I had a late lunch during Day 1 of the 2025 Palawan International Choral Festival (PICF) at the Astorias Hotel in Puerto Princesa City in Palawan.
After getting my food from the buffet table, I immediately occupied an empty seat beside a young man whom I discovered is from Baybay City in Leyte.
The lad's name is Fred Leander Baldos who was a delegate as a member of a choir from the Visayas State University in Baybay City.
Fred Leander has just finished, he said, a course on Development Communications from VSU.
Baldos admitted he isn't a singer but his father, Jesus Freddie Baldos, dragged him to become a school choir member which he eventually embraced.
Then the older Baldos came rushing to our table so I introduced myself to him as he did to me.
Jesus Freddie also finished his Development Communications from the University of the Philippines in Los Baños, Laguna.
Currently, the elder Baldos occupies the highest post in the Information Department of VSU.
He is also the organizer and conductor of the VSU choral group.
They were delegates to the conference of the 2025 PICF.
During the opening of the event, the Baldoses were excited and grateful to have heard the inspirational talk of National Artist for Music Ramon Santos as opener.
"Nabigyan niya tayo ng mahahalagang background sa choral singing na makakatulong sa aming mga konduktor (He imparted to us the important backgrounds in choral singing which could help in our musical conducting)," Jesus Freddie said.
The other speakers at the event were Dr. Joel Navarro, Dr. Ed Manguiat, Dr. Ruel Navarro among others to talk about liturgy, Christian music, hermeneutics, interdisciplinary ideals in choral singing, among other important educational applications of the field.
Baldos father and son would go back to Baybay City after a four-day stint in the festival to echo to the students at VSU the precious pieces of information about the significance of choirs and music in general.
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