Ylona Garcia sings the Philippine National Anthem at the Dodger Stadium. (Photo from Instagram/@dodgers)
After singing “Lupang Hinirang” during a Los Angeles Dodgers game, Ylona Garcia expressed how she hoped she made the Filipinos proud.
The Filipino-Australian singer, on Aug. 2 (US Time), proudly led the singing of the Philippine National Anthem at the Dodger Stadium for Filipino Heritage Night.
A little over a week after, the “Pinoy Big Brother” alum opened up about her experience — via an Instagram post — and admitted to initially feeling a bit nervous regarding what can be a daunting task even for veteran singers.
“I had the opportunity to sing “Lupang Hinirang” during a Dodgers game. I was a bit nervous at first to sing it, because it’s not my own song,” the 21-year-old singer-actress said in Filipino.
She made sure, though, to deliver not only on the technical aspect but more importantly on conveying the message of the anthem.
“But even then, this song represents me and my country. I made sure that I sang on pitch, had accurate timing, and above all, that I sang from the heart,” the “Dahan Dahan Dahan Lang” hitmaker said.
“I hope I made you happy and impressed you, my countrymen. Sana proud kayo, Pilipinas [I hope you’re proud, Philippines].”
Garcia showed a mix of excitement and relief in one of the post-performance clips she uploaded in her post.
She received praise from several people including Filipinos who were in the audience that day, and also love from some local personalities such as Vina Morales, Vicki Belo, and Arci Muñoz.
Screenshots from Ylona Garcia’s Instagram page
A longer version — than what she uploaded on her page — of her performance was shared on the Instagram page of Filipino Heritage Night.
On the same night, before the Dodgers triumphed over the Oakland Athletics, Filipino-American rapper Ez Mil threw out the first pitch.
Prior to joining her current label and relocating to Los Angeles, Garcia appeared in the Kapamilya series “On the Wings of Love” and “Sana Dalawa ang Puso,” which was top-billed by Jodi Sta. Maria, Sen. Robin Padilla, and Richard Yap. ATM