One of the prolific Filipino singers and songwriters of