After her emotional performance, she received a standing ovation from the judges and audience.
Fostanes’ younger sister, Nancy, and long-time partner, Mel Adel, were brought to Israel by the show and were present during the finals night.
After she entered the top 3 following the elimination of the group Fusion, Fostanes also sang the Alicia Keys hit song, “If I Ain’t Got You,” with her mentor Shiri Maimon.
“Thank you so much for those Israeli who like my voice…thank you for giving me the chance to be in the X Factor Israel,” Fostanes said after she won. She also thanked the thousands of Filipinos who supported her.
“I love you, I’m so proud of you,” said Maimon.
Placing second was a young female singer, Eden Ben Zaken, who was mentored by rock singer, Rami Fortis.
Osang, as she is fondly called by close friends, continues to be an inspiration to many, particularly overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
Many OFWs in Israel voted for her, and thousands expressed their support for her via social media.
She showed Israel and the world how, at 47 years old, one can still fulfill her dreams while striving hard abroad for her loved ones back home.
During the competition, Fostanes got several standing ovations from all four judges and the audience in her performances, including her audition where she sang a Shirley Bassey song titled “This is my life.”
‘Susan Boyle of the Philippines’
Fostanes was once part of a faceless crowd of foreign workers who clean homes and tend to Israel’s sick and elderly.
But her success and shot to stardom drew much surprise.
Belting out hit songs by the likes of pop stars Queen and Christina Aguilera, Fostanes surprised Israeli viewers and swept the judges of the Israeli X-Factor off their feet with her soulful renditions and swinging beat.
Fostanes said the show had turned her world upside down.
“Being in the X-Factor really changed my life because before I had a very low self-esteem and now I got a good confidence for myself and I got friends and people love me on the street and I got many compliments from them, good compliments,” she told Reuters.
There are about 20,000 Filipinos working legally in Israel, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics, with most working as cleaners and caretakers for the elderly and disabled.
So much so in fact, that in Israel the word “Filipino” is often considered synonymous with “caregiver”.
Fostanes, 47, said she has been working for about 20 years across the Middle East, and came to work in Israel four years ago.
She had always wanted to be a professional singer, and the Israeli X-Factor, she said, gave her a final shot at a dream she hoped could inspire others.
“Being in this competition, I think I that I am, how do you say this, I will be a leader for them because of what I did,” she said, referring to her compatriots and fellow caregivers.
Source: abs-cbn news
Tags: Israel, Rose Fontanes, winner, X Factor
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