How Lea feels about Elha's 'Voice Kids' victory

Coach Lea Salonga holds Esang De Torres and Reynan dal-Danay close as they wait for the announcement of the winner. Photo by Michael Bagtas for ABS-CBNNews.com

MANILA – Lea Salonga doesn’t feel bad even if her wards Esang De Torres and Reynan Dal-Anay lost the “The Voice Kids” title to Kamp Kawayan’s Elha Mae Nympha on Sunday night.

During the show’s finale, it was revealed that Nympha got 42.16% of votes, followed by Dal-Anay, de Torres and Team Bamboo's Sassa Dagdag.

In an interview with ABS-CBN News’ MJ Felipe, Salonga said she is genuinely happy for Nympha’s win because she thought the 11-year-old artist is "incredibly talented."

“They (Esang and Reynan) were both very close but if this what the people wanted, if she (Elha) is what the people wanted, hindi ako mapipikon. She’s incredibly talented. She’s so good, did everything right. Oh my gosh, she’s absolutely deserving,” she said.

Now that the competition is over, Salonga said she is excited to see how Nympha’s career will blossom.

“There’s a beautiful future ahead of her. I hope that in the next step, those people who are tasked to take care of her, take very good care of her,” she said.

Salonga said the real competition is just about to begin and she is hoping Nympha could have a sustainable long-term career.

“It’s great to win and we all work very hard to win the trophy and the prizes for the people we take care of but career siyempre ang kailangan isipin. Kasi kung manalo ka nga, but if you’re not able to follow it up with a stellar career, sayang din. Nauubos ang pera, nabubulok ang bahay. When you have a sustainable long-term career, then the world is yours. That’s what I want for Elha now. She’s got the win. Now I want things to keep going forward for her,” she said.

Almost immediately after the show wrapped its second season, Salonga left for New York City on Monday to prepare for her newest Broadway musical, “Allegiance.”

“I’m leaving with this incredible season in my head and all of these memories and wonderful people. It’s so nice to be able to come back to this when I come back,” she said ahead of her departure.

Salonga said she will be returning to the Philippines in the first quarter of 2016 for the Blind Auditions of another season of “The Voice of the Philippines.”

And when that time comes, Salonga said she and her fellow coaches, Sarah Geronimo and Bamboo Manalac, will do their best to put up another good run of “The Voice.”

“We all have one. I have one from the regular season, Sarah has two, Bamboo has one, which makes the next season very exciting. It makes it very exciting. It makes it good for us because now everybody has got one, everybody can win one. The fight is on. It’s not March yet and I’m like, we got to get ready,” she said.