MANILA, Philippines — In response to what she claimed was a request from a doctor to boost the morale of frontliners battling novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), singer-songwriter Yeng Constantino released a new song titled “Kumapit.”
In an Instagram post introducing the new song, Yeng shared that she composed the song after receiving a message from a Viber group that a doctor is requesting for encouragement videos from artists to lift frontliners' spirits.
A post shared by Yeng Constantino (@yeng) on
"Nakatanggap po ako ng mensahe sa aming viber group na may doctor po na humihingi ng encouragement videos sa aming artists dahil marami daw po ang bumababa na ang loob dahil sa sobrang hirap ng sitwasyon natin ngayon at sa mga hospitals,” Constantino narrated.
She confessed that at first, she was adamant to release the song due to a legal battle with a doctor in Siargao from last year to early this year.
“Gustong-gusto ko pong gumawa ng video pero sa totoo lang po nahihiya ako. Dahil baka imbes na ma-encourage ko po kayo, eh, mainis kayo sakin dahil sa mistake na nagawa ko last year,” the actress said.
“Ngayong araw, nag-desisyon po ako na itapon ang hiya at humingi ng tawad sa lahat po ng nasaktan ko sa medical field. Patawad po."
She was referring to a video blog (vlog) calling out the doctors and showing the photo and revealing the name of a doctor in a Siargao hospital for allegedly mishandling her husband Yan Asuncion, who was hospitalized after getting injured while cliff-diving.
The doctor filed a cyber libel case against Constantino, for which the “Tawang ng Tanghalan” judge posted a P30,000 bail.
Related: Yeng Constantino posts bail for cyber libel
Yeng said that despite what happened, she was inspired to write a new song that could give some boost to the frontliners.
“Sa kinakaharap po natin ngayon mas nakita ko po na di matatawaran ang puso nyo sa pagtulong. Dahil ito po ang inyong piniling propesyon kahit nakakatakot hinaharap nyo po ang pagsubok na ito. Maraming maraming salamat po. Naiindintihan ko po kung bakit marami sainyo ang sumama ang loob sakin,” she enthused.
“Sa pagninilay-nilay ko po sa sitwasyon natin ngayon nakasulat po ako ng kanta na sana po ay makaencourage sainyo pati narin po sa marami pang nawawalan na ng loob. Maraming salamat po! Saludo po kami sa inyong sakripisyo. Wag po kayo bumitaw. Kailangan po namin kayo.”
Yeng was also part of Star Magic’s "When You Believe" inspirational music video that featured inspiring messages from COVID-19 survivors and patients, as well as ABS-CBN’s “Ililigtas Ka Niya,” in which artists’ royalties from the song will be donated to families affected by the enhanced community quarantine.
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