Lessons Learned from 'His Love'

It was a cool concert. Mr. Pure Energy Gary Valenciano was his usual outstanding self as he performed one song after the other in 'His Love', a two-hour show with his sons Paolo and Gabriel, the brothers Jayson and Joshua Zamora of The Manouvres, and The Powerplay Band on July 25 this year at The Summit Centre, here in Zamboanga City.

As I came straight from press work, I arrived at the venue at nearly 8 in the evening, when Gary V. was starting his second? Third? Song. He was performing 'Lead Me, Lord' while I was getting past the gate, the ticket and security watch points, and was glad to be met by one of my colleagues in the Zamboanga Today news team, Eugene Lasprilla. I was trying to reach the rest of the Zamboanga Today staff who were watching at different seats at the Centre, and got no reply—apparently every one's eyes (and ears) were glued to the stage.

We found our seats at the third row, but as we were also covering the event, our places up front seemed to be more convenient. Then I realized Angeli Pangilinan's (Gary V's wife and manager) family was seated at the right front row, and among them was Ateneo Mass Communications student Dexter delas Peñas, one of Zamboanga Today's past trainees in the Print Journalism course. Dexter I gathered is Angeli's close relative.

Gary V's first songs (Lead Me Lord, Lean on Me, Home, and even Ikaw Lang) were all descriptive of the strong spiritual influence on his life experiences. Off the stage, Gary Valenciano is a devoted family man, and has been going through difficult times as diabetic. His faith has sustained him all the years in his career and personal life, making him dub himself as 'a living miracle'.

"My best memory of Zamboanga is when I performed till dawn some years ago. I saw sunrise in Zamboanga," he said, as he recalled the last time he was here at the press conference at the City Mayor's Office the day before.

"There was a brown-out. I asked for a generator. And we waited. The people, the audience waited. And I saw dawn in Zamboanga. I couldn't forget that," he added.

Gary in between songs shared practical lessons in life—from experiences that would never be shared and told unless you came and watched him perform.

"One of my sons (referring to Paolo) always has a different perspective. And it is most of the time a positive one. When I say a glass is half-empty, he counters that it is half-full. It practically means the same, but he tends to present things from a positive point of view. And I learned a lesson from my son."

He then addressed parents from the audience and said, "Kayo lang ang makakaturo sa kanila (children) sa tamang daan…With your support, your children can be the best that they can be…And that is, be the sons that God wants you to be."

Following Gary's duets with 23-year old Paolo, who sang some best hits of the Beegees such as Hey Jude, Come Together, and of course, Yesterday, the audience from the floor, most of whom were of the mid-life generation, were already content recalling good old times and listening to the old songs.

Gabriel like his dad has the dancing prowess, and he showed this off on stage, to the pleasure and excitement of the screaming fans this time of the younger generation—the so-called Generation Text.

One of his best lines that night was, "Don't carry any luggage." This just reminds us of the many times when we tend to spend another day holding on to bitter memories, and not moving forward. Sometimes, it is easy to say, 'move on' or 'move forward' but we still got a foot stuck behind us.

I didn't finish the concert, as I had many things to do the next day. As I left the concert hall, Gary was singing 'Sana Maulit Muli' to the delight of the audience.

From among the crowd, sat a beaming Mayor Celso Lobregat. I did see Councilor Kim Elago, but apart from them, I hadn't looked around anymore as to who else were there. I just knew that everyone who was at the concert had a great time.

With this feature comes my gratitude to a good friend, Universidad de Zamboanga president Dr. Arturo Ammar Eustaquio, his son Abram, the UZ Communications Centre and Director Margie Bernante, for the friendship and the trust given to me whenever they have their events.

And of course, on behalf of the Universidad de Zamboanga, I thank my colleagues in media, for the support in the promotions for the concert of Gary Valenciano. (Frencie L. Carreon)