“Ayaw Na Lang” by Jerika Teodorico is one of the PhilPop Songwriting Festival 2020 finalists from Visayas. The announcement was made through an online media presentation on August 24, 2020.

Teodorico is a singer-songwriter born and raised in Cebu City, Philippines. She writes songs exclusively in the Cebuano language and has been joining songwriting competitions since she was 17 with most entries centered on the advocacy of uplifting Bisaya music.

At the same time, Teodorico has also been performing around Cebu City and other Bisaya-speaking areas and she is currently working on her debut album. Including her song “Ayaw Na Lang,” there are six PhilPop Songwriting Festival 2020 finalists from the Visayas-Mindanao cluster.

Visayas

• “Ayaw Na Lang” by Jerika Teodorico of Cebu City, Cebu
• “Hinungdan” by Michael Catarina of Cebu City, Cebu
• “Suyo” by Noah Alejandre and Reanne Borela of Ormoc City, Leyte

Mindanao

• “Akong Bililhon” by John Cadeliña of Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur
• “Kasadya” by Christian Chiu of Corandal City, South Cotabato
• “Pahuway” by Sherwin Fugoso of Jabonga, Agusan del Norte

PhilPop is currently wrapping up its adjudication process for the remaining clusters namely, North Luzon, South Luzon and Metro Manila. The finalists representing the remaining regions will be announced in September 2020.

PhilPop Songwriting Festival chair Ryan Cayabyab heads the selection committee. The committee included PhilPop executive director Dinah A. Remolacio, PhilPop Musicfest Foundation president Victorico P. Vargas, board member Noel Cabangon and lead adjudicators Jungee Marcelo and Trina Belamide, Warner Music Philippines managing director Ian Monsod, MinPop Musicfest director Jeremy Sarmiento and Kadasig founder Jude Gitamondoc.

According to PhilPop executive director Remolacio, the entries underwent multiple rounds of selection process until top three per clusters were handpicked. She said, “We wanted our process to be inclusive so the decision making involved local and international representatives from Warner Music, representatives from our regional partner for each cluster and representatives from PhilPop.”