The “Search for the Idol Philippines” finally hailed its top 20 Idol hopefuls, but aside from their powerful voices, their stories of perseverance also moved the judges and inspired viewers to reach their dreams.

Having the fire to win the competition, the Top 20, dominated by contest veterans, LGBTQ+ members, and aspiring singers, have their families, dreams, and even advocacies as their inspiration to bag the title.

Many were touched by the story of belter Denize Castillo, who was admired for her determination to win so she can finally bring home her OFW parents. There’s also the gold miner and band vocalist Roque Belino, who fights for his family to give his family a bright future.  “I started mining after graduating high school. I want to reach my dreams and take out my family from poverty,” said Roque.

Family is also the driving force for Filipino-Afro American Charmagne Algario, who uses her talent to find her long-lost father, and for dad Renwick Benito, who sees his battle as a chance to correct his path after his wrong decisions in the past. Meanwhile, Jasper Lacson dedicates his fight to his grandfather, who heard him sing for the first time in the auditions, while newlywed Michelle Primavera sets her husband as her main motivation. 

Members of the LGBTQ+ community are also not afraid to raise their flag in the competition, one of them is Jeremiah Torayno, a singing trans woman. “Ever since I was a kid, I know I’m unique. This is important to me because I was afraid to try, people might not like me, but now I think I’m ready,” said Jeremiah. Also joining her in her fight are Matty Juniosa, a sassy belter who sings for his mother; Elle Ocampo, a lesbian artist from Pampanga; Lucas Garcia, a loud and proud gay singer, and Enzo Almario, a vlogger who proves the importance of being true to oneself.

Despite failing to make the cut in several competitions, Trish Bonilla, who proved to her mother that she can handle the pressure of the industry, and young vocal powerhouse Zephanie Dimaranan also showed the spirit of perseverance as they proceed to the next level. Lance Busa, who tried his luck abroad, is also determined to reach his dreams in his homeland. Dan Ombao, meanwhile, who already got a taste of stardom, takes another shot at his dreams, “There was a time I got overwhelmed. My career went downhill. My interest in singing went away, as well as my songwriting. Now I’m more mature, more focused.”

Victims of bullying Fatima Laguera and Kevin Hermogenes will not let words discourage them as they keep their eyes on the prize. Youth ambassadress Rachel Libres, honor and model student Sheland Faelnar, and songwriter from US Miguel Odron will also take on every challenge to fulfill their dreams of becoming a superstar.

This Saturday (June 22) and Sunday (June 23), a new battle will shake up the competition as the  Top 20 Idol hopefuls clash in the Solo Rounds and will get trimmed to 12. Who among them will make it to the live rounds?
Meanwhile, the “Search for the Idol Philippines” once again achieved a milestone as its official YouTube channel now has more than 1 million subscribers, and will soon receive the Gold Creator Award from the video streaming platform.

Tune in to the idol hopefuls’ journey on “Search for the Idol Philippines” on ABS-CBN. For updates, follow @abscbnpr on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram or visitwww.abscbnpr.com.