Kapamilya actress and singer Kai Montinola performed "Hangganan Ko" live for the first time during the Philippine premiere of the live-action version of Moana on July 8 held at the SM Mall of Asia.
Asked how it feels to be the voice behind the Filipino rendition of its iconic theme song "How Far I'll Go," Kai said she feels deeply honored to have been chosen by Disney.
"Siyempre, I'm so honored to be chosen by Disney themselves because I'm like you guys—I'm a Disney kid. I grew up loving Disney, so to be chosen [to sing] 'Hangganan Ko' from Moana is such an honor, and I'm so glad to be singing it in front of you guys," Kai told the audience.
The former Pinoy Big Brother Gen 11 housemate also shared how she relates to Moana's journey, recalling how she first watched the animated film as a child. Now nearly two years into her own career in the entertainment industry, she said she sees similarities between Moana's determination to pursue her dreams and her own journey from Cebu to chasing her aspirations in showbiz.
"Magtu-two years na po ako sa industriya, and I feel like, with Moana, the way she sees her dream—from her humble beginnings as a little girl growing up to be the chief of Motunui—ako, I was a little girl from Cebu, and now I'm chasing my dreams here... I'm so happy to be doing this,” she said.
READ: Kai Montinola sings Filipino version of 'How Far I'll Go' from Disney's 'Moana'
She also revealed the lyrics from "Hangganan Ko" that resonated with her the most. "Para sa akin, the line that really resonated with me was the second version, 'Pag umayon na, makuntento ba, kahit ang puso'y awit ay iba, ako ba ang mali?' That whole verse is very deep, especially nung Tinagalog, mas natamaan ako dun."
As for the live-action adaptation, Kai said she's excited to see how it brings the beloved story to life.
"I'm very excited for everyone, including me, to experience Moana live action kasi syempre we've seen this movie animated, but will it give us the same feeling in live action? I'm sure it will kasi tao ang nag-a-act. I hope that it conveys the same emotion, and maybe even more, so I'm so excited to see the movie,” she said.
Disney's live-action adaptation of Moana is now showing in cinemas nationwide. The film stars Catherine Laga'aia in the titular role, alongside Dwayne Johnson as Maui.