Karaoke World Championships (KWC) Philippines joins forces with KAPWA BY JEZ to bring the world’s premier karaoke competition to Zamboanga City and beyond
Zamboanga Sibugay, Philippines — Karaoke World Championships (KWC) Philippines is opening a new chapter in its journey across the country as it officially inks a regional partnership with Jez Morgan, a Seattle-based Filipina senior engineer and an indie music producer, through her emerging local entertainment platform KAPWA BY JEZ.
The partnership marks the first time that KWC Philippines and The New Channel (TNC) will formally bring the KWC experience to Zamboanga City, creating a new gateway for singers, performers, creatives, and communities in Western Mindanao to become part of the country’s growing karaoke championship movement.
For TNC’s prime mover and KWC Philippines Country Director Apple Esplana-Manansala, the partnership represents much more than another regional expansion.
“This is a milestone for KWC Philippines because we are not simply adding another location to our map. We are opening a completely new door for Mindanao and, for the first time, bringing KWC and TNC together with a partner who understands both the Filipino creative community and the global music landscape.”
Manansala believes the partnership with Morgan reflects the evolving direction of KWC Philippines—one that goes beyond competitions and auditions and moves toward building a broader ecosystem for Filipino talent.
“KWC is changing. We are changing with it. We want KWC to become more accessible, more inclusive and more connected to communities across the Philippines. Jez brings a very different perspective because she is based in the United States, yet she remains deeply connected to Filipino talent and culture. That combination is very powerful for us.”
A New Gateway to Mindanao
While KWC Philippines has continued to expand its search for talented singers through various regional partners and audition legs, the Zamboanga partnership introduces a new geographic and creative dimension to the program.
Jez Morgan’s connection to this new chapter for KWC Philippines is deeply rooted in her own journey. Born in Surigao del Sur, before her family moved to Zamboanga Sibugay and later migrating to the United States, she has built a unique career that bridges her Filipino roots with global experience. Now based in Seattle, Jez is a Filipino-American Senior Engineering Leader in the aviation industry and at the same time an independent singer-songwriter. Bringing together her expertise in innovation, her passion for music, and her commitment to community, Morgan is building KAPWA BY JEZ as an emerging entertainment platform that creates opportunities, nurtures Filipino talent, and strengthens connections between communities in the Philippines and abroad.
Through KAPWA BY JEZ, KWC Philippines aims to establish a stronger presence in Zamboanga City while developing relationships with local partners throughout Mindanao.
Morgan plans to work with local partners across different areas of Mindanao, allowing KWC to reach communities that may not traditionally have access to national-level singing competitions and opportunities.
This decentralized approach is expected to allow more singers to discover KWC closer to home, while creating pathways for local creatives, event organizers, music communities and other stakeholders to participate in the movement.
For Manansala, this is precisely what makes the partnership significant. “Mindanao has always had an incredible pool of singers and artists. What we need is a stronger bridge that connects their talent to bigger opportunities. Jez and KAPWA BY JEZ can help us build that bridge.”
She adds: “This is not just about finding the next KWC champion. It is about discovering voices, creating opportunities and building communities around music. That is the kind of landscape we want KWC Philippines to help create.”
The Kapwa Philosophy
At the heart of the partnership is Morgan’s vision for KAPWA BY JEZ, an emerging local entertainment platform designed to support music, performance, creative arts, talent development and community-centered events.
Morgan describes the vision simply: “Empowering the next generation through kapwa—shared growth, purpose, and pride.”
The Filipino concept of kapwa, which centers on shared identity, connection and mutuality, serves as the foundation of Morgan’s approach.
Rather than immediately building a large organization, Morgan envisions KAPWA BY JEZ developing gradually and sustainably, beginning with a lean local operation supported by strategic partners.
Since Mogran is based in the United States, Morgan will provide the platform’s overall business, creative, financial and strategic direction, while establishing a local Philippine team to support its operations.
KWC Philippines will be an important component of this emerging ecosystem.
According to Morgan, KWC provides a structured platform where Filipino singers and performers can develop their abilities and progress from local opportunities toward regional and national competition.
