yApayao singer gets national attention on ‘Tawag ng Tanghalan’ singing contest

Tabuk City, Kalinga – A singer from Conner, Apayao, left an impressive mark during the Tawag ng Tanghalan segment of It’s Showtime that aired January 2 – a popular national noontime program in the country.

Sandex Nunag performed the song ‘Cool Off’ in the segment dubbed "Your all-time favorite search for outstanding amateur talents” and gained impressive feedback from singers Karylle and Marco Sison.

“Malakas ang stage presence mo, at yung kanta bagay na bagay sayo... maliwanag yung gusto mong iparating, yung emotion mo, eksaktong-eksakto, may build-up naman. I like your performance,” Sison said.

While for Karylle, he likened Zandex’s voice to that of Yeng Constantino—soft and a 'storyteller's voice’.

Karylle likewise told the 25-year-old singer that he would be achieving great things with his talent in singing.

Nevertheless, the young singer failed to become the daily winner of the show, garnering a 92.6 grade from its judges - only 0.2 percent lower than the score of the daily winner who is from Visayas.

In a statement, Nunag expressed gratitude to those who backed and cheered for him in his journey, even describing their support as his greatest prize in joining the national amateur singing competition.

“Although the stage lights have dimmed for now, your belief in me continues to shine bright. I'm deeply grateful for each cheer, every encouraging word, and the endless love you've shown. Thank you for being the melody to my song, and I promise, this isn't the end of our harmony together,” he expressed.

He likewise shared that after his performance in the singing competition, he has been receiving various offers and invitations.

“It has really become my gateway to more opportunities,” he wrote.

Nunag is the second singer from Apayao to set foot on Tawag ng Tanghalan’s stage.

The first one is Leonardo Amorsolo Jr., a native of Malama, Conner, who later competed at ‘The Voice Norway and settled at the top 16.