A Filipino clinched a win at yet another singing contest overseas, instilling the widely known belief that Filipinos have the voice for singing. 

Ronald Joseph is an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) in Singapore, where he has been working as a business process consultant for an IT company since 2019. He won the grand prize of S$10,000 in the eighth episode of "I Can See Your Voice Singapore," aired on March 3, 2025.

Photo credit: Mediacorp

In an interview with ABS-CBN News, he shared that the main reason he auditioned was due to his late father, whose dream is to see him sing on television. Wanting to make the dream come true, he auditioned multiple times but did not pass. 

“Hindi siya nangyari while I was in the Philippines, though I’ve tried several times in Tawag ng Tanghalan. I auditioned, I think around six or seven times there,” he said.

When the announcement for auditions for "I Can See Your Voice Singapore" was made public, he immediately grabbed the opportunity. He auditioned in August 2024 and the long process started there.

Despite his deep desire to perform, he said he was not expecting to be shortlisted for the show but still hoped that he would be one of the contestants. A few days later, he received an email from the show saying he was shortlisted and invited for a face-to-face interview and audition.

Photo credit: Mediacorp

According to Joseph, he first underwent a 30- to 45-minute interview to get to know him and his background. He said they were particular about the contestants' profiles and thought processes.

Then, during the auditions, he sang "Go The Distance" by Michael Bolton. He reminisced that it was like joining a videoke session, where many songs pop up in one’s mind.  

“So, I sang it. Actually, alternative ko pa nga was 'Dance With My Father' because the main reason why I joined to pay tribute to my father pero parang sabi ko kailangan big song, big song ang ibabagay natin dito,” he said.

He then shared that when the final list of contestants was announced, they underwent vocal workshops, acting workshops, costume fitting, and location shoots from September to November 2024. After those, they filmed the episode around November.

During the filming day, he had the stage name of "Living the Dream.” He recounted that it was an accumulation of all the emotions he was feeling up to that moment. Despite being nervous as it was his first time singing on TV, he was determined to do his best.

The singing contest has five rounds, where a contestant would get eliminated each round. Joseph shared that he was praying that he would not be chosen during the earlier rounds as the celebrity detectives would not get to hear his speaking and singing voice. 

However, during the final round, he wished for the opposite: to be chosen by the celebrity detectives. And his wish came true, they heard him speak for 30 seconds.

“They asked questions, then narinig nila speaking voice ko and I think two of the detectives sort of agreed that the voice that they hear, the speaking voice is what they recognize in the lip-sync performance,” he said.

The singer shared his relief when he was chosen during the final round as he secured the win. He then had a duet with one of the celebrities and his final stage. 

“I had to overcome a lot of -- not challenges -- I had to overcome a lot of emotions because I was always at the brink of getting eliminated. Pinaghirapan ko talaga siya in that sense,” he said when asked what he felt during the filming of the contest.

When asked about the songs he sang during the contest, Joseph said he lip-synced to "Alone" by Heart. According to him, he was somewhat comfortable with the song since he would perform it during his “birit” days. 

While he was satisfied with his final song for the lip-sync stage, he laughed at one memory when the producers gave him the song, "I’m Sexy and I Know It" by LMFAO. He said it does not match him as he is a balladeer, not a rapper.

For his final stage, he recounted that the song changed several times since the producers were the ones who would give the song. He shared that since they did a background check on each contestant, the producers would find a song that would fit the life story of each singer in the show.

In his case, his initial song was "Sleeping Child" by Michael Learns To Rock, which is somewhat like a song for one’s children. He then said the song was changed to "Haven’t Met You Yet" by Michael Buble.

While he still knew the song from Buble, he prayed that the producers would bring back his first song as it meant paying tribute to his late father and three children. He would practice both songs on his own multiple times a day, still hoping to bring back the first song.

The producers eventually brought back "Sleeping Child" for his final stage. He recalled that it was like a full-circle moment for him as he posted "Sleeping Child" on his Facebook years prior to the contest.

Joseph then shared that many congratulated him after the episode aired, mainly his fellow Filipinos in Singapore and TikTok followers. However, he saw the difference between Singapore and the Philippines in terms of winning a singing contest.

ew said that wins like this are celebrated in a grand manner since it is part of the Filipino pop culture. Compared to Singapore, people there do not usually watch TV as the majority have switched to other streaming platforms. 

“Hindi siya same and it’s okay. Because it’s the culture eh kasi sobrang mga busy ang mga tao dito,” he said.

According to him, he dedicated his victory to his late father, who passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2016. He shared that his father was absent in his life for 22 years.

Despite being away from each other for more than two decades, they fostered a deep and meaningful relationship. While shedding some tears, Joseph reminisced that his father would always encourage him to join singing contests, and it felt as if his father was by his side during his journey in "I Can See Your Voice Singapore."

He also shared his former jobs before migrating to Singapore. He first worked as a bank teller after graduating from Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM), then worked as a call center agent for five years. He also worked for a reputable IT company as a process auditor and quality manager for five years before completely moving to Singapore. 

When asked why he migrated, he stated that the offer came from his previous boss. While he did want to work overseas, he had to make a huge decision as he already had two sons at that time.

“But I had to make the hardest decision because kailangan. May mga dreams ako and may dreams ako for my family,” Ronald said.

He noted that while life is convenient in Singapore, the cost of living is expensive. He also said that it is a disciplined and harmonious country due to the diversity of race and culture.

Profession-wise, he went from being a senior executive to a manager, where he said payouts for these positions are high. He said that while there are opportunities, effort should also be put into it. He also stated that he was grateful that his company would pay for training and certifications since it boosts the profiles of their workers.

When asked about his family, he responded that his wife and three sons are in the Philippines. When he would visit his family, he would make it a point to spend time with them.

“So, thankful na rin kasi ang lapit no. Ang lapit ng Singapore, 3 hours lang away parang nag-biyahe ka lang on Friday payday na biglang umulan sa Pilipinas,” he said.

Joseph also shared that one of the challenges he faced was homesickness, where he woke up one day and cried. He also shared his realization of how his children would grow up without him.

“So may ganon hanggang sa magugulat ka na lang ay eight years na pala, 11 years na pala. So minsan tatamaan ka ng mga thoughts and dahil mag-isa ka, na-magnify also kasi wala kang mapaglabasan ng nararamdaman mo,” he said.

To end lightly, Joseph shared that his inspiration in terms of singing is Jonalyn Viray, the first grand champion of 'Pinoy Pop Superstar.' If given the chance, he would love to have a duet with her, and it would be another “Living the Dream” moment.