Philippine Sports and Entertainment Portal Online

May 25, 2009 -- Mr. Pure  Energy Gary Valenciano goes back to his beloved high school, La Salle Green Hills on June 5 and 8, 2009, for  a 2-night concert series entitled “Back Home” at the Bro. Rafael Donato Center for the Performing Arts at LSGH. The concerts are part of LSGH’s year-long celebration of its Golden Anniversary.

The concert  will be the highlight and culminating event of “SING-KWENTA” a series of mini concerts which began in September  2008 and which will end on June 8, the 50th Foundation Day of La Salle Green Hills. Held every other week for the past nine months, the SING-KWENTA series featured other LSGH alumni who have enriched the Philippine music scene with their notable talents. These include Ogie Alcasid, Rannie Raymundo, Carlo Orosa, Dingdong Avanzado, Dingdong Eduque, Juan Miguel Salvador, Louie Ocampo, Montet Acoymo, Charlie Ysmael, Von de Guzman and the Tux who, like Gary V, were members of La Salle Green Hills’ famous Kundirana musical group.

Gary V, an LSGH Batch 82 alumnus and recipient of the DLSU La Sallian Achievement Award in 2007, vows to make his “Back Home” concert and the 50th anniversary celebration a memorable one.  Mixing nostalgic songs with his trademark high-energy numbers and high-voltage performance, Gary V will pop up delightful surprise numbers at the concert that will also feature his children Paolo (a De La Salle University graduate), Gabriel (LSGH Batch 2005) and Kiana (incoming senior at La Salle Antipolo) as special guests. The Powerplay band will provide the back-up music. Musical director is Mon Faustino, another notable LSGH alumnus.

The Gary V concerts will benefit the Bahay Pag-asa and the One La Salle Scholarship Foundation, which aims to raise P1B to help fund 20% full scholarship equivalents (FSEs) in each of the 18 De La Salle schools in the Philippines by 2011, the year of the De La Salle centennial.  “This will help us share the gift of Lasallian education to deserving students, give them a voice in our academic community and open them up to a richer dialogue with others all over the country,” said Emmanuel Calanog, Development Office Director at LSGH and organizer of the SINGKWENTA Series.

At the concert presscon held at the Cesar Cruz Hall in LSGH last Thursday (May 21), Gary V took the media on a nostalgic tour back to his old classrooms, favorite hangouts and special areas at La Salle Green Hills.

“It’s good to be back in my old high school. LSGH isn't just a part of my education, it is a part of my life. Coming back to LSGH to perform on the stage that started it all, is one thing I am truly looking forward to. It's home town for me and it's another way of giving back to the community that has supported me tremendously. I hope this will not be the last time I get to do this,” Mr. Pure Energy said.

Ticket prices are at P5,000 (VIP), P2,000 (Gold), PI,000 (Silver) and P750 (Bronze). Tickets are available at the LSGH Development Office (7273760); LSGH Batch '82 (829I339 and (09I7) 8II3933), GENESIS (72I4406) and Studio V (72646I4).