ROLL OUT THE RED CARPET.

Here come the godparents, Oprah Winfrey and David Foster at the baptism of international singing sensation Charice Pempengco and her brother Carl Saturday morning at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Pasig City.

Add to the power cast more than 20 pairs of godparents led by a contingent from ABS-CBN: network president Charo Santos-Concio, TV director Laurenti Dyogi, ?The Buzz? hosts Boy Abunda and Kris Aquino-Yap, radio and TV host Jobert Sucaldito, ?TV Patrol? news anchors Karen Davila and Julius Babao, and Star Records boss Annabelle Regalado-Borja.

US entertainment mogul Winfrey and Canadian record producer/composer Foster, two principal sponsors who played a major role in Charice?s ascent to international stardom, couldn?t make the international flight to Manila to attend the ceremony.

Instead, Winfrey sent her own TV crew to document the event.

Bishop?s attack

The religious rites were a bit delayed for want of a chocolate bar.

?Get some chocolates, now!? barked a bishop?s assistant to a sacristan midway into the proceedings.

Moments later, the sacristan rushed back with a pack of Hershey?s Kisses. He handed it to the assistant who gave the chocolates to the presiding priest, Pasig Bishop Francisco San Diego.

With a smile, San Diego apologized: ?I?m sorry for the delay. I had a hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) attack.?

The incident hardly caused a stir, as the sweltering heat inside the baptism font drove people to fan themselves briskly, while some tried shutting their eyes intermittently to avoid distractions.

In the middle of the room sat the Pempengco siblings?Charice looking solemn in a formal white dress, and Carl sporting a more casual attire also in white.

Second baptism

Behind the Pempengcos sat their mother, Raquel Relucio-Pempengco, who spoke to the Inquirer and explained why she decided to have her children baptized in Catholic rites.

Mrs. Pempengco said that she, too, was baptized Catholic but converted to Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) when she married Ricky Pempengco, who was a member of INC.

The children were also baptized in INC rites.

For two years, Mrs. Pempengco said she regularly attended INC worship services, until marital discord forced her to leave the house with her kids.

When she moved to another address, she failed to submit the transfer records required by the INC, which resulted in her name being declared ?missing from the list.?

That was 15 years ago. ?Matagal na akong tiwalag sa (I have long been expelled from the) INC,? she said.

Single mom

Charice was only 3 when her mother struggled to fend for the family. ?At the time, I really wanted her and Carl to be baptized Catholics,? Mrs. Pempengco said. ?But I thought it was not possible if we were not a complete family. [Besides], money was scarce.?

Recently, she asked Bishop San Diego about the possibility of having her children baptized and confirmed in Catholic rites. The prelate not only welcomed the idea, he agreed to preside at the ceremony at the Pasig Cathedral.

Charice is fond of the church because she once played the role of an angel during Easter vigil rites there, according to Mrs. Pempengco.

Happy Birthday, Charice

After the baptism and confirmation ceremony, Charice proceeded to the church quadrangle where hundreds of children sang ?Happy Birthday? to the international pop star.

Charice, who turned 18 recently, decided to forego a lavish reception and instead brought food to the children, residents of 10 barangays around the parish, who were also under the care of the church?s soup kitchen program.

The celebrated singer, whose self-titled US debut CD is currently at No. 8 on Billboard?s Top 200 album chart on its first week of release, happily sang an a cappella version of her hit single, ?Pyramid.?

Her childhood

When the kids screamed for more, she obliged with ?We Are the World,? the song and charity single recorded by the supergroup Artists for Haiti and a remake of the 1985 hit song composed by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie.

As she looked around her, she was reminded of her own childhood.

In one corner stood 12-year-old Ma. Hadassa Macaranas of Barangay San Nicolas, who was awed by the performance.

?Charice is a good singer,? she said. ?I want to be like her.?