That alignment between talent development and community building is one of the strongest reasons behind the partnership.
Where Music, Community and Opportunity Meet
The partnership between KWC Philippines and KAPWA BY JEZ also reflects a broader shift in how talent competitions can operate in today’s creative economy.
For KWC Philippines, regional partnerships are increasingly becoming platforms not only for auditions but also for community engagement, music discovery, artist development, events and creative collaborations.
For KAPWA BY JEZ, KWC provides an established international competition framework that can help give aspiring Filipino singers a tangible pathway toward bigger stages.
Esplana-Manansala sees this convergence as an important evolution for KWC. “We are beginning to see KWC as more than a competition. It is becoming a platform where communities can come together, where artists can be discovered, where young people can find inspiration, and where local partners can create meaningful opportunities around music.”
“Jez complements that direction perfectly. She understands production, entertainment and the independent music scene, but she also understands the importance of community. That is exactly the kind of partner we want to work with as KWC continues to evolve.”
Adding strength to this emerging Mindanao network is Joy Roma-Cudal, a registered nurse, entrepreneur, and owner of Dad N Moms Ristorante and Pizza in Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay, who has signed on as a local partner under KAPWA BY JEZ. Cudal’s participation represents the grassroots approach that Jez Morgan envisions—working with trusted local entrepreneurs and community partners who can help bring KWC closer to singers and creatives in their respective areas.
What makes Cudal particularly relevant to the KAPWA BY JEZ and KWC Philippines partnership is her ability to connect business with community. Her experience as a healthcare professional has cultivated values of care, responsibility and service, while her entrepreneurial journey has given her practical experience in building relationships, creating opportunities and sustaining a local enterprise.
For KWC Philippines, partners like Cudal demonstrate the kind of regional network that can make the organization’s expansion in Mindanao more meaningful and sustainable. Her story reflects the spirit of KAPWA BY JEZ: shared growth, purpose and pride, with local entrepreneurs helping open doors for Filipino talent in communities that deserve greater access to opportunities.
For KWC Philippines Country Director Apple Esplana-Manansala, having local partners such as Cudal already coming on board demonstrates the potential of the new partnership. “This is exactly how we want to expand in Mindanao—through people who know their communities, understand local opportunities, and are willing to help us discover and empower Filipino talent. Jez is building not just a regional presence, but a network, and Joy is an important part of that growing network,” Manansala said.
From Zamboanga to the Rest of Mindanao
The Zamboanga City partnership is only the beginning.
With Morgan working toward building a network of local partners throughout Mindanao, KWC Philippines hopes to make its presence more accessible across the region and uncover new voices from communities that have yet to be fully represented on the KWC stage.
The partnership also creates opportunities for local organizers, musicians, creative entrepreneurs and community leaders to become part of a larger national and international movement.
For KWC Philippines, the goal remains clear: to find the country’s next great singing voices and give them a platform where their talent can be heard.
But with partners such as KAPWA BY JEZ, that platform is becoming much bigger.
It is becoming a community. It is becoming a network. And, increasingly, it is becoming a pathway connecting Filipino talent from local stages to the world.
As KWC Philippines continues its 2026–2027 season, the arrival of KAPWA BY JEZ in Zamboanga signals a new direction—one where geography becomes less of a barrier, local communities become stronger partners, and Filipino talent gets more opportunities to take to the world stage.
From Zamboanga Sibugay to the rest of Mindanao, KWC Philippines is ready to listen to a whole new generation of voices.
For partnerships in the Mindanao Region, partners can reach out to Kapwa by Jez through their official Facebook Page or via email at kapwabyjez@gmail.com. If you wish to bring KWC to your local city or wish to bring your brands to the cities where KWC is coming, email us at kwcph@thenewchannel.com
Interested singers or auditionees are encouraged to follow KWC Philippines and The New Channel’s official platforms for the latest updates as the Road to KWC Philippines 2027 continues.
Online auditions are ongoing; sign up here: https://tinyurl.com/KWC2026-2027signup. We are not accepting online registration/applications via email. Read the full Mechanics and moving audition schedule of KWC Philippines here: https://tinyurl.com/KWCPHmechanics