Jericho Rosales marks 10th year in showbiz with first major concert

PLUS It’s final: Kyla, not Ara Mina or Jonalyn Viray, will sing National Anthem in Pacquiao-Barrera bout; Public service-reality show ‘Makabayang Duktor’ moves to RPN-9

 Jericho Rosales is marking his 10th year in showbiz via a two-night concert titled “Raw Energy” to be held on October 18 and 19 at the Music Museum. This is Echo’s first attempt at having a concert in a major venue and he has no less than Mr. Pure Energy himself, Mr. Gary Valenciano, as his co-director in this musical event.

As an actor, Echo is a veteran of top-rating soap operas, award-winning TV performances and critically-acclaimed movies. But as a singer, Echo is considered a greenhorn, having entered the music scene some three years ago, but only had made a serious go at it last year when he formed his Jeans Band and cut a record with EMI Music.

“Singing gives me a different kind of high depending on the energy I have at the moment,” said Echo in a solo presscon held at the 9501 resto at the ABS-CBN building. “In acting, certain scenes need some kind of energy for you to do it. In singing, it seems like something you have to die for.” Echo said he gets another kind of enjoyment when he’s on the set of the soap opera, “Pangarap na Bituin.” He sings, plays music and acts at the same time as Terrence, the music icon that he portrays in the teleserye.

Acting before the camera is different compared to singing on the concert stage, claimed Echo. While there are some areas when acting and singing are the same, especially in terms of the energy given during a performance, Echo said that because he puts his heart into music, he becomes hyper onstage.

Do you think singing makes you a better actor? “Yes, being an actor also makes me a better musician. I can feel the song and it helps that most of the songs I sing are my original compositions,” said the award-winning actor.

“Raw Energy” encapsulates the successful first 10 years of Echo in showbiz, from being an actor to an emerging musical artist. The concert is a joint effort of Silver Moon Productions (owned by Echo) and GV Productions, Inc. (GVPI).

Can Echo fill up a two-night concert at the Music Museum? And can he really sing?

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Even if it’s been written and confirmed that Ara Mina will sing the Philippine National Anthem at the Manny Pacquiao-Marco Antonio Barrera boxing match on October 6, she was still replaced. Even her supposed replacement, Jonalyn Viray, was also replaced.

In a formal announcement done by Solar Sports and GMA 7, Kyla was named the final choice to sing “Lupang Hinirang” at the Pacquiao-Barrera fight.

Ara accepted the decision wholeheartedly and without rancor. She didn’t feel bad. She also hopes that whoever were maligning her that she’ doesn’t deserve to sing the National Anthem in Pacquiao’s fight would stop.

“Hindi pa man ako napipili, eh, kung anu-ano na ang mga naririnig at nababasa ko kaya okey na rin ang nangyari. Okey lang na si Kyla ang napili,” said Ara.

She also hopes that those people who were trying to discredit her in the eyes of Jinky, the wife of Pacquiao, would likewise stop at what their doing. She has repeatedly said that there’s nothing romantic going on between her and Pacquiao, but these people simply wouldn’t stop.

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Only few doctors nowadays choose to stay in the Philippines to practice medicine. Most of them would like to go abroad since they are sure to earn more.

We admire the husband and wife team of Drs. Willie and Liza Ong who have been doing charity works by providing free medical and dental treatment for the last 16 years. This is through their medical mission at the Filipino-Chinese Charity Health Center in Pasay City.

It’s a tough job since they don’t have enough funds to run their medical mission. Yes, they do have a donation box where patients can drop a peso or two, or whatever amount they pleased. Drs. Willie and Liza nevertheless had been doing it no matter how short they are on funds.

With the hope of getting more funds for their medical mission, the husband-and-wife team decided to produce a weekly show at RJTV as a blocktimer. Then they got to meet Boy Abunda who became their friend. The amiable TV host helped Drs. Willie and Liza conceptualize a new program which they called “Makabayang Duktor.” They utilized a mobile clinic and every mission was documented on video which was the main component of the show, as annotated by Boy Abunda.

The venture became successful but they needed to sign up with a bigger network. For the next season of “Makabayang Duktor” on September 28 until December 21, it will be aired on RPN 9. But they would need more sponsors to keep the program running and to help the many patients attending their medical mission.

In one of their missions, they met Hedeliza, a 44-year-old mother of one, afflicted with a large and bleeding myoma in her uterus. She urgently needed an operation and the couple guided her till she got well. Now she’s alive and kicking. A miracle, indeed, in saving a life for only P20,000.

That started the templates for MD Foundation again with Boy Abunda as honorary chairman. “It’s something like a new version of Kapwa Ko, Mahal Ko’,” said Doc Willie. “It’s similar to GK’s P50 thousand for a house. But for MD Foundation, it’s 20K for a life. It’s also our dream to have our show aired either on Channel 2 or 7 so we could have more exposure and, hopefully, get more sponsors for our medical mission.”