MANILA, Philippines – The loudest applause for 10-year-old Filipino-Canadian YouTube sensation Maria Aragon may very well come from her parents, who are nothing short of proud of her newfound fame.

“Pinagmamalaki namin siya… [proud kami sa kanya] 100 percent,” enthused Maria’s mother, an Ormoc, Leyte native, in a Skype interview with GMA-7’s “24 Oras,” Feb. 28.

It’s been just a few weeks since Maria posted on YouTube her piano-decked rendition of Lady Gaga’s  new song “Born This Way” that moved the singer-songwriter herself, prompting her to tweet about Maria’s cover.

As one of YouTube’s hottest properties, Maria already had interviews one after another on radio, and appeared on some big-shot television shows such as “Ellen” (which prompted another tweet from Lady Gaga, branding her “such a doll” and a standing ovation from the audience) and “Good Morning America” (where its anchor George Stephanopoulos handed her a gift certificate for six months of piano lessons).

Another forthcoming milestone for Maria’s booming career is her much-awaited duet with Lady Gaga in her Toronto, Canada show in March. The invitation came personally from Gaga during their surprise phone chat during one of Maria’s radio interviews in Winnipeg.

As of this writing, her “Born This Way” cover has reached over 16 million hits on YouTube.

In spite of her spanking success, Maria’s parents admitted that their daughter, a Grade 5 student at the Isaac Brock School in Winnipeg, still misses school.

“Nung nasa LA nga kami, nandun kami sa hotel, umiiyak siya, sabi niya ‘I miss my school already’,” related Maria’s father, who hails from Mandaluyong City.

While Maria’s parents are supportive

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