Charice, PHL Madrigal Singers serenade APEC delegates in welcome dinner

The Mall of Asia Arena was not only filled with the most powerful leaders around the world on Wednesday for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Welcome Dinner, but also with some of the best Filipino performers who showcased culture and talent.

The program's finale showcased all the performers, as well as different national costumes from APEC member-economies.

Musician Paolo Valenciano and choreographer Douglas Nierras were among the artists who headed the team that put together the night's performances, together with musical director Louie Ocampo and artist Gina Godinez.

According to Valenciano, they wanted to highlight the talent of Filipino artists, so they gathered the best and internationally-recognized performers such as Charice Pempengco, Jessica Sanchez, rapper Apl.de.ap, and Asia's Got Talent winner El Gamma Penumbra, among others.

The cast also included local artists such as the Buganda Drumbeaters and 11-year-old Reynan Dal-Anay, award-winning pianist Cecile Licad, as well as the Philippine Madrigal Singers and the Bagobo and Kalinga Suite.

Among the songs performed were “Para Sa Bayan,” “The Apl Song,” “Where Is The Love,” “On A Clear Day,” and many more.

“It didn’t matter if they were super-famous or not. The most important thing for us was that they were the best in the country—talents we could show off to the entire world,” said Valenciano. 

He added, “We really wanted it to be perfect, seamless, smooth… We wanted it to be the overall Pinoy experience without it being a hard sell.”

The team ensured that aside from the rich Filipino culture, the performances would also reflect the people of the Philippines as young, modern, and dynamic.

The musician said, “The show is a good collaboration between veterans and rookies, not only in terms of the singers, but even the musicians [and] production. The fact that they got me [to direct], that they’re putting a lot of trust in me—that shows you that these people are very collaborative. They’re very open to new ideas, and they really let us… work as equals.”

In the end, everyone considered the welcome dinner as a success and a display of solid unity among artists of different forms and style.

“Seeing all the artists together was the most fulfilling thing. To see this many people representing our country and do what they do best—it’s just such an amazing feeling, and it’s so exciting,” Valenciano said. —Bianca Rose Dabu/KBK, GMA News