Following his remarkable stints on “Tawag ng Tanghalan” as one of its unforgettable alumni, as well as his victorious finish in “The Voice USA” Season 26 in which he was the first-ever Filipino and Asian to win the competition, there’s no doubt that Sofronio Vasquez is among the most popular and talented singers in the local entertainment scene at present.  

While he’s been known for his incredible vocal prowess, not a lot of people probably know that he is actually an individual brimming with cheerfulness, humility, patience, optimism, and devotion, which we’re able to get a glimpse of through his boisterous and insightful chikahan with our beloved Kuantie Melai Cantiveros in the latest episode of “Kuan On One”. 

Their conversation commenced with Melai quizzing Sofronio, who was elated to finally be able to guest on the show, what for him is the best thing about being a “Bisdak” (or “Bisayang Dako”), to which he replied in Bisaya, “Ang pinakamaganda sa isang Bisdak ay ‘yong personality natin na kahit hindi tayo barkada pero unang kita pa lang, ‘Bisaya ka pala?’…We are home. Madali taong magkaintindihan. Hindi pa tayo nagkita pero parang magbarkada sa baliwan.” 

Unforgettable childhood 

As they tackled this episode’s topic, which was “anything that’s meant for you will definitely come to you,” he proudly shared that he was born on November 9, 1992, in Ozamis City, Misamis Occidental, where his parents also raised him along with his two other siblings. While middle children are said to have the reputation of being the black sheep of the family, he would like to believe that he’s not, but rather he is the most thick-skinned or shameless among them.  

He attested to this claim by looking back on how active he was in extracurricular activities at school, such as stage plays, way back in his elementary days. Furthermore, he also used to sing with his father every time there were occasions and before they went to church to attend mass. These ignited his interest in singing, along with the influence of his father, who used to be part of a band.  

Aside from these experiences, what made his childhood extra memorable were his mischievous acts, such as being a certified “tolits” (or short for “Tol, ano ang latest?” the Pinoy slang for a very inquisitive man) in the latest happenings in their neighborhood, as well as swimming to the sea whenever water rose, which distressed his parents. Sofronio was so naughty as a young boy and a teenager, to the point that his father would tie him at his waist just to make him behave and stop him from getting rowdy.  

“Tawag ng Tanghalan” and his life after it 

From joining a barrio-based singing contest, he eventually found himself trying his luck in singing competitions after he graduated with a degree in dental medicine and went to Manila to supposedly enroll himself in a review center. Instead of taking the licensure exam, he went to the auditions of “Tawag ng Tanghalan,” and that was when his penchant for joining singing competitions began. 

He might have experienced a slew of rejections and setbacks during his time in TNT, but those did not stop nor discourage him from trying over and over again until he got tired after falling short anew in being hailed as the grand winner. Thus, he just decided to audition as a singer for a cruise ship based in the United States and got hired. He then went home to the Philippines and worked as a vocal coach for TNT, where he trained contestants.  

When asked what the most important piece of advice that he had given his protégés was, Sofronio shared, “Ang lagi kong sinasabi sa kanila, nag-revolve lang sa experience na ‘wag mong tanggalin ang kaba. Kasi kung tatanggalin mo ‘yon, hindi ka na passionate, hindi ka na excited.” 

Since his income wasn’t enough to sustain his and his mother’s living expenses here in Manila, which was worsened by the pandemic, Sofronio tried selling rice cakes and did livestreaming to earn extra money. It was through livestreaming that he came up with the idea of going to the United States, as many of his followers encouraged him to go to the United States because they thought that he could score more opportunities there.  

Fortunately, there was a Filipino family there who took him in, not to mention that the Filipino community where he was based helped and supported him all throughout. He initially tried to do side singing gigs but realized that opportunities were meager, so he decided that it was finally time for him to make use of his college degree and worked as a dental assistant.   

“The Voice USA” journey 

Just when he had already opted to set aside his dream of becoming a singer, a huge opportunity knocked on him: “The Voice USA.” But before he could step on its stage, Sofronio actually went through a series of rejections before he finally landed a spot on the blind auditions after seven months of waiting.  

Thankfully, “Kuan on One” was there to accompany him throughout the interview process in Los Angeles City, California, telling Kuantie Melai that he was among those who were anticipating the first-ever mainstream all-Bisaya podcast ever since it was announced in 2024. Thus, he made sure not to miss the pilot episode, which featured Kim Chiu. 

“Ito ang therapy ko roon, walang biro. Nakaka-miss kasi minsan ‘yong mga kabaliwan natin. May kanya-kanyang kabaliwan kasi ‘yong bawat Bisaya, nare-remind ako. ‘Yon ang ginamit ko sa journey ko,” he related.  

With regard to choosing Michael Bublé as his coach among the four coaches who vied for him, he imparted that it was because the Canadian singer-songwriter hard-sold himself to him by saying how much he has been connected with Filipinos ever since we rose to stardom. He told him how much he owed us with his success in the entertainment industry, so he wanted to give back by at least helping Sofronio to become the grand winner.  

“Alam mo, wala akong ibang masabi kundi pasasalamat. Hindi ko masukat kung gaano ako ka-thankful sa kanya. Grabe ‘yung tiwala niya sa akin. Grabe siya maniwala. Sobrang bait niya,” he conveyed when asked how Michael was as a coach, and went on to share how they have stayed in-touch even after “The Voice USA” as they would update one another regarding their latest ganaps in life. 

“Ultimate Yawyaw” and most favorite Bisaya word 

For his “Ultimate Yawyaw,” or greatest realization in life, Sofronio said, “Kahit na nabigyan ako ng opportunity, kahit nanalo na ako, hindi pa rin ako titigil. I will continue to champion every moment of my life. I will continue to be inspired. Sabihin man ng mga tao na, ‘na-inspire ako sa’yo,’ pero ang ‘di nila alam na kung na-inspire sila sa akin, na-inspire din nila ako kasi na-inspire sila sa story ko.” 

He continued, “Simple lang, ‘no man is an island’. ‘Yong saying na ‘yon. Hindi ka talaga magtatagumpay kung ikaw lang, kung mag-isa ka lang. Kailangan mo ng pamilya, kailangan mo ng kaibigan, kailangan mo ng advice. Huwag kang ma-hurt kung makatanggap ka man ng advice na hindi maganda. Meron talagang magdi-discriminate sa’yo, pero magpasalamat ka pa rin kasi pinaglaanan ka nila ng oras, ‘di ba? Share the kindness, mawawala lan din ‘yang inis nila.” 

And lastly, for his most favorite Bisaya word, it’s none other than “papinanggaon,” which translates to “mapagmahal” or “loving,” because he believes that everything in life is rooted in love.