Lyca Gairanod: "Thank You, Jesus."

                                                by Carmelita C. Ballesteros

Who was she? Lyca was one of eight children of a poor couple. Her father was a small-time fisherman while her mother was a small-time junk collector of recyclable plastics and bottles. She and her family lived in a shack near the seashore of Tanza, Cavite. 

        To help put food on the table, Lyca went from house to house collecting junk too.  You see, fishing did not always yield a good catch. During  stormy weather, there would be no catch at all. Only nine years old, Lyca was petite and fragile. But she was not weak. She was very strong. She was like the boy David who slew the  giant Goliath. 

        "Magbobote!" some of Lyca's school mates called her derisively. It  was a form of verbal bullying. Her school mates were telling her that her  "occupation" was an anomaly among well-scrubbed kids whose parents  were probably office employees.  

        Lyca probably didn't take a bath every day. Who knows if she even  brushed her teeth three times a day? If there was no money for a meal,  why would she worry about brushing her teeth and taking a bath? She  probably smelled. 

        Lyca went to school irregularly. Sometimes, she would sneak out of  school because she'd be too worried that there was no food for a sick  sibling at home. She'd go around the gated, residential villages and she'd  collect plastics and bottles.  

        Then she'd sell her meager collection to a junk yard operator. She'd  be very happy with thirty pesos (US$ 0.7) and she'd buy half a kilo of rice and dried  fish. She'd promise her family that one day, she'd win in a singing  competition and she'd buy plenty of rice for all of them. 

        Lyca was a gifted child. Maybe she was an angel from heaven. She  knew that she could sing well and she loved singing. Her rehearsal halls were the garbage pile near the sea, the streets, and the junk yard. Her  audiences were neighbors who gave her a few pesos or some snack food. 

        Her voice coach was the radio. Her favorite band was Aegis and her  favorite songs were "Halik" and "Narito Ako" (music and lyrics by Celso Abenoja and Nonong Pedero, respectively).

Who is she? Lyca is the first grand champion of The Voice Kids  Philippines. She has won a house and lot, one million pesos in cash, one  million pesos in trust fund, a home appliance showcase, a musical  instrument showcase, and a one-year recording contract.  

        How did she do it? She soared on the high notes of her crystal-clear  voice. Most of all, she touched the hearts of her listeners with raw  emotion drawn from the depths of her soul.  

        "Ayoko sana na ikaw ay mawawalay." This is the first line of the  song "Halik," composed by Celso Abenoja and recorded by Aegis Band. As  Lyca sang the very first line of her blind audition song, coach Sarah  Geronimo hit the button in her chair and turned around to tell the world of her blind faith in the voice of a child she'd never met. 

        The two other coaches, Lea Salonga and Bamboo Mañalac, did not  turn around for Lyca. But destiny would not deny the would-be champion. One coach's vote was enough to qualify a contestant for the  battle round.  

        Lyca sang her heart out with the 17 other young singers under  Team Sarah. Lyca advanced to the sing-offs in which six survivors from Team Sarah's battle round showcased their singing prowess. Lyca  advanced to the semi-finals.  

        Two semi-finalists from each of the three coaches' teams fought for  a finals berth. Team Sarah's two semi-finalists made it to the finals. Lyca  was one of them. Her team mate was Darren Espanto. Team Bamboo's  finalist was Juan Karlos Labajo and Team Lea's finalist was Darlene  Vibares. 

        The finals was a two-night live show at the Newport Performing  Arts Theater in Resorts World Manila in Pasay City on July 26 and 27, 2014.  The four finalists were required to sing three songs - a ballad, an upbeat  number, and a performance with a celebrity singer. 

        Darren Espanto sang Basil Valdez' "Ngayon" with so much  sophistication and technical precision. The whole world echoed with the  verdict that he would be the grand champion. 

        But when Lyca sang with the innocent confidence of an angel,  "Narito ako na lagi nang nakatingin, Sa mga ulap at bituin," the whole  world hushed. Everyone listened. Everyone divined the destiny of a little  David who would slay the giant Goliath.  

        Darren, Juan Karlos, and Darlene did very well with their upbeat  numbers. Lyca's performance was okay but it did not make an impact.  She was uncomfortable with English songs. 

        On the second and final day of the finals, the four kid finalists  performed with a celebrity. Darren sang masterfully with Martin Nievera.  Juan Karlos had a lot of fun with Gary Valenciano. Darlene matched Lani  Misalucha note for note. Once again, Darren's fans in Filipino homes around the world  decided he would be the grand champion. But it was a premature  conclusion. 

        Suddenly, the three lady vocalists of the Aegis Band filed onstage.  Then tiny Lyca clad in a snappy jacket and boots get-up completed the  line-up. When Lyca belted out: "Lagi na lang akong nadarapa, Ngunit heto,  bumabangon pa rin," the audience went wild. It was the hugely popular  song, "Basang-Basa sa Ulan" (composed by Celso Abenoja). 

        Lyca owned the song. She sang from the depths of oppression and  deprivation in her young soul. "Heto ako, basang-basa sa ulan, Walang  masisilungan, walang malalapitan."  She connected with her listeners. She made them cry. She made  them laugh. She made them dance. She made them dream.  

 Who will she be? Who will Lyca be five years from now? Fifty  years from now? Tomorrow is never here. We can only hope and pray.  

        In an interview with Rhea Manila Santos, Lyca revealed that she prays before every competition. She thanks God for her singing talent.  May she continue praying before every performance.  

        May she remain humble and pure. May she stay caring and  generous with her family and siblings. May she grow into a kind and big- hearted celebrity like her coach Sarah Geronimo. May she take care of  her craft and her voice like world-class performer Lea Salonga. 

        May she continue uttering that simple prayer, "Thank you po,  Jesus." 

(Originally published by FilamMegaScene under the column Lifelong Learners on Sept. 01, 2014.)