LISTEN Campus Tour: Championing Mental Health with Music

The Listen Campus Tour in FEU Manila

Mental Health has been one topic everyone feels a little uneasy to talk about. That alone is a problem there because one of the reasons it flourish IS because of the fact that nobody is talking about it. You and I, a lot of people in general have some issues with it and have relatively one or more people we know who are suffering from it. Has anybody listened to you? Do you feel alone in the battle against it? Well, you shouldn’t - and I’m telling you one way to make it easy to deal with.

A few nights ago, I was invited to the Listen Campus Tour held in the Far Eastern University grounds in Manila. I am foreign to the place but felt right at home in the university belt because I have been going to nearby UE when I can for other matters. It was a concert, filled to a brim with students as it was an annual affair to welcome students in the Tamaraw’s Green and Gold camp (via Tatak Tamaraw Welcome Freshmen Fest which is a yearly event). LISTEN Campus Tour is one of a few activities that the organizers, partners Media.Xchange (a pr corp) and Sindikato Artist Management would want to do in order to address mental health.

Fern and Me

Artists who joined the cause

The Department of Health also had a representative to explain the mental health law

Our interview after their set

For those who don’t know, the youth ages 18-25 have had the highest incidence of mental health issues and much of this have gone unnoticed, untreated and with music, they aim to inspire people, set examples of themselves and perhaps change the minds of those who are suffering of it. The power of music is insurmountable, it sets the mood, it has the ability to encompass ages and make moments relatable. During the concert I saw students take a breather, sit, stand and talked to their classmates (which makes it healthy btw). On stage, the organizers sought help from the Department of Health, their institutional partner (together with private firm Philippine Mental Health Association) represented by Ms. Clarence J. Fernandez, a registered nurse who was tasked to talk about the newly passed Mental Health Law. I felt assured the information they were giving the audience was accurate and apt since the implementing institutions themselves were involved.


Sindikato was awesome enough to include some of their artists (who came in and helped as soon as they knew what the cause was about), which in general was greatly giving of their time and patience, to somehow get involved in efforts for awareness on mental health. The performances from Hulyo, Dionela, Arthur Nery, Syd Harta, Nathan & Mercury and Fern (of which I’m a fan btw) just took my breath away. Although it was raining in the venue, students braved it all and kept listening to them while artists share how they related to their songs, and hoped it could help one or more people in the audience seeing how even if some of them are suffering from it, they’re completely okay. Here’s our interview with them after their set:

Meanwhile, it was awesome to talk to Fern and Nathan and Mercury about their thoughts on the cause. I have high hopes after hearing them all so positive about this and think another tour in other campuses/schools would be so good. Fern made me realize how we all are, especially "artists like us" who are a little crazy after all and we in some ways suffer with mental health issues.





Kean Cipriano and the whole Callalily band on the other hand was amazing on stage. I expected no less than that because I’ve seen them live several times. They’re the type of superstars which the crowd knows all the songs, requests for it after a song and listens to it intently. I was surprised to see Kean and the band taking a few moments to ask the crowd to put down their phones so they could feel and be in the moment. Kean also mentioned how every time he performs, he wants to connect and see their crowd, look them in the eye and take them to church, to let them feel the exact emotions of the songs they’ve written. Some of the songs may have come from a dark place, of failed relationships, but it also has a message, to triumph over obstacles just like in real life. Check out our interview with them after the concert.

 



I would like to take this bit to thank the people behind Listen Campus Tour for having us cover the event. I believe they have several of these arranged in the next few weeks, I hope to see them in my own alma mater too. If you want to talk about their cause and see them in your part of the woods, you might as well contact them via Facebook.com/ListenCampus and @ListenCampusTour on other social channels. Get connected and help them achieve their goals, help a joe out who’s suffering from mental health as well.


It's a good cause.

81st Oktoberfest at the Solaire Tent

Had another wonderful taste of Oktoberfest once again at the Solaire Tent in Parañaque City this morning. This is officially their 81st year of doing this and yes, it's just becoming bigger and bigger.

The German Club Manila happily shared how they have been able to break records in the number of crowds and liters of beer, German sausages consumed every year and 2019 should be no different. This year they are doing it in three days on October 17, 18 and 19. It is expected to be full so make sure you wear those lederhosen trousers and fancy dirndls because this is the authentic one, it comes with a full Bavarian band called Bavarian Sound Express (OMG I miss the 99 Luft Balloons medley)!

