The Philippine Star For All Seasons

Obviously, we at The Philippine STAR are more often read than heard. Though separated by time and space (as all mass media forms are), we here silently keep you company at the breakfast table, make you laugh as you get a perm (or that perennial dye), keep you awake while stuck in rush-hour traffic, and help you outwit your know-it-all officemate or neighbor on the pressing and not-so-pressing issues of the day.

Through the years, and truly from cover to cover, we try to be relevant to you – whoever you are, wherever you are.

Pardon us if we just can’t help ourselves, but this time we’d like to keep you company through song as well. Ardent listeners of radio must have surely heard the catchy new ditty Live the Moment. Penned by Leo Quinitio and interpreted by Nova Arias, the song which will serve as The Philippine STAR hymn, delivers simply and clearly what this paper seeks to be – a relevant, indispensible part of the life of a wide range of readers. "The concept best captures The STAR: young yet institutional, light but a little dramatic," says Quinitio, a graduate of the University of the Philippines’ College of Music, having majored in Composition under the tutelage of noted musician Ryan Cayabyab. The former Madrigal singer has produced and composed a number of jingles for radio and television – even directing theatrical shows in the US, Europe and Brazil.

STAR marketing services manager Tammy Mendoza is very excited about the song which, she reveals, is the first of its kind in the industry. "It’s a great way of letting people know what The STAR is," she says. "It’s a simple song that’s easy to remember and not so easy to forget."

Best of all, one must add, it’s a very soft-sell piece.

Surely not easy to forget, too, is the music video of Live the Moment, slated to air early next year (though it debuted at the ad congress). Equally upbeat and straight to the point, the music video follows the trail of "Caloy" (played by Marky Lopez), a newspaper boy, on his paper route. Shot in various locations in Quezon City, we see different aspects of Filipino life – always with the omnipresent STAR. A wedding, Lolo’s birthday, a business meeting, relaxing by the pool, a rally, a party of teenagers – Caloy is a witness to all these. The parallelisms are quite obvious. The STAR has been part of the tale of the Pinoy for 15 years now – through good times and bad, bravely delivering on its promise of reporting the truth, even when it hurts.

Quinitio maintains that the idea for the catchy beat was in-spired by typical Pinoy music wherein the groove is carried by a strummed guitar. "It should be familiar – as familiar as the sound we hear being played by a street corner," he continues. Imagine the neighborhood tambay jamming with his friends over a round of brews at the corner store. Very distinctly Pinoy and very endearing.

Indeed, the vibe of Live the Moment has proven so infectious that it had not a few delegates to the recently-concluded ad congress in Cebu humming and singing, after the song had been played constantly at The STAR’s booth.

Nova Arias was tapped to interpret the song – and her bright, effervescent vocal chops make it easy to understand why she is a perfect fit.

In the winsome lady’s resumé are a number of commercial jingles, and she even does the station ID for radio station 94.7 Mellow Touch. Currently the studio manager for Sounds Reel, Inc., Arias is a freelance voice talent.

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It’s not the world that we once knew

Things are changing fast, and so are you

You can’t wait to know what today will bring

You don’t want to miss a thing

Indeed, fortunes turn in a heartbeat, and world events even faster. While keeping an eye on local developments, The STAR keeps tabs on an ever changing global context. There is an undeniable premium on how thoroughly a paper covers the myriad of issues and occurences around us – and The STAR delivers exactly that.

What are you looking for? (What am I looking for?)

You’ll discover so much, so much more

What do you want to see? (What’s there for me to see?)

All the many things that life can be!

So turn the pages (From cover to cover)

Life always changes (The day’s far from over)

Live the moment just for you.

Abreast with the times, keeping up with trends, The STAR holds up a mirror so we could see ourselves better – and revel in the joy of this discovery.

The world around is yours to take

The life you want is yours to make

Everything you’ll ever need is in your hands

All you have to say is that you can

Seize the day; live the moment. Today’s most valuable resource is information, and our paper delivers that potent factor to make everyone the master of his fate.

Positive lyrics make the Live the Moment more than just STAR’s song for its readers, but an anthem of hope to make even the jaded and cynical look forward to tomorrow.

So turn the pages, life always changes, live the moment just for you...

Isn’t LSS (Last Song Syndrome) grand?