Dream Academy

To be a soprano had been another childhood dream. I can remember regularly watching the "Sunday Sweet Sunday" show of Fides Cuyugan-Asensio, a Filipina soprano, when I was a child. She became my favorite, though I've kept that to myself, as well as the desire to be a soprano myself, maybe because I was very young then, and should go with the trend of singing pop music instead.

So that was what happened. I followed the trend but felt there was something wrong with my singing. At first it was nasal and then it was throaty.


Until the Carpenters became popular and I tried to emulate Karen Carpenter. I guess I was successful but that was with the help of a family friend, Raffy Amaranto, who taught me how to follow the diction of Karen. I still had limited range though, because I could not sing the high notes.

When I gave birth to my eldest daughter, Lauren, we noticed her exceptional talent in Music, and her profound interest to take up Bachelor of Music in college, at the University of the Philippines or UP. She majored in piano and even graduated Cum Laude. That inspired me to take up voice lessons at the extension program of UP's College of Music, for two summers. I learned a few techniques but I still need constant exposure and practice.



I'm glad that there is now a Pinoy Dream Academy that teaches scholars how to develop their voices and that I can watch in TV everyday so I can also learn. It's actually a double treat on weekdays, started by Uberture hosted by Billy Crawford! Pinoy Dream Academy's Headmaster, Ryan Cayabyab, who was one of my daughter's best teachers in UP and someone who doesn't need an introduction if you're a Filipino, Kitchy Molina, UP's Voice Department Head, and Joey Reyes, a popular film director, are the mentors of Pinoy Dream Academy, so the scholars are really very lucky!

I'd like to think I'm becoming a better soprano now, thanks to my son, O.C. and daughter, Lauren, who are persistently monitoring my singing and who are now both members of one of the best choirs in the Philippines, the Novo Concertante Manila, and yes, Pinoy Dream Academy for inspiring me. I want to try singing Mariah Carey's songs but I still like to sing Karen Carpenter's songs, so I'm now trying to practice shifting my voice from chest to head tone and vice versa.

Unconditional love and a standing box

For the sixth birthday of Lyca, our special child, the best gift we can give her aside from our unconditional love, is a standing box. My mother-in-law paid for its construction which was designed by one of Lyca’s physical therapists (the guy on the photo with her), while my husband and I are now taking care of its finishing touches. At the right side of the first photo is a part of the unfinished standing box.

A dream is about to come true, with the help of this standing box. Lyca will soon be able to stand on her own! After that, she should be able to walk too, of course with a guide since she is blind too, aside from the cerebral palsy that is hindering her to move normally.



Another dream is for her to be able to talk normally. I know that is not impossible because I was able to teach her to say “Mama” very clearly whenever she needs me.

To be an announcer or an emcee

DZMB…on your radio….

Hi! This is Lita on DZMB! I will be with you for the next two hours of your listening to the finest music in town...

That was Lita, my mother. My brother and I would listen to her radio program every morning when we were kids. In the afternoon, she would go home to lie down and rest. I would look at her from head to toe, admiring every inch of her while she was lying down. She was not only my mother. She was a star! Every household listened to her radio program every morning!

That was how “to be an announcer or an emcee” started to be my dream, but it was not a serious one. I just wanted to experience a part of what my mother had experienced as an announcer. When I was already working as an IT professional, I knew that I will never have the opportunity to be a radio announcer. I was thinking that I can be contented to be an emcee instead, because I knew there was more chance for that to be realized.

When I was still with a company’s Corporate Technical Services where IT was one of the departments, the search for a volunteer to be one of the hosts or emcees for the Christmas program was announced. This volunteer will be the partner of a male host who was earlier identified. He had a very good reputation as a host, so a novice in emceeing would be hesitant to volunteer. But that was an opportunity to fulfill my dream, so I grabbed it and volunteered!



The outcome was good enough because the feedback was that I’ve projected a “showbiz” personality. They didn’t know that I emulated a popular host in the Philippines, Gel Santos-Relos, since I can’t remember my mother’s style. Incidentally, Gel resembled my mother when the latter was younger. The old photo is a reproduction of my Mom's photo when she was younger, but it also reminds me of Gel Santos when she was younger.

The photo from Citizen Pinoy shows the hosts which included Gel Santos-Relos, when she already had migrated to U.S.A. as an alien with exceptional skill (something like that). I just learned that Gel Santos-Relos is now hosting “Balitang America” (News from America) in The Filipino Channel. Maybe I should watch her show to rehash my showbiz style of hosting (LOL).

Thanks to my Mom and Gel, I will never forget my experience as an emcee.

Finally, Athens

Our last stop in Greece was Athens. We expected to see the Acropolis as we approached Athens. Knowing it was on the highest hills, I thought I was already seeing it from afar, and I was overwhelmed at its vast area. When we were already there, I realized that the vast area I was seeing from afar was the whole city of Athens, which obviously is a high place and full of buildings, and on one of its highest peaks is the Acropolis. I'm sure glad I’ve gone to this place at a younger age, otherwise I don’t think I will be able to go up through those shiny steps all made of marble stones going to Acropolis. I thought it was only the steps, but when we finally got there, every hard spot was made of marble, or maybe limestone, and we were not yet at the entrance.



So have I now seen the homes of the gods and goddesses? We haven’t gone to Mount Olympus but I’ve considered a childhood dream fulfilled. The gods and goddesses were at the Acropolis Museum anyway, but now made of marble stones and some of them were headless, as a result of the wars.