Inspirational songwriting contest hands out P500,000 cash prize
An inspirational song that spoke of national unity amidst diversity won the top prize at the Grand Finals night of ASOP (A Song Of Praise) Songwriting Music Festival held at a packed Smart Araneta Coliseum on Sept. 24.
The song "Purihin Mo Ang Dios Oh Pilipinas", written by amateur Anton Estrella Jr., beat 11 other for the P500,000 grand prize that went with being named Song of the Year. It was interpreted by Gail Blanco, called “exciting” by celebrity judge Tito Sotto.
The finals night was the culmination of a weekly inspirational songwriting contest which began airing on UNTV channel last year, in which monthly winners would compete for Song of the Year.
"Salamat sa ASOP dahil dito napapagbigyan kaming mga maliliit ng pagkakataon. Ang gabi na ito ay para sa Diyos," said the soft-spoken winner.
Sotto also told Estrella, "Anton, siguro kang amateur ka? Para kang pro!"
Finalists
The first runner-up received P250,000 for the song "Pupurihin Ka Hanggang Sa Kailanman." It was penned by Annalyn Altejos and interpreted by Nikki Valdez, who also won won Best Interpreter and a P50,000 prize.
Second runner-up was "Puso Kong Nabuksan," written by Domingo Rosco Jr. Third prize went to "Reasons to Believe," composed by Rommel Arguelles and interpreted by "Livewire Idol" Gian Magdangal. The two winning composers were given P150,000 and P100,000, respectively.
A People's Choice award, determined through online voting, was handed to "Pag-Ibig ay Diyos", a song with lyrics described by prolific hitmaker Jim Paredes as "short and sweet". It was written by Jaime Enriquez and performed by balladeer Renz Verano.
Celebrity judges and interpreters
Apart from Sotto and Paredes, the other judges were Vehnee Saturno, Mon Del Rosario, Jamie Rivera and Noel Cabangon.
Saturno, who produced the commemorative album for the ASOP Grand Finals 2012, said, "Happy ako at wala tayong tulak-kabigin sa ganda ng mga kanta."
Paredes called Verano’s performance "impassioned" and R&B Princess Kyla's take on the song "Be My Everything" by Jessa Mae Gabon as "spot-on."
Other interpreters were Ex-Smokey Mountain member Jeffrey Hidalgo, rock singers Jayson Fernandez and Aia De Leon, Reality TV star search winner Gretchen Espina, and Teleserye songs singer Faith Cuneta.
The show was hosted by Richard Reynoso and Toni Rose Gayda.
No religious bias
UNTV host Daniel Razon conceptualized the contest together with famed Church of God International or Dating Daan preacher Brother Ely Soriano.
"Hindi lahat ng sumasali dito sa ASOP miyembro ng aming organization,” said Razon, who attended the event. “Wala pong palakasan dito at hindi kami ang huwes. We pick judges who are experts in songwriting and won't be biased."
The ASOP Finals Night, which will air this October, concluded the competition’s first edition. A second one already started last August and according to Adjes Carreon, UNTV’s promo person, they’ve already taped the finals for the said month.
Providing a ‘career avenue’
ASOP is a weekly contest by UNTV Channel through its Breakthrough and Milestones Productions International (BMPI), Inc. As stated in the commemorative album, the contest is open to everyone regardless of religious affiliation and status. It claims to be the first ever songwriting competition on Philippine TV conceptualized to create songs “for the glory of the Almighty.”
The competition began as as a concert featuring inspirational songs before Soriano and Razon came up with the idea of an songwriting contest focused on inspirational hymns. The ultimate objective of the contest is “to provide a career avenue to both amateur and professional praise songwriters and give them a chance to win big cash prizes.”
Razon recalled talking to Soriano who thought that “all subjects have already been tackled through songwriting so it is high time that we focus on tunes with words about God.”
