MANILA, Philippines – Filipina candidate Sophia Laforteza will be advancing to the live finale of HYBE’s The Debut: Dream Academy after ranking first in the show’s third mission.

Mission 3 saw the remaining 13 contestants divided into three teams, with each group performing a hit track from iconic female artists: Demi Lovato’s “Confident,” Pussycat Dolls’ “Buttons,” and Spice Girls’ “Wannabe.”

Sophia was part of the “Buttons” group alongside Daniela, Manon, Celeste, and Nayoung. 

During the evaluation for the third mission, Miss Paramo disclosed that Sophia got sick during the preparation for the performance and had to sit out some rehearsal sessions. 

“What was important for her was that she showed up and that she pulled through,” Miss Paramo said, adding that Sophia also showcased “great leadership skills” for the third mission. 

On Monday, November 6, HYBE unveiled the final 10 contestants that are moving on to the live finale. 

As for the candidates’ individual rankings, Sophia led the candidates with a total of 45, 184 fan votes. She was followed by United States’ Lara with 36,099 fan votes. The two then received immunity from elimination. 

The rest of the top 10 includes Ezrela (Australia), Daniela (USA), Emily (USA), Samara (Brazil), Manon (Switzerland), Marquise (Thailand), Megan (US), and Yoonchae (South Korea.) 

Meanwhile, three candidates — Nayoung’s South Korea, Argentina’s Celeste, and Japan’s UA — were eliminated from the competition. 

The competition will air its finale live on the HYBE LABELS YouTube channel on November 17.  The name of the group and its final members will be revealed at the finale.

Sophia was announced as part of The Debut: Dream Academy’s lineup in August, where she was selected from a pool of more than 120,000 hopefuls from around the globe. She’s the only Filipina candidate to be part of the competition. 

For Mission 1, the 20-year-old ranked second, while she ranked first in Mission 2. 

The program is produced by South Korean entertainment company HYBE and American label Geffen Records with the aim of creating the ultimate global girl group. – Rappler.com