed admiration for Sanchez after learning she would perform during the Philippines’ hosting in 2026.

“Even in Singapore, they know you,” the First Lady told Sanchez, adding that if the singer embarks on a world tour, she should begin in the Philippines.

Philippine pride

For her part, Sanchez said she continues to pursue music despite personal challenges, including pregnancy at the time of her recent performances.

“I tried my best despite being so pregnant,” she said.

Sanchez also revealed she is currently working on a new album, which she plans to release by the first quarter of next year. 

The album will be produced independently and will feature original songs, with plans to collaborate with Filipino artists. 

She also expressed interest in recording a Tagalog song.

“Everybody knows that Filipinos can sing. Everybody does,” Sanchez said. “I’ll be releasing my album the first quarter of this upcoming year and I also plan on doing some Tagalog songs and also collaborating with Filipino artists I’m very excited for you to hear the new music.”

The Philippines is set to host the ASEAN Leaders’ Summit in 2026, marking another opportunity for the country to showcase Filipino talent and culture on the regional and global stage.