Celebrity singers to serenade soldiers as Christmas treat

MANILA, Philippines – Some local celebrity singers will serenade government troops at Camp Aguinaldo next week as a free Christmas treat.

Lieutenant Colonel Samuel Sagun of the 7th Civil Relations Group said the concert is a tribute to the first responders during the onslaught of typhoon “Pablo” (international name Bopha) which ravaged parts of Visayas and Mindanao recently and left nearly 1,000 dead as of latest including several troops. Soldiers on rescue operations in Compostela Valley were killed when they were swept away by floods.

Noel Cabangon, Jessa Zaragosa, Dingdong Avanzado and Carlos Agassi will join the group of artists and soldier-singers led by Lieutenant Junior Grade Chatterly Alvaro. They will perform Christmas and OPM songs to an estimated crowd of 5,000 on December 19 at 6 p.m. at Camp Aguinaldo’s GHQ Grandstand.

Winners of the Bayanihan Song Writing Contest 2011 will also be featured.

The artists waived their talent fees for this event, Sagun said. Other expenses, meanwhile, will come from friends and corporate sponsors through the Youth for Peace Advocacy Movement.

“Himigsikan 2012: Himig ng Pasko, Tunog ng Kapayapaan,” is the second installment of last year’s free concert to soldiers led by singer Ogie Alcasid, President of Organisasyon ng Pilipinong Mang-Aawit.

In 2011, Alcasid and other singers showed their support to soldiers amid brewing corruption scandals in the military through a concert dubbed as “Himigsikan 2011: Rockrakan para sa Kapayapaan.”

Alcasid also reiterated his support to soldiers when he visited Camp Aguinaldo at the recently-concluded AFP-PNP Olympics. He sang several songs.

A military fashion show entitled “Lakbay sa Kasaysayan” (March Through History) that will showcase military uniforms from 1521 to present, a trade fair and film showing at AFP theater will kick off the one-day event.

The military had been getting the support of local celebrities, with popstar Sarah Geronimo as its latest recruit. She sang the Army’s theme song for its campaign to peace, “Bayanihan: Para sa Kapayapaan,” complete with a music video. She also waived her talent fee of P10 million.