Twenty-year-old singer-songwriter Elisha Pontanares, Isha Ponti for short, started singing at only seven, but amazingly, writing songs also became her wont when she turned nine.
She is not a product of singing or songwriting competitions. By the time she was 13, she penned songs to record. Proud To Say was the first song Ponti released. It was a surprise birthday gift to her dad, Alvin Pontanares, for Father’s Day.
Today, Ponti has penned nearly 30 songs, not just for herself, but also for other emerging artists. She can write in various genres, from ballad to pop to upbeat.
Ponti is creating something lasting: songs that connect deeply, performances that light up stages, and a story anchored on the love of her most devoted supporter, her mother, Emeelette Pontanares.
“My mom has been my anchor; her belief in me makes every note possible when I start writing songs,” Ponti pointed out the role her mother plays in her journey. If Ponti’s music is a beacon, her mother is the steady light that guides it. Her mom is the woman behind the singer.
From encouraging early songwriting experiments to being present at every milestone, her mom has been Ponti’s mentor, cheerleader, and emotional refuge. Her mother’s belief in her daughter’s potential is as unwavering as it is transformative, fueling Ponti’s artistry with love and purpose.
Isha Ponti’s ‘Likas’ is about her personal experiences.
Ponti recently released her debut album, Likas, actually an acronym for “Longing, Illusion, Kindness, Acceptance, and Self-Love.” The 10-track album under Ponti Entertainment Productions will be launched in a concert on June 20, Ponti’s 20th birthday, at Viva Café in Quezon City.
She will be joined by a special guest. Musical director of the album is Adonis Tabanda, who will also work with Ponti in the concert.
A freshman Multi-Media Arts major at Enderun College, Ponti has been tagged “Asia’s Pop Sweetheart,” close to the “Pop Star Royalty” title given to Sarah Geronimo. “I’m a different person,” Ponti admitted. “Sarah Geronimo is Sarah Geronimo. She is really my idol. I really admire how she presents herself to the public.
“In my own perspective, I value my own identity as an artist. So, if there are comparisons, I understand Sarah, and I will have similarities and differences which will fit my qualities as an artist and a person. But I know myself and I know what’s true and what’s not.”
Isha also idolizes Sharon Cuneta. “Since I was young, Sharon and Sarah have been my idols,” said Ponti, the third in a brood of four. “My dad loves the songs of Sharon Cuneta. He listens to her most of the time.”
Ponti also expresses her desire to collaborate one day with singer Janine Teñoso. “We align in our musical artistry and the type of songs we sing,” said Ponti of Teñoso.
She realized that in love, logic may be absent sometimes. “I am wiser now,” Ponti said. “Despite everything that happened, there are many lessons that I learned in life. When I did my first single, I thought I couldn’t finish it. But once I tried it, I could do it. I realized I could really make an album. I’m a songwriter.
‘I am wiser now,’ Ponti said. ‘Despite everything that happened, there are many lessons that I learned in life’
“I just need to focus on my dreams, my career, my school, my studies. So it’s all about longing for the dream. I realized I could turn my stories into songs. I could share my music with the people that I love and who support my career.”
The album Likas is full of original songs that Ponti composed from the heart. “It’s like telling a story, from longing to self-love,” Ponti said. “There was still no guy in my life then. It was just my school, me longing for a dream. I was asking for a sign when my dreams would be fulfilled, for someone who would be my forever.”
The carrier track of Ponti’s debut album is Kabanata, while her favorite is Bakas, a track that puts her to sleep, a personal track for her. “This is a phase for my moving on,” Ponti said. “I’ve moved on already, although there are still remnants of him in my life. But I’ve accepted everything. The memories. It’s easy to forgive, but not to forget.
“When someone came, I thought he was the Lord’s answer to my longing. But that was not true love. It was all an illusion, it was not genuine, and not the real time to receive that gift. Eventually, I got hurt. That was how Bakas came to be. That was my most emotional song, me trying to move on. I’ve already let go, but there are still remnants of him, and that is still painful.”
Warmth is an English track Ponti penned for her parents, Alvin and Emeelette Pontanares. “They always tell me to save some for myself and be wiser when it comes to letting people into my life,” Ponti said. “That can drain a lot of my time, energy, and effort. Instead of helping me flourish in life, it can lead to destruction or temptation.
“My parents are always worry about me whenever I am not okay. This is my way of telling them, ‘It’s okay, don’t worry, I got this. This is part of life, my growth, my experiences in life. Thank you for being around.’
“After Kabanata, there was still something that happened that was not nice. Despite the pain, the hurt, the destruction, I still chose to be kind. I already have a wedding song, but there’s no groom yet. It’s wonderful to love someone, but you should give your love to the right person.”
Ponti’s hugot songs in the album resulted in the one-word titles for all the tracks. She came up with songs for her experiences last year. After she started writing the songs last November, it has been a continuous journey for Ponti.
Likas taught Ponti to be “resilient,” despite a lot of other things that happened. “I still need to be kind to others, even if they trampled on me,” she said. “Be true to yourself. Even if you’re hurting, be honest. My album is about personal growth. Every song has an element that symbolizes personal growth.”
The other tracks in the Likas album address all genres—Darating, Numero, Hinga, Halika, Gulong, Bakas, and Mismo—and two English cuts, Warmth and Riversky.
Beyond her recorded work, Ponti connects with her audience through live performances, social media storytelling, and collaborative projects. Either reviving old lyrics into new compositions or working alongside fellow artists, she continues to evolve in her sound, while staying true to her roots. The sentiments are not just statements; they are the foundation of her work ethic, her humility, and her courage to take creative risks.
Last December, Ponti released a Christmas ballad, Wala Ka Sa Pasko, which she herself wrote for only 40 minutes. Her other Christmas song, Christmas With You, was nominated Christmas Song of the Year in the forthcoming Star Awards for Music of the Philippine Movie Press Club (PMPC). She was also nominated as New Female Recording Artist of the Year.
With an expanding fanbase, a slate of new music recently released, and a presence that bridges Filipino and international audiences, Ponti stands at the threshold of a defining chapter in her career.
