SINOSIKAT's Kat Agarrado Releases New Single "Heart Calling"

Looks like the heavens are conspiring when it comes to Kat Agarrado as she attempts another shot with her music. This is still with Sinosikat, a rebuilding, a new start, stemmed by her love for music. She still never thinks about her looks (though she's quite blessed with it), and puts her efforts now in making more songs so a new generation would be able to listen to it. Sinosikat doesn't have permanent band members, it's her instincts that kick in and choose them to play with her, a different setup but works.

Kat says "My goal is to make people listen to timeless pieces, that even when we're old, there's substance, and they can still listen to it. Before I was doing rock elements, but now it's more polished, matured, the arrangements now will have horn sections. My dream is to make Sinosikat a wider audience, a younger one, to put our music in other countries. I want to do that especially when I get to network with bands and producers there, because they appreciate it but just lack exposure. Our music is world class, just like Filipinos." 

She adds "I hope to also join more international festivals, and become global. I think the youth now has lots of venues to listen to music, that's good and I would like to do collaborations with artists like Lola Amour, a indie artist named Isla, there's a ton that I see on YouTube. I'm sure they have a lot to offer, fresh ideas to contribute especially for the next singles."

Here's part of the interview we did with her during the launch

Kat continued to write songs about love, about family, a bit slow but she admits just doing it at her own pace. She also does standard songs and do Filipino versions so she wouldn't get rusty. She also writes about her friends, or things she experienced during the pandemic. Though this time, she finds it divine for everything that seemed to fall into place. From Pinoy Soul Records, to Warner Music Philippines, to her own studio, this is her way to help other artists too. This is a new beginning for her, her re-introduction of Sinosikat. 

PS Heard the single just now, and I like how groovy it sounded. It's like her being hungry to do more, I would liken it to the music of international girl group "All Saints", but it's only her on vocals. Amazing!

Go stream her new single "Heart Calling" on digital platforms and get smitten with Pinoy Soul all over again. Be part of her fresh start!

SPARKLE Sweethearts Promise "Kilig" in GMA Shows This 2022

You're surely going to love the new breed of talents coming from SPARKLE, GMA's home grown talents that will surely make your heart flutter. Recently, they just had us talk to the new love teams you should watch out for in GMA programs this 2022.

Taking on the job of making that "kilig" happen this year is Mavy Legaspi and Kyline Alcantara (who both starred in I Left My Heart in Sorsogon), Jamir Zabarte and Zonia Mejia (both of which I loved seeing in Heartful Cafe), Abdul Raman and Shayne Sava (who did hit show Legal Wives), Bruce Roeland and Althea Ablan (who you adored in Prima Donnas), and Allen Ansay and Sofia Pablo (who are also in the same show!). Dubbed as SPARKLE Sweethearts, they're going to bring love and romance once again on TV shows lined up for them in the Kapuso network.

If you wish to know what they did last February for their respective Valentines day celebrations, here's a video we prepared which was taken during a recent blogcon for the pairs.

To make sure you're updated with the latest news about GMA artists, susbscribe to YouTube.com/kumagcow and GMA's social channels. I'm sure there'll be more of these artists appearing in different shows very soon! Now tell me, who among them looks promising?

CSMC Answers: Where do broken hearts go?

Just got off the webinar of Cardinal Santos Medical Center this morning. They dared answer the question "Where do broken hearts go?" and asked several doctors about it. The Philippines experienced high numbers of heart disease in Asia, even beating US numbers as far as occurrence goes, and educating ourselves about the condition is a good thing.

Dr. Rucci Cruz discussed the "Broken Heart Syndrome" and she says it is different from heart failure. There are two types of it namely "Heart Failure with reduced left ventricular function or reduced ejection fraction and Heart Failure with preserved left ventricular function." Prevalence is 1.6 on Philhealth claims in 2014, around 1,648 cases in every 100000 claims. Most common cause for it was Hypertension and hospital stays can last up to one week or 5.9 days. Per year, they also stay there around 3-4 times and overall in hospital mortality is 9%."

She adds "According to studies, causes of heart failure fall into these categories. Coronary Heart Disease, Faulty Heart Valves, Cardiomyopathy and High Blood Pressure. Heart failure happens if your heart can't pump blood and causes it to overflow into your lungs. Often, they get shortness of breath, cough, chest pain, difficulty lying down, swollen ankle and legs, and extreme lack of energy. Risks come from family history, hypertension, obesity, age, and excessive alcohol drinking, diabetes, smoking, inactive lifestyle and sleep disorders."

"Broken Heat syndrome really happens, caused by a response to stress which decreases the heart's ability to pump, mostly it happens to men. Medication can be given to lessen stress as it has increased during the pandemic. Make sure you consult your doctor so they can advise what to do, the next steps and resolve it. ECG's, chest xray, blood tests so they can find its severity. These are all available in Cardinal Santos Medical Center. Heart failure is not a death sentence, you don't have to wait, timing is critical so they can diagnose and reverse it. You have to see your doctor right away."

Dr. Ariel Miranda the Chairman of the Cardiovascular Institute says "Listening to the first two speakers was just like listening to our children. I'm a proud father, they've become the future of our mission. In the 90's the treatments was just beginning and we have definitely evolved. Heart disease is increasing in Asian countries. Of all deaths, 1 in 3 is due to heart conditions. It's a combination of lifestyle choices and poor education/delivery of services. Patients have typical symptoms, but they fear going to the hospitals. They are afraid spending a lot, but treating it early is essential. Patients should go to doctors without delay as heart attack needs to be given attention as soon as it is felt because prolonging it will increase damage and heart failure. It shouldn't be taken lightly."

What do you do when a heart attack happens?

"Fat deposits that clot can be done via Angioplasty. There are less than 50 cath labs in Manila and about 60 Million Filipinos. We need to have preventive cardiology. We are working with Philhealth so they can provide packages that will address these problems so we can reduce the number of Filipinos developing it."

 Is this the best time to consult your doctor? Yes, mostly if you are Male and 45 years old and above, you should get checked. Screening should be done 40 years old in US guidelines, a yearly consultation, stress test if possible. The disease doesn't happen overnight, it takes years for it to accumulate especially if you have family history of heart disease. The prevalence of heart disease in the Philippines is larger than our Asian neighbors and the US. 

Dr. Ariel Miranda added "Innovations in cardiology has been so much especially in the field of preventive cardiology. In the past few years there have been advancements and there are so much information about it out there. All good for us, heart attack is a silent killer, unless you are shown the numbers, and feel pain, that's important. It only means the body is responding to extreme blood pressure. We are very careful in doing healthy guidelines, sometimes even level 4. "


CSMC is ready and have adapted to the needs for more rooms especially for non covid cases. To ensure the safety of patients, they have separate areas that have other staff to accept them, ensuring the safety as there is screening, they know where to direct them accordingly. Where do broken hearts go? The hospital of course when needed. 

Get yourself checked people! Especially if you have family history and fall under the age of 40 and above. Cardinal Santos Medical Center has the doctors and facility to take care of you when it happens.