Ignacian Marian Secured Placements in Vocal Solo Contest

Photo by The IGMA Marketing & Production Organization

With their voices taking center stage, Ignacian Marian representatives secured several placements in the Baliwag City Private Schools Association (BaCiPriSA) Vocal Solo Contest, showcasing their preparation, confidence, and talent.

Competing in Level 2, Samuel Ram Yerro placed 11th; representing Junior High School (J.H.S.) level, Catherine Fernando placed 4th; while Irish Reyes placed 3rd for Senior High School (S.H.S.) level. 

Mr. Yerro placed 11th out of 15 participants after performing “Sa Susunod na Habang Buhay” by Ben and Ben.

Although he did not finish among the top contestants, Mr. Yerro said the experience had an impact on him as he felt that it was meaningful because it allowed him to meet new people and reconnect with old friends whom he had not seen in a long time. 

For Mr. Yerro, joining the BaCiPriSA competition was more than a chance to sing. It was a way to grow his confidence especially when it came to performing in front of others and competing with singers.

“I learned to be more confident in competitions and to give everything I have during my performance,” Mr. Yerro said.

He also said the event helped him become a performer. Through the experience, he gained lessons that he could use in the future, including knowing what to expect and how to prepare better.

Though he only had a short time to practice before the competition, Mr. Yerro still gave his best on stage. Rather than solely focusing on the ranking, he felt proud of how he performed and the effort he put into his performance.

Looking back, Mr. Yerro said he would work on improving his singing if he had another chance. He would focus on mastering the song and developing his ability to convey more emotion through his voice.

Even though he placed 11th out of 15, Mr. Yerro’s time in BaCiPriSA gave him more than a ranking. It helped him grow, build confidence, meet people and prepare for future opportunities.

The competition also taught him that performing is not about winning, but also about giving his best and learning from the experience. For Mr. Yerro, every performance is a chance to improve and become more confident.

Moving forward, Mr. Yerro hopes to continue developing his singing skills and prepare more thoroughly for competitions. With the lessons and experience he gained from BaCiPriSA, he is determined to return stronger and deliver an even better performance next time. 

On other hand, Ms. Fernando shared that she initially first chose the piece—“Magsimula Ka”—because of its melody. But as she continued practicing, she became more connected to its message about pursuing one’s goals despite challenges.

“Honestly speaking, I first chose it simply because of its melody. However, along the way of practicing the piece, its lyrics of striving to achieve what you want despite the many challenges you may face along the way struck something in my heart. This helped me connect with my song and deliver it out in a way that it gives the song the justice it deserves.” 

Her preparation lasted nearly a month and involved consistent practice and vocal care. She shared that preparing for the contest is a “grueling process for people who like sweets.”

“While my friends were eating cold and sweet drinks. I was bound to drink lukewarm water and hot minty drinks for almost a month simply to prepare my voice for the competition.”

“It also costs a lot of commitment. time and effort to perfect the whole performance,” she added

On competition day, Ms. Fernando expressed that she was “very much excited!” and focused on delivering the song as she had rehearsed it rather than concentrating on the possibility of winning.

“Honestly the only thing that I kept in my mind was to not mind that I have to win, as long as I deliver it the way I had delivered it during my rehearsals.”

“That helped a lot to calm me down before, during, and after I had performed,” she added.

However, she admitted that she felt quite “nervous” before it was her turn. But remembering her coaches and her family’s words of encouragement helped her calm down once again which helped in giving her song performance a good start.

After watching the other contestants perform, Ms. Fernando said she did not expect to place and was simply hoping to make the Top 5. 

“After seeing all my opponents’ performances, I actually did not [expect that I’ll win]. Not because my preparation wasn’t enough, but because I thought everybody else in the room had performed better than me.” she said

“I was hoping to at least get 5th place because even getting in the top 5 is already perceived [as] good considering the number of contestants exceeded 10.” she added

She also expressed that she was surprised when her number was called for fourth place.

“When I wasn’t announced as the 5th place, I stopped expecting. But then they called my number for the 4th place and I actually thought it was for somebody else. I had to double check my number before I had realized that I had won 4th place!,” she said.

Meanwhile, according to Ms. Reyes, her song performance was recommended by her coach—Vic Jerome Dela Cruz and unexpectedly turned out to be a piece she wanted to perform. 

Due to only having one week of preparation, she admitted that she experienced limited time to memorize and prepare. 

Ms. Reyes also admitted that she “felt the pre game jitters because of the cold.” 

However, she decided to rely on her preparation and the encouragement of her friends throughout the competition.

Her performance eventually earned her a third-place finish and an opportunity to compete at the Provincial Level.

However, she expressed that she expected to win but didn’t expect that she would be able to “have the experience of advancing to the Provincial level” because for her perception, her opponents were far more skilled than her.

St Mary’s College of Baliuag congratulates Mr. Yerro, Ms. Fernando, and Ms. Reyes for their outstanding song performance in Vocal Solo BaCiPriSA competition.