Manila, Philippines – Once a young girl collecting recyclable materials on the streets of Cavite to help her family survive, Lyca Gairanod has risen like a phoenix—and now, she’s living nothing short of a royal life.

The The Voice Kids Season 1 champion, who captured the nation’s heart with her powerful vocals and heartbreaking story back in 2014, is now a shining example of resilience, transformation, and the magic that comes when dreams are matched with hard work and heart.

Almost a decade since she first stepped onto the stage in a simple dress with bare feet and a voice that stopped the nation in its tracks, Lyca is now a confident, empowered young woman, with a glow that screams “reyna” in every sense of the word.

A Royal Rise from Humble Beginnings

Lyca was only 9 years old when she joined The Voice Kids Philippines. Back then, her story struck a chord—she sang not just with her voice, but with every ounce of her experience. Born into poverty, Lyca helped her family earn a living by collecting bottles and scrap around their neighborhood. Her audition, where she belted out Aegis’ “Halik,” sent shivers down the judges’ spines—and tears down the faces of viewers nationwide.

Her victory was more than just a trophy. It was a turning point—not just for her, but for every child who has ever dared to dream in the middle of hardship.

Today, that little girl is gone, and in her place stands a young woman who has embraced her success, found her voice—both literally and figuratively—and is now enjoying the life she once only saw in her dreams.

The Life of a Queen: What Lyca’s World Looks Like Now

Lyca now enjoys the fruits of her perseverance. With a growing social media following, endorsements, and a flourishing online presence through vlogs and performances, she has built a brand around authenticity and relatability.

She now lives in comfort, even luxury—owning a beautiful home, traveling, and pursuing music on her own terms. In her online content, she shares snippets of her life: makeup routines, family moments, shopping trips, and reflections on her past. Fans admire her for being down-to-earth and transparent, never forgetting where she came from.

“I still can’t believe this is my life now,” Lyca said in a recent interview.
“But I’m grateful to God, to my family, and to the people who believed in me even when I had nothing.”

More Than a Voice—A Symbol of Hope

Lyca is more than just a singer now—she’s a symbol of what’s possible when you combine talent with tenacity. Her story has been shared in classrooms, motivational talks, and documentaries. Many see her as proof that poverty does not define a person’s future.

While other child stars faded into the background, Lyca continues to evolve. From collaborations with other artists to her solo projects and her humorous but heartfelt vlogs, she’s crafted a sustainable career—and more importantly, a fulfilling life.

What’s Next for the Queen?

When asked about her plans, Lyca remains grounded. She says she still wants to explore more genres in music, perhaps try acting, and most importantly—to give back.

“If there’s a young girl out there watching me, who’s living the life I once had—I want her to know, ‘One day, you’ll be wearing a crown too.

Lyca Gairanod explains why she sold the house she won in ‘The Voice Kids’

MANILA – Singer Lyca Gairanod is back in the same fishing community where she grew up in, seven years after becoming the first grand winner of “The Voice Kids”.

According to Gairanod, she decided to sell the house and lot in General Trias, Cavite which she won as a prize for winning the singing competition because her grandmother does not like living in a quiet village.

“I just bought this house [in Tanza, Cavite] to be closer to my grandmother. Because my grandmother doesn’t want to leave our house, she really wants it there,” she told Karen Davila in an interview.

After selling the house and lot she won, Gairanod bought a smaller house near where her grandmother lives.She also said she prefers living a simpler life in Tanza, Cavite, where she lives with everyone in her family.

“I just really like this kind of life, it’s fun. I don’t like the quiet, the noise I don’t hear,” Gairanod said.

Gairanod said that she treasured the property she won, but her grandmother is more important to her, prompting her to move back to the place where they used to live.

“That house [in General Trias], I really appreciated it, I really have a lot of memories that were built in that house, and for Grandma, she wanted to be with us, rather than us being far away. But we took her to that house, but she went home, she went home. She said she really didn’t like it there, it was so quiet,” she said.

Gairanod, now 16 years old, became popular after winning the first edition of “The Voice Kids” in 2014, where she was dubbed as the “singing street kid”.

Since then, Gairanod has expanded her horizons to include acting — she starred in “Hawak Kamay” and “Maalala Mo Kaya” — on top of debuting as a solo recording artist as part of her “The Voice Kids” prize. She also joined the 2017 edition of “Your Face Sounds Familiar.”

Nowadays, Gairanod is an active YouTube vlogger who has amassed over a million subscribers.

At 16, Lyca Gairanod made her first big purchase — a car