Music helped LA Santos recover from ADHD

Joed Serrano sees himself in LA Santos, the boy with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) who overcame the condition with the help of music which has a healing effect. Even the legendary singing bird Ibong Adarna is depicted in movies as having cured an ailing king.

“I also started in the business very young,” related Joed who is now more active in producing concerts of both local and foreign artists. “I joined showbiz so I could help my family.”

That’s where the similarity between Joed and LA ends. LA doesn’t have to sing for his meals; he sings because he loves to. In short, he doesn’t have to help his family make ends meet. His mom, Florita “Flor” Santos (a widowed CPA), can very well afford to raise LA and his siblings because she owns and manages several businesses (a restaurant, a Korean bakery, a fast-food branch, etc.).

Boy Abunda was instrumental in bringing LA to the attention of Joed who is producing LA’s first major solo concert titled #Petmalu on Monday, April 30, starting at 8 p.m. at the Music Museum, with special guests Jaya, Ian Veneracion, Jona, Michael Pangilinan, Imelda Papin, Eva Eugenio, Boobsie Wonderland and Claire dela Fuente who is Flor’s kumare and good friend, plus LA’s sister Kanishia Santos.

Singerproducer Joed Serrano: I see myself in LA

“Boy told me about LA,” recalled Joed. “Sabi niya, ‘Please watch LA’s video on YouTube; napaka-special ng batang ‘yan.’ I watched the video at tinamaan ako. I was impressed by his version of Moira’s Titibo-Tibo. Then, I learned that singing is LA’s passion. Naalala ko ang sarili ko. I was reminded that not everybody who wants to be in showbiz is poor, na gusto sumikat para makatulong sa magulang.” 

LA (Leonard Antonio) first gained attention when he was featured by Korina Sanchez in her Kapamilya show Rated K. LA was born with ADHD and he beat it when he was 12. As per research, ADHD is a basic disorder marked by an ongoing pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity impulsively interfering with function or development. (Inattention means a person wanders off task, lacks persistence, has difficulty sustaining focus, and is disorganized, and these problems are not due to defiance or lack of comprehension.) “H” means a person seems to move about constantly, including in situations in which it is not appropriate or excessively fidgets, taps or talks. In adults, it may be extreme restlessness or wearing others out with constant activity. “Impulsivity” means a person makes hasty actions that occur in the moment without first thinking about them and that may have high potential for harm, or a desire for immediate rewards or inability to delay gratification. An impulsive person may be socially intrusive and excessively interrupt others or make important decisions without considering the long-term consequences.

As Funfare noted in a story two years ago, it must be devastating for any mother to realize that her child is born with ADHD. I’m recounting portions of that interview in which Flor chronicled her experience in raising LA.

“It wasn’t until he was six years old did LA utter his first word,” related Flor who, like Claire, also graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Restorative Medicine from University of Makati.

Asked what the first word was, LA said, “Hate late,” taken from the pizza slogan about delivery.

 “Since then,” added Flor who has two other children, a daughter and a son who are both older than LA, “talagang inalalayan ko siya until he was 12 when all signs and symptoms disappeared.”    

It was “emotional love” that greatly helped normalize LA’s condition, according to Flor. “I encourage him to be preoccupied with something, especially after school. I would tell him to imitate his sister who is a model and to play basketball with his brother. Aside from the medicine he was taking, what’s important is family support.”

Children with ADHD are said to have a special talent in one field and LA’s happens to be music. “So I encourage him to sing. Music does have a great healing effect and LA owes his recovery to music.”

When Claire and Flor produced the Stylistics/Air Supply concert in 2016, they included LA as guest performer.

“Besides he is my godchild,” said Claire who is also a widow whose only son is into composing songs, “LA is also like a son to me,” adding, “Flor is right. Ang laki ng tulong ng music sa paggaling ni LA who loves OPM. “Ang biro ko nga, siguro pinanganak siya noong ‘70s because he loves the songs of that era.” (That explains why OPM icons Imelda, Claire and Eva are included as guest performers in LA’s #Petmalu concert.)

LA’s eponymous debut album was released by Star Records, composed of three covers (Bruno Mars’ When I Was Your Man, Sarah Geronimo’s Forever Is Not Enough and Angeline Quinto’s Hanggang Kailan) and six originals (Tinamaan, One Greatest Love, Miss Terror, Ikaw Kasi, Bakit Pag-Ibig and Mine).

Asked what advice he would give children with ADHD, LA said, “Don’t be ashamed of your condition. Don’t lose hope.”

And Flor’s advice to parents of children with ADHD, “Be patient. Don’t give up. Give your child love.” And, if I may add, maybe much more love than you give a normal child. “Your child can overcome the condition. Look at my LA.”

What’s up?

• Rev. Fr. Andiy N. Egargo will celebrate Mass on his 25th Sacerdotal Anniversary on Thursday, May 3, at the Immaculate Church in Guiuan, Eastern Samar. Friends, family members and relatives are invited.

• Alma Moreno has given up politics…for the time being. No, she’s not running for any position in 2019. But her daughter-in-law Jenn Quizon (wife of Alma’s son Vandolph, photo) is running for reelection as barangay chairwoman in Parañaque City where Vandolph is an incumbent councilor.

• The Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) is showcased two restored classics, Ishmael Bernal’s Himala and Marilou Diaz-Abaya’s Mortal, at the Far East Film festival (FEFF) in Udine, Italy, on April 26 and 27. It was in celebration of the Philippines as the Country of Focus in the FEFF and the 100th anniversary of Philippine Cinema.

(E-mail reactions at [email protected]. For more updates, photos and videos, visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on Instagram @therealrickylo.)