Eighteen-year-old Cebuano talent Jehramae Trangia of Talisay City in Cebu was the grand winner in the second season of Born to be a Star, the reality singing competition of Cignal Entertainment, Sari-Sari Network and TV5 under the production of Viva that concluded last May 8.

Jehramae bested two other hopefuls to bag P1 million and a five-year recording contract from Viva management. Fifteen-year-old Hans Paranda of Antipolo City ended up as first runner-up who took home P50,000 and 18-year-old Jannah Faye Bocatiya of Manila was second runner-up with P25,000.

Jehramae rendered the ballad, “Sana,” of I Belong To the Zoo as her winning piece.

“The three of us had different genre in our performances,” Jehramae offered. “I would always convey the message of my song to the Star Agents. I gave my best throughout the competition.”

Andrew E, Sam Concepcion, Katrina Velarde, Janine Teñoso and Georcelle Dapat-Sy served as the Star Agents of “Born To Be A Star.” The singing competition was hosted by Matteo Guidicelli and Kim Molina.

“Ang daming competition na dumaan sa buhay ko,” Jehramae shared. “Madami din akong natutunan sa pagkatalo ko, but I managed to improve and rise above my losses.”

Even when she was still in Cebu, Jehramae would persistently join singing contests from the time she was only 12 years old. At 14, she went to Manila to compete in major league singing contests on TV, making her a true-blue kontesera. By the time she was proclaimed grand winner in Born to be a Star, one can truly say that the time was ripe for Jehramae to finally bask in the limelight.

Jehramae is grateful that Born to be a Star provided her with a venue to showcase her singing talents to a wider audience, a unique experience that could very well pave the way for a professional singing career. By staying focused on her goals all throughout the competition, Jehramae was able to consistently shine the brightest, a fact that did not escape the discerning eyes of the Star Agents.

She told herself, “Ito ‘yung dream mo, Jehramae. Ito ‘yung passion mo. So just keep on going. You won’t reach your dreams if you just wish for it. You have to work hard for your dreams.”