Izobel Uy Has More She Wants You to Hear
The singer-songwriter and MMCGPH first runner-up on trusting her voice, finding inspiration in new friendships, and giving herself a chance to be heard.
On the drive home after Winners’ Night, Izobel rolled down the car windows and enjoyed the midnight breeze, relieved that there was no traffic and, for once, no early call time waiting the next morning. She ended the evening with her usual Jollibee order of spicy chicken and spaghetti, still taking in everything that had happened.
Over almost two months at Mr. and Ms. Chinatown Global Philippines, Izo had earned special awards, made close friends, and found herself doing things she once thought she could not do. That evening, she had sung Maymay Entrata’s “Bituin” in the opening set and finished as first runner-up, leaving her proud of herself and with quite a bit to process as a songwriter.
Izo at her SM Manila audition, keeping a promise to say yes to more opportunities.
Giving Her Voice a Chance
Izo is polite and very quiet when she is still getting comfortable, yet there is something about her that commands attention without much effort. Hearing her sing during a fun night in Baguio gave the people around her a fuller introduction to that presence, as well as the musicality she had been developing long before the competition.
Already a singer-songwriter, co-producer, model, and full-time employee, the 26-year-old wondered how another responsibility could fit into her life. She had, however, made a promise that eventually brought her to the SM Manila auditions back in August.
“Before I joined this year, I actually made a promise to myself that I would say yes more and take on more opportunities, which was why I also joined MMCGPH.”
Music had been her first love since childhood, although pursuing it professionally brought pressure to keep improving and make the opportunity count. Alongside writing and developing her skills, she was wondering whether anyone would connect with what she wanted to share.
“At some point, I asked myself, am I really good enough to be heard by the world?”
A singer-songwriter learning to trust that people want to hear what she has to share.
Through MMCGPH, candidates were being developed as potential Chinoy stars, taking part in acting, dancing, and voice workshops, wellness and beauty talks, fight-scene training, and a fashion show. For Izo, it offered ways to build on her experience while trying things she might otherwise have avoided, including dancing, which she had openly admitted she could not do at her audition.
A workshop with Coach Pau of Made To Dance Studio helped change that, and learning production numbers gave her more confidence in how she moved and performed. As the experience encouraged her to put herself forward, she began to recognize that people wanted to listen.
“I have a voice and I could use that, not just to tell my own stories, but also to bring the stories that inspired me along my journey.”
Exploring her Chinese heritage gave Izo traditions to learn about and connections she wanted to carry forward.
Making Time for What Matters
Her decision to say yes more also came from something deeply personal. Someone dear to Izo had been diagnosed with Stage 3 colon cancer, changing how she thought about the future and making the pageant’s mission meaningful to her.
“It really made me value time more and being more present.”
Caring for someone who was ill made her consider the opportunities she wanted to pursue and the people she hoped would be there to share her accomplishments. She became more selective about where to put her energy, finding that MMCGPH connected with several things she wanted to explore, including her Chinese heritage.
She discovered that her grandfather had taught her mother and uncle basic Hokkien and passed down customs from his family, although their household had more closely adopted her grandmother’s traditions. Learning about that history gave her something she wanted to continue.
“And I realized as well that, you know, our identity isn’t just about how much we know, it is also about what we can learn to carry forward.”
Plenty to Write About
As Izo grew comfortable with her fellow candidates, they got to know her more playful side, the one that had her joking about what backstage footage the production team might have. Being unserious sometimes helped her shake off her nerves, and the friendships forming around her became an important part of the experience.
When she was announced as first runner-up, she looked back toward Oenone, a fellow candidate from Davao and one of her closest friends in the competition. Realizing that this might be everyone’s last time together onstage nearly brought her to tears.
“They became my new sisters and brothers and I could only hope to see them once again during castings or during events, which I really, really hope for…”
Those relationships also gave her inspiration she wanted to bring into her music. Asked which candidate she would write a song about, she found herself thinking about how much she had observed.
“I felt like my biggest win dito sa competition would be me having so much to write about. I have so much material, so much observations.”
Fellow candidate Tim’s kindness and perseverance particularly moved her, inspiring the idea of a song that could remind him she was rooting for him when things became difficult. Having wondered whether her own music could connect, she now had people she wanted to reach through it.
After a first runner-up finish, Izo has new confidence and plenty of stories she hopes to turn into songs.
More We Want to Hear
Given a choice between releasing an album, performing in a musical, or hosting a show, Izo chose the album, perhaps an EP of four to six songs shaped by everything the competition had stirred.
“I wish my songs would reach them, knowing that I really root for them.”
There is something lovely about hearing that from an artist who joined hoping to give herself a fair chance. Along with a first runner-up finish, she brought home greater confidence in her voice and experiences she wanted to turn into music. Among the MMCGPH team, there are already fans looking forward to those songs, whenever she is ready to share them.
