Camille Naredo

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SHOWBIZ

Mon Rodelas

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1787666657212Jason Dy &amp; Sassa Dagdag.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Jason Dy and Sassa Dagdag. ABS-CBN News"/>Jason Dy and Sassa Dagdag. ABS-CBN News</div>MANILA — Singer Jason Dy was initially hesitant to join the Philippine Selection Night for the inaugural Eurovision Song Contest Asia 2026, as he no longer wanted to compete because of the pressure that comes with contests.&quot;When I was approached to do this, medyo may mga agam-agam din ako, may mga hesitations din ako kasi parang ayoko nang mag-contest, ayoko nang mag-compete kasi grabe &#x27;yung pressure,&quot; Dy shared.Dy said he eventually accepted the offer after realizing the significance of representing the country in the first-ever Eurovision Asia. He added that hearing his entry, &quot;Di Yan,&quot; further motivated him to take on the challenge, as did the opportunity to collaborate with fellow singer Sassa Dagdag.Dagdag said she also felt hesitant at first because of her experience in previous national competitions but was convinced to join after learning she would perform alongside Dy.&quot;At first din I was really hesitant as well, pero when I knew na si kuya Jason Dy &#x27;yung ka-duet ko, nag-iisang Jason Dy, hello? Who am I to pass di ba,&quot; she said.<div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/music/2026/8/24/song-interpreters-excited-for-selection-night-of-eurovision-song-contest-asia-ph-2215">READ: Song interpreters excited for selection night of Eurovision Song Contest Asia PH</a></div>The duo described &quot;Di Yan&quot; as a tropical, island-inspired song with a universally relatable message about reminding friends not to ignore relationship red flags. &quot;I&#x27;m sure maraming makaka-relate, not just here, but also internationally kasi universal &#x27;yung message ng song,&quot; Dy added.Other competing artists also shared what drew them to the competition.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1787666682612viber_image_2026-08-25_21-53-33-891.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Marielle Montellano and JM Dela Cerna. ABS-CBN News"/>Marielle Montellano and JM Dela Cerna. ABS-CBN News</div>Birit duo JMielle, composed of JM Dela Cerna and Marielle Montellano, said they view Eurovision as an opportunity to showcase a different side of their artistry beyond ballads through their jazz- and funk-influenced song &quot;Mapadama.&quot;&quot;Para sa&#x27;min po more than competing, it&#x27;s more like showing another side of JMielle bukod sa nakikita po ng mga tao,&quot; said Montellano. &quot;Gusto rin namin ma-conquer &#x27;yung international na experience kumbaga.&quot;&quot;This time, it&#x27;s very different kasi hindi kami ang gumawa ng song. Hindi kami ang nag-decide ng song… And luckily ang ganda po ng song na kakantahin po namin,&quot; Dela Cerna added.Khimo, who will perform &quot;Reason To Live,&quot; said being a longtime Eurovision fan made the opportunity even more meaningful, describing his song as an uplifting anthem about finding reasons to keep living amid life&#x27;s struggles. &quot;With my song that I will sing, &#x27;yung &#x27;Reason To Live&#x27;, it is for everyone,&quot; he shared.&quot;Hindi lang siya hugot song about love. It&#x27;s about yourself. It&#x27;s about your loved ones being there na sila &#x27;yung rason, at ikaw rin mismo &#x27;yung rason kung bakit ka nabubuhay,&quot; Khimo remarked.Singer-songwriter Saga, meanwhile, said he is treating the competition as an honor rather than a contest, emphasizing that representing the Philippines is already a privilege. &quot;Masaya po ako na nag-reflect po sya sa artistry ko, sa genre na I usually sing,&quot; said Saga.Saga will perform &quot;Broken Beyond Repair.&quot;The quartet of Elha Nympha, Esang, Lance Reblando, and Nar Cabico said Eurovision offers Filipino artists a platform to showcase original music to the world. Their entry, &quot;Cheri(e),&quot; draws inspiration from disco and Manila sound while celebrating Filipino storytelling.Cabico encouraged Pinoy singers and storytellers to also join the competition in the future.&quot;Kami po kasi pioneer batch lang, pero gusto po namin &#x27;yung mga kapwa namin artists at storyteller na mag-participate po para mahanap po talaga natin &#x27;yung pinaka mahuhusay na awiting Pilipino para lumaban sa international stage,&quot; he said.Esang echoed Cabico&#x27;s sentiments, expressing excitement for the show: &quot;I believe nga po na we&#x27;re not just not songwriters, we&#x27;re also storytellers… Excited po kami na makita niyo po.&quot;A total of 10 songs are competing in the Philippine Selection Night on August 30 at 9:45 p.m., where one act will earn the chance to represent the country at the Eurovision Song Contest Asia 2026 on November 14 in Bangkok, Thailand.

Singer Jason Dy was initially hesitant to join the Philippine Selection Night for the inaugural Eurovision Song Contest Asia 2026, as he no longer wanted to compete because of the pressure that comes with contests.

Singer Jason Dy was initially hesitant to join the Philippine Selection Night for the inaugural Eurovision Song Contest Asia 2026, as he no longer wanted to compete because of the pressure that comes with contests.

Why Jason Dy was hesitant to join Eurovision Asia Philippine Selection

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Why Jason Dy was hesitant to join Eurovision Asia Philippine Selection

Mon Rodelas,

ABS-CBN News

Published August 25, 2026 10:07 PM PHT

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Eurovision

Eurovision Song Contest Asia 2026

PH Selection Night

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Jason Dy

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