Inigo Pascual sad for Filipino kids not using their native tongue

MANILA, Philippines — Singer Inigo Pascual admits he spent half of his life in the US, where he was born 21 years ago. But his heart is as Filipino as his parents’ (his dad, of course, is Piolo Pascual).

 

The composer behind the hit song “Dahil Sa `yo” joined former Environment Secretary Gina Lopez’s “G Squad” to promote the country and its people via Season 2 of ABS-CBN’s G Diaries, which airs every Sunday, 10:30 a.m., before “ASAP.”

 

Inigo speaks with the passion of a patriot when he talks about doing his share to uplift the country, which has embraced his upbeat kind of sound.  He even speaks in fluent, unaccented Tagalog to bring home the point. 

 

“Dapat mahalin ang sariling atin. Ang mga bata, hindi marunong mag-Tagalog,” he sighed.

 

Inigo thinks this is a problem everyone should address before it gets out of hand.

 

“If we don’t love our own, how shall we grow as a nation? We keep comparing ourselves to other countries.  Mahalin natin ang ating sarili. It’s the only thing we have.”

 

His is not just empty words. Inigo plans to come up with another OPM (Original Pilipino Music) song as follow-up to his hit composition.  It is his way of promoting Filipino culture, of making sure local music has a better place in the charts alongside foreign ones.

 

Of course, Inigo is counting on his fans to support his plan “to build something great for our future.”

 

Inigo is not alone.  Joining him in the G Squad are Gretchen Ho, Elmo Magalona, Antoinette Taus, Kristel Fulgar, Young JV, Boyband PH, and others. These eco-warriors might as well have dyed their hearts green – for the environment.

 

Elmo proves he is his late dad Francis Magalona’s son by saying, “I super love this country.”

 

His way of showing it is not so much by coming up with nationalistic songs the way the late rapper did, but by helping G Squad spread the word about the country’s natural beauty through “G Diaries” and his social media accounts.

 

Gretchen promised to use her celebrity by doing the same thing.

 

Of all these celebs, it is Antoinette who has taken a more structured step in rescuing the country from the environment mire. She returned to the Philippines  from the US years back to pick up where she left off, not only as an actress, but as a concerned citizen. She and her friends put up CORA, an NGO (non-governmental organization) that “promotes sustainability” to fight climate change, and provide nutritious meals, and others.

 

“Our country is so biodiverse. We are the center of marine biodiversity. Tayo ang Amazon of the seas. Considering our resources, our country should be so rich,” she said.

 

Antoinette is all for having fun, but promoting local tourism and supporting homegrown products along the way.  And while we are at it, Antoinette thinks we should also take care of the environment.  It can be something as simple as not using plastic products.

 

“The UN (United Nations) has an urgent call,” she warned. “The deadline for our oceans is 2025. If we don’t take drastic measures to get rid of plastic, we will suffer.  It’s not even for future generations. It’s in our lifetime.”

That is why she and the rest of her fellow G Squad members are joining Lopez in her crusade to show the beauty of nature on national TV.    

 

Lopez has gone even further by donating her own money to help develop communities and nature sites.  This way, more tourists will come over. Farmers, fishermen and local artisans earn more.  The area will develop.  More people will visit local tourist spots instead of foreign destinations.

 

The plan is ambitious, the work Herculean. But “G Diaries” and its G Squad are willing to give it their all.