Cover band singer from Santander wins Sinulog Idol 16

CEBU, Philippines — Santander native Crizalena Cabanas immediately thought of her father when she heard her name announced as the Sinulog Idol 16 champion on Thursday, January 16, at the Fuente Osmeña Circle.

Her father was the inspiration behind the songs she performed at the finals: Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus Take the Wheel” in the first round, and Rachel Platten’s “Fight Song” in the second round when she earned a spot in the top three before she was declared champion.

“He got into an accident when I was in elementary school, and he was forced to stop working,” Cabanas told The FREEMAN after her win. “We struggled as a family. We are 12 siblings – four brothers and eight sisters. We had to survive, and we had to work.”

Hoping to use her talents to support her family, Cabanas works as a singer in a cover band. Being the second breadwinner by choice, she will use the majority of her prizes for her family. “I will spend it for my father and for my siblings who are still in school,” she shared.

As the latest Sinulog Idol champion, she took home a total prize of ?122,000, which includes ?50,000 from the competition, ?20,000 from Golden Topper, ?15,000 from BingoPlus, ?15,000 from DITO Telecommunity, ?10,000 from Manila Bankers Assurance, ?5,000 from Ginebra San Miguel, ?5,000 from Mr. DIY, with additional ?2,000 in cash vouchers.

According to Cabanas, her key to being a consistent performer is by singing from the heart, inspired by her favorite artists Adele and KZ Tandingan.

“From day one, she has been a consistent performer,” said Ryan Mark Borinaga, one of the judges. “Tonight, she ranked number one in both rounds. Out of the six contestants, she sang with the most heart.”

Judge Fritz Ian Palomares added, “It was a unanimous decision and not a hard one to make at all. Her song choices were excellent, and she delivered technical precision and emotional depth. It was clear who the winner was.”

Joining Cabanas in the top three finalists were Bernard Larido from Danao City, who placed second, and Karla Sheanne Villondo from Minglanilla, who finished third.

Larido performed Hunter Hayes’ “Invisible” and Calum Scott’s version of “Dancing on My Own,” while Villondo sang Roel Manlangit’s “Maghintay Ka Lamang” and Jennifer Hudson’s “I Am Changing.”

Aside from receiving ?40,000 and ?30,000 respectively, Larido and Villondo also received prizes from Golden Topper. Additionally, Villondo received the WinZir Songbird Award.

Villondo, who competed in the second season of “The Clash” in 2019 and “Tawag ng Tanghalan: The School Showdown” in 2024 as a representative of the University of Southern Philippines Foundation, reflected on how her these stints helped her in Sinulog Idol.

“It’s definitely an advantage because I applied techniques I learned from them like proper breathing. During the Sinulog Idol workshops, I was already familiar with some of their methods and just improved on what I can,” she said.

Rounding out the top six were fourth placer John Vince Deiparine from Toledo City, Yesica Yen Manco from Carmen, and Kimberly Ann Dianon from Talisay City.

As part of their prizes, Deiparine and Manco will have a one-week hosting stint on 93.1 FM Radio Cebu’s “Good Vibes with DJ Langganeda”. Manco was likewise named the People’s Choice Award winner, with a cash prize sponsored by Seville Builders Inc.