Vanessa Hudgens says that Lea Salonga is her singing inspiration

Vanessa Hudgens grew up barely seeing Filipinos on screen or on stage.

But there is this one woman who shone bright enough to shape Vanessa's artistry, and it's none other than Lea Salonga.

“I feel like growing up, the only Filipino that I really knew who was in the business is Lea Salonga,” Vanessa said at a press conference in Bonifacio Global City on Friday.

“[She] is honestly a big reason of like, why I sing and how I sing even,” she added. “But she really, really inspired me to move forward and to keep on at my dream.”

Vanessa said that diversity, inclusion, and representation are extremely important to her. Having people to look up to, she said, is a big part of having that positive change.

“It's about seeing people who look like you so that you can be inspired to pursue something that you never thought would be possible otherwise."
 
The “High School Musical” star is in the country to film a travel documentary, slated to be directed and produced by Paul Soriano. She was also named a Global Tourism Ambassador for the Philippines.

She was recently in Palawan, where she went hiking and enjoyed the beach. —JCB, GMA Integrated News