ICYMI, Korean entertainment company HYBE (a.k.a. the powerhouse behind BTS, Seventeen, TXT, among others) and Universal Music Group subsidiary Geffen Records (which handles the likes of Olivia Rodrigo and Alesso) are partnering up to create a global girl group through an audition program called The Debut: Dream Academy. They recently revealed the line up of candidates competing in the program, and Pinoys were pleasantly surprised to find a Filipina representative in the roster. So here’s some quick facts about Debut Academy’s only Filipina candidate Sophia Laforteza.

Name: Sophia
Age: 20
Home Country: Philippines pic.twitter.com/UsAgZRM2on

— Dream Academy Updates (@DreamAcademy_UP) August 29, 2023

The only Filipina

Out of 120,000 applicants, Sophia Laforteza is the only contestant from the Philippines who made it to the final 20. She is also one of only two candidates from Southeast Asia, the other being Marquise from Thailand.

Sophia introduce herself at The Debut : Dream Academy Press conference today! pic.twitter.com/27zzJa8GJs

— Dream Academy Updates (@DreamAcademy_UP) August 29, 2023

The other candidates come from several countries, including South Korea, Japan, United States, Australia, Brazil, Argentina, Belarus, Sweden, and Slovakia.

The Debut: Dream Academy participants for ELLE!#DREAMACADEMYHQ #HYBE #GEFFEN pic.twitter.com/Bh0SW9erQT

— Dream Academy Updates (@DreamAcademy_UP) August 29, 2023

A 2002 liner (barely!)

She was born on December 31, 2002, so she’s a Capricorn! This also makes her one of the oldest contestants on Dream Academy. Also known as Sophie, Fifi, and Sopheezy to family and friends, Sophia describes herself as a little hysterical, but still diligent and caring.

Born to TV and stage actress Carla Guevara Laforteza and Resorts World executive chef Godfrey Laforteza, Sophia is one of three kids. She has two brothers.

A gifted student

In June 2021, Sophia graduated from Multiple Intelligence International School in Quezon City, where she received several awards upon finishing high school. A few months later, in November, she would join the audition call of HYBE and Geffen.

Fun fact: she was in the same class as Leon Barretto, a social media personality and the son of Claudia Barretto and Dennis Padilla and the brother of Dani and Julia Barretto.

A pet lover

Her dog is a Chow Chow named Charlie, who’s currently at home with the rest of her family while she trains at Dream Academy.

A certified K-pop fan

Based on her Tiktok song and dance covers, as well as her Instagram following, Sophia is a big fan of many K-pop groups! Of course, she loves groups under HYBE like BTS, TXT, Le Serraffim, among others, as well as groups from other entertainment companies, like Red Velvet. And based on some of her Instagram stories, her bias in BTS is Kim Taehyung a.k.a. V!

Musically inclined

When you scroll through her Tiktok videos, you can already see that Sophia has strong vocals and innate dance talent. She can also hold her own when it comes to musical instruments, particularly the piano.

A micro-influencer

Before stepping on the global stage through Dream Academy, Sophia was already a budding social media personality in the Philippines, with partnerships and ads with different brands on her social media like Coca-Cola, Palmolive, and Careline.

How can you support her?

Follow Sophia Laforteza on Tiktok and Instagram! The Dream Academy contestants were able to keep their pre-debut social media profiles, so you can see a lot of content on Sophia’s accounts. Make sure to follow her and give her your support on her Tiktok @sophialaforteza and Instagram @sophia_laforteza. You can also join the Dream Academy HQ on fan community platform Weverse.

The Debut: Dream Academy is set to air on YouTube starting on September 1, Friday, with new missions being given once every two weeks. The final members and the group’s name will be revealed in the final episode, airing on November 18. Fans will be given the chance to select the members of the group through voting on TikTok and Weverse.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tiktok, and Youtube for the l8est entertaining, useful, and informative lists!