Alden Richards pledges concert sales for kids' continuous education amid pandemic

MANILA, Philippines — "Asia's Multimedia Star" Alden Richards will hold a documentary concert titled "ForwARd: Meet Richard Faulkerson, Jr." to benefit his very own AR Foundation Inc., which works to send children to school.

The Kapuso actor started selling the concert in December, and was immediately sold out. The multi-awarded star admitted the concert was unplanned.

"I told my team, 'Why not make a concert to promote the foundation?' The concert will give a deeper meaning sa AR Foundation," Richards said at a virtual media conference.

He added, "Kasi it will tell many stories about my childhood, yung mga pinagdaanan ko why I came up with the foundation, bakit ako tumutulong, and why I am sending kids to school."

"Ang gusto ko kasing maging message niya to the people who will watch this is, 'Ah kaya pala nagkaroon ng foundation si Alden is because of these experiences na mapapanood nila sa docu-concert."

Using a new concept via a docu-concert format, the production will see Alden in very personal and heartfelt musical performances.

He will also feature guests, such as the Manila String Machine and the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Singers, while serving as a platform to reveal the true character behind the TV and movie screens.

"With this concert, mas makikilala nila kung ano talaga ako, kung sino talaga si Richard Faulkerson Jr., at paano ako nagsimula. Again, [the proceeds of the show] will go directly to charity. Wala pong mapupunta sa amin because everything is being done for the scholars," he emphasized.

"Because of this effort, maraming mapapadala sa eskwelahan, especially now with the difficulty of the pandemic."

Asked what the production means to him, Richards replied, "I guess this concert is the beginning of a legacy for me. It means a lot to be able to send kids to school na in their lifetime, hindi na nila makakalimutan. And that's the only thing I can give them na hindi mananakaw. I'm really an advocate for education and this is the best platform I have to promote that."

Directed by Frank Lloyd Mamaril, the virtual concert "Forward: Meet Richard Faulkerson, Jr." will be held on January 30 at 8 p.m.

In 2020, Richards made history when he mounted the first-ever virtual reality concert in the Philippines with the highly successful "Alden's Reality: The Virtual Reality Concert." This time around, Richards will be the show's headliner and producer because of his cause.

In an exclusive interview with Philstar.com, Alden revealed that he would have become a pilot or a hotel or restaurant manager if only he had money to finish his studies over a decade ago.

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