Sofronio Vasquez and his family might have had a modest life, but their home was full of love, thanks to their parents, who showered him and his two brothers with love. Apparently, Oniol (Rominick Sarmenta) was Sofronio’s first ultimate idol, as he got his fondness for music and singing from him, not to mention that he and his wife Aida (Janice de Belen) were fully supportive of him in every singing contest that he joined.

That was why Sofronio was really shocked when Oniol highly objected to his plan of taking up a music degree in college since he wanted him to choose a career that would surely sustain him. So, he encouraged him to pursue dentistry instead, which Sofronio did and successfully finished. He then went to Manila to take review classes as preparation for the board exams, but he decided not to push through with it after he passed the audition for “Tawag ng Tanghalan Season 2,” and tried his luck in other reality singing contests of ABS-CBN.

Just when he assumed that his father would be thrilled to find out, Oniol actually got mad and warned him about not sending him allowance if he would opt to push through. But Sofronio was too determined to back down and grab the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so he still continued and did everything to survive in Manila on his own. He joined every audition and took on every hustle until his turn to step on the TNT stage finally arrived, and he managed to become a daily winner, a defending champion multiple times, and a semi-finalist.

Aside from proving to his father that he made the right decision, Sofronio’s eagerness to win amplified when Oniol got severely ill. Thus, in one of their last personal conversations, Sofronio promised to make it up to him by doing better to win the contest and be able to take him to Manila not only to have his treatment but to watch him perform live, too. It was also during that tear-jerking exchange when Sofronio finally gained the support of Oniol, who confessed to watching his every performance on TV and feeling happy to see how he poured his whole heart and soul into his singing.

However, as much as Sof wanted to reach the grand finals and be the grand champion of the season not just for himself but also for his dad, luck was obviously not on his side at the time. Further shattering his heart was when his father died even before he was able to fulfill his promise, which made Sofronio question his choices in life. But his mother assured him that Oniol was actually happy and okay with his decision to go after his dreams because he saw how joyful and passionate he was every time he appeared on the stage. 

Sofronio then worked as a vocal coach for TNT while performing at different gigs and went on to work as a singer on a cruise ship to be able to earn money and pay their debts for Oniol’s treatment. His situation worsened when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, which made him sell rice cakes and do livestreaming just for him to make both ends meet during that time.

A huge opportunity then knocked on him when a Filipino family based in New York City, USA, invited him to go there for a vacation. Since he was already tired of joining competitions only to lose in the end and not having a steady source of income, he decided to seize it and finally make use of his college degree. Although he knew that it wouldn’t make him happy and fulfilled, he felt that the time had come for him to try something different and to set aside his dream.

In the US, Sofronio, who was accompanied by his older brother Aido (Yves Flores), was able to land a job as a dental assistant at a dental clinic while still taking on singing gigs for extra income. 

Because of what happened, Sofronio didn’t show interest when Aido and their friend Jerome (Sean Tristan) told him about the “The Voice USA” Season 26 auditions and encouraged him to join. But he eventually had a change of heart after hearing the classic OPM song “Bato sa Buhangin”—his parents’ favorite song that he sang to his father—being sung at a show he attended, which he took as a sign to try competing again.

After several attempts, he successfully made it through the “The Voice USA” Season 26 blind auditions, wherein he was a four-chair turner, as well as in the Battles, the Knockouts, the Playoffs, the semi-finals, and the grand finals.

Fueled by the love and support of his loved ones and other supporters, not to mention by the inspiration brought by his experiences in life, Sofronio was able to deliver fantastic and remarkable performances during the finale, which made him win the competition. His victory, as his mom said, proved that he couldn’t just be a champion in singing but also in life.

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