“Your Song of Excellence: Duo Legacy” shows the obvious deep well of singing talent in the Philippines

THERE is no denying that singing, just like basketball, remains to be a national pastime in the Philippines. Singing competitions has proven time and again to be a big ticket for those aspiring for stardom in the local music scene.

And this was more evident during the Grand Finals of one of the longest running top notch singing and songwriting competition in the country, now in its fourth season, “Your Song of Excellence: Duo Legacy,” held today at Market! Market! in Taguig City, which was hosted by Nicole Asensio, herself a multi-awarded singer-songwriter, and an accomplished host and theater actress.

Unlike the previous seasons of “Your Song of Excellence,” this year’s format involved singing-songwriting duos battling it out with other pairs from all over the country, who gave their all during the audition, preliminaries, the semifinal stages and ultimately, the grand finale, where three duos were chosen.

During the grand finals, each duo was given the herculean task of performing two full songs—a Taiwan Excellence Jingle and a Taiwan Excellence Core Value Song, with a maximum length of 3 minutes and 30 seconds.

The Taiwan Excellence Jingle should make use of the words “Taiwan Excellence” and the “The Best Made in Taiwan.” For the second song, the mentor-judges and their Duo Grand Finalist must choose one of the core values of Taiwan Excellence—innovation, interesting, sustainability, global quality—and make that core value as the theme for their song.

The competition leading up to the grand finals was tough and arduous. Finally, the Top 3 singing duos duked it out for one last time on August 31, 2024 to determine the winner. The task of choosing only one winner out of the three grand finalists proved to be even tougher for the judge-mentors, celebrity judges Yeng Constantino, the country’s pop rock royalty, multi-awarded singer-songwriter, Ice Seguerra, multi-awarded singer-songwriter, actor, TV host and producer, Paulo Zarate, multi-awarded music producer and songwriter, and Kean Cipriano, multi-awarded singer-songwriter, music producer, and the newest member of the judging and mentoring panel.

But there can only be one grand winner.

When the smoke of battle had cleared, it was Mandarhyme Duo, composed of Rusty Loayon and Janine Loayon, who prevailed and won a whopping P300,000 as the Grand Winner.

First Runner Up was Haranajeeb Duo, composed of Khen Aldovino and Nephtali Fajardo, who took home P200,000, while The Unexpected Duo, composed of Vench Larenas and Renz Salazar went home with P100,000 as the Second Runner Up.

But more importantly, the crowd that packed the venue, composed of supporters and weekend crowd, all cheered on each of the excellent performances of the grand finalists, proving once again that excellence in the art of singing is something that Filipinos and the Philippines can be truly proud of.

The “Your Song of Excellence: Duo Legacy” was made even more spectacular and meaningful with the presence of officials from event organizer Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) namely, Mr. Brian Lee, Executive Director of Strategic Marketing Department of TAITRA and Mr. Alex Lai, Director of Taiwan Trade Center Manila, and officials from the Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in the Philippines, led by Mr. Wallace Chow, Ambassador of TECO in the Philippines, and Ms. Josephine Shun, Director of Economic Division, TECO Philippines.

“Legacies are better built by strong partnerships. And the “Your Song of Excellence – Duo Legacy” is a perfect example of how partnerships can be life-changing. This competition not only showcases the incredible talent of Filipino singers and songwriters but also highlights the shared passion for music between the Philippines and Taiwan,” says Brian Lee, Executive Director of Strategic Marketing Department of TAITRA.

Lee also expressed pride in TAITRA’s role in launching this event, adding, “We are particularly proud to have introduced this celebration of musical excellence to the Philippines. Alongside this, we are equally dedicated to promoting Taiwan’s finest innovations through the Taiwan Excellence initiative, which represents the pinnacle of Taiwanese ingenuity. Just as music unites and inspires, Taiwan Excellence products aim to elevate everyday experiences, contributing to a legacy of innovation that we are eager to share with the world.”

He also thanked Derma Angel, the event’s Premier Partner, and major partners Acer, Aorus, AOpen, Asus, DLink, Gigabyte, Kymco, MSI Gaming, PC Express, Republic of Gamers, Tatung, and Xyzel. “We are extremely grateful for your belief in our purpose.

“The Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office is honored to be part of this day’s showcase of Filipino world-class talent and admirable passion for music. World-class and Passion — two notable values that are evident in both the Filipinos and the Taiwanese. Knowing that to build a legacy of excellence on the global stage, there must be a harmony of hard work, discipline, care, and innovative thinking,” explains Wallace Chow, Ambassador of TECO in the Philippines.

Chow said the momentous event also presents the influential power of partnerships, making a duo legacy a better legacy. “Taiwan and the Philippines have been in a duo, creating and inspiring legacies for many generations in various aspects of social, economic, cultural, and environmental purposes. And that has to be celebrated in music filled with stories of strengthened collaborations,” adds Chow.

“We believe that this nationwide singing and songwriting contest is just one of the many ways of Taiwan Excellence, graciously mounted by TAITRA, that there will always be opportunities offered, to be taken, to work hard for, and to win,” Chow concluded.

“Your Song of Excellence: Duo Legacy” is presented by premier partner Derma Angel, together with major partners Acer, Aorus, AOpen, Asus, DLink, Gigabyte, Kymco, MSI Gaming, PC Express, Republic of Gamers, Tatung, and Xyzel.