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Bacolod City, Philippines Saturday, May 19, 2012
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Jessica in Idol finals

Sixteen-year-old Jessica Sanchez will be in the finals of American Idol at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles Tuesday (Wednesday in the Philippines) next week.

Sanchez has made history being the first Asian-American to reach the finals, and also the youngest.

She will be competing against acoustic strummer Phillip Phillips, 21, after Louisiana soul singer Joshua Ledet was eliminated from the show Thursday (yesterday in the Philippines), that drew 90 million votes.

Ryan Seacrest, the show’s host, announced that the first person to compete in Tuesday night's finale will be Sanchez of Chula Vista, California.

Sanchez is the first recipient of the judges' save to make the top 2. Prior to appearing onIdol, Sanchez competed in thefirst seas on of America's Got Talentat the age of 11

Sanchez’s mother, Editha, is a Filipina Americanoriginally fromBataan.Her maternal grandfather, Eddie Bugay, is a retired U.S. Navy sailor.

Inspired by herRoman Catholicgrandmother, Sanchez carries arosaryeverywhere andpraysquietly before going on stage.

Her father, aMexican Americanoriginally fromTexas, is aU.S. Navyveteran who fought in the Iraq War, served inAfghanistanand, is expected to soon be deployed toSingapore.

Sanchez started singing at the age of 2.

The American Idol finale will consist of a two-hour performance episode on Tuesday (Wednesday in Philippines) followed by a results episode on Wednesday (Thursday in the Philippines). The winner will receive a recording contract.

Malacañang yesterday also expressed all-out support for Sanchez.

Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte called on the Filipino people to continuously support the Philippines’ bet and ensure her victory.

“Please show your support in any way possible for Jessica Sanchez. This is the last stretch and we know that when Filipinos gather and put their minds into it, it will happen,” Valte said.

“As she moves on to the final stage of the competition we stand in solidarity with Jessica Sanchez as she shows the world what Filipinos are capable of,” she added.*

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