The desserts like the classic strudel and Kaiserschmarnn have to be noted because it just was heavenly with the cream and vanilla ice cream.

I heard they are prepping about 4-5 liters of Weihenstephan per person so there won't be shortchanging on the beer supply. You can book tickets via Oktoberfest.ph and purchase them online. 

The event was graced by the current German Club President Tobias Rast, Solaire VP for F&B Knit Becker and VP for Culinary Michael Dinges. The first photo above was the yearly dance we had to do before the start of festivities, it's a great way to break the ice and celebrate Oktoberfest like how the Bavarians do. 

Call the German Club via 8942899 or 8184236 because this is going to be the biggest authentic German Oktoberfest in Manila, and you wouldn't want to miss this for the world! They will also have separate raffle draws including trips to Europe. Not even joking!

Raise your glass and say Prost!

Bayani Agbayani Endorses HOME SUITE

Got to visit the warehouse of Home Suite, a brand under CLC Marketing Ventures. Their showroom suddenly felt like an invitation to their home as we legitimately sat in their tables, chairs, even couches that have bluetooth speakers on them.

Charles Lester Ching the COO of Home Suite says “For the first time this year we invited you here at CLC Manufacturing Ventures, we have five brands under our corporation. We are excited to introduce Mr. Bayani Agbayani as the endorser of our brand. His good looks, humor, we will show you in the next few months our products, to hopefully be in the homes of more Filipinos. Thank you for being here in Home Suite.”

Bayani just like the corporation has worked hard over the years, and as they plan to launch their operations internationally, they are proud to say they have the heart to achieve it. If you think you’ve seen these pieces before, it might be because they have it in the set of Pinoy Big Brother, Rated K (remember that episode of the woman who had many kids?), Wish Ko Lang and various charitable institutions and programs.

Lyn Fong their Marketing Head says “As you have seen, CLC has been in the country for 37 years. We have been very conservative but we know we have to embrace what you can do. We have also launched a program for bedroom and room makeovers where we picked 3 winners and also the VisMin Raffle Promo. We have done these in celebration of our milestones, and a way to thank our loyal customers. We also have our digital short films called YANWICK which will be released in our social media assets. We hope you watch out for that. We will have a Bayanihan campaign in all our participating branches, he will have posters, a billboard, delivery trucks. He will be everywhere!”

CEO Charlie Ching says “Thank you to everyone for coming here, thanks to our superstar, actor Bayani Agbayani, and our marketing team for making this all possible.”

Bayani was so thankful saying “Maraming salamat sa inyong lahat. Thank you Mr Ching. There have been a lot of communities that Home Suite has helped over the years and they have done this for a lot of Filipinos. When I asked them why me, they said no choice (he kids). They want people to know that these are Philippine made products that can stand out in the international market. They have done a lot, even some last a lifetime, even if you are not here the furnitures will still be there. Thank the lord, this has been given to me by Jesus. I met him in the gym, not knowing he wanted me to endorse his products, I am sincerely blessed and thankful. I thought they didn’t need me because they have been here for 37 years, now hopefully I would be able to do a lot of their advocacies. They want to do more of that in the coming years. In the past I have been helping a lot of patients who have cancer. I wish to help them further. I only wished for them to pray for me, and my family’s health. The concept of Yanwick came from them, I didn’t know who he was but they asked me to read about it. I hope you could see it on Facebook.”

Now that you’ve seen the manufacturer of these pieces, isn’t it about time you check out more Home Suite furnitures and how they have been able to satisfy customers here and around the globe? Might as well check Bayani Agbayani’s YanWick videos too while you’re at it. I think I’m buying those shelves I’ve been eyeing in the popular department store. You should get some too!

Ken Chan Launches Peculiar Eyewear

After a very successful run of My Special Tatay where he played the role of Boyet, Ken Chan is doting another feather to his hat with this business venture and foray to eyewear, a line he calls PECULIAR. It’s anti radiation, filters harmful blue light and is okay when you change into prescription lenses. He was very happy and proud when he showed it to us a couple weeks ago during an intimate luncheon.

He also shared a bit about the existing effectiveness of their partnership (referring to Rita Daniela) and how they’re banking on it once again by doing another series called One of the Baes and releasing a single with her entitled “Tayo ay Forever” (We are Forever) which came out the last week of July 2019. Here is our interview with Ken that afternoon, listen in. 

His eyewear brand and the accessories are all part of Peculiar which you can purchase via Facebook or their official store in Lazada. I hope you all continue supporting this chap because he’s one heck of a good guy. He deserves all these things.