YOUNG Filipinos continue to be recognized on the international stage with their exceptional talents, with another Pinay teen on her way to shine in the K-pop scene.
14-year-old Filipina contestant Elisia Parmisano secured a spot in a girl group that the South Korean reality competition series “Universe Ticket” will launch globally.
She was named the first member of the upcoming girl group after advancing to the “P” level or the highest ranking in the SBS survival show.
“Universe Ticket” follows the journey of 82 aspiring K-pop idols from different parts of the world including Australia, Canada, China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea and Vietnam.
Only eight of them will be chosen to form the girl group, which will debut under F&F Entertainment and will be promoting for two years and six months.
The contestants are ranked in five levels based on their performance: P, R, I, S and M. The P-level is on the top while the M-level is at the bottom.
The rankings depend on the show’s judges, also referred to as “unicorns,” and fan votes.
“Universe Ticket” judges include actress and former I.O.I member Kim Se-jeong, Girls’ Generation member Hyoyeon, singer-songwriters Younha and Adora, and dancer Rian of La Chica. They evaluate each contestant’s vocals, dance and rap skills.
The judges were joined by Yeji and Chaeryeong of K-pop fourth generation girl group ITZY as mentors.
Gehlee Dangca, another Filipina contestant, hopes to make the cut and debut in the global girl group. She is currently at the R-level, or the second-highest rank.
Meanwhile, Pinay K-pop trainee Aya Natsumi got eliminated in the sixth episode of the show.
Talent competition shows have produced several temporary groups that made waves in the K-pop industry, including I.O.I, Wanna One, IZ*ONE, and X1.
Pinoys celebrate
Filipino netizens couldn’t be prouder of Parmisano and Dangca as they congratulated the two on X (formerly Twitter) for their achievements.
Some wished that the two Pinays would debut together in the upcoming girl group.
Other X users said they were proud of Parmisano and that she deserved to be in the top spot.
With Parmisano securing her spot, Filipino viewers of the show are now rallying support for Dangca to help her realize her dream to become a K-pop idol.
Celebrities’ support
Asia’s Songbird Regine Velasquez was among the celebrities who congratulated Parmisano for her feat.
In an Instagram post, the OPM singer shared photos of her with the “Universe Ticket” participant when she was younger.
“This little girl is all grown up now and making a name for herself in the K-pop world. Congratulations Elisia we are proud of you,” she wrote in the caption.
Celebrity doctor Vicki Belo commented on the post and said, “OMG MIRACLE all your hard work and sacrifice is paying off.”
Kapuso Primetime Queen Marian Rivera also expressed her support for Parmisano.
“Ipagpatuloy mo yung mga pangarap na yan at alam kong marami ka pang magagawa at mararating. Kaya naman God Bless you more, we are so proud of you,” said the actress.
The Filipina teen thanked Velasquez and Rivera for their congratulatory messages when she shared their posts on her Instagram stories.
About Elisia
Parmisano was among the second batch of contestants that the “Universe Ticket” revealed on X on July 27, 2023. The first batch was announced on July 13 and included Dangca and Natsumi.
On her profile teaser image, the result of Parmisano’s Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is INTP (Introvert, Intuitive, Thinking, Perceiving).
The 14-year-old Pinay has been singing since she was nine, as seen in her introduction video in the first episode of the “Universe Ticket.”
“Singing has been natural for me since I was a child. I remember I started dreaming of singing and performing through musicals,” she said in her recorded video, as clips of her performing onstage in different venues were flashed.
There were also videos of her dancing and singing to K-pop songs such as Red Velvet’s “Psycho” and LE SSERAFIM’s “Antifragile.”
“I developed a strong interest in K-pop, so since then, I’ve been learning Korean. I’ve been consistently trying to learn the dance to K-pop songs from the moment I woke up until night,” narrated the teen.
“I knew that K-pop is for me, and the universe is giving me signs that I should pursue my dream in K-pop,” she added.
It seems that talent runs in her family as Parmisano is the cousin of Marcus of South Korea-based Filipino boy band HORI7ON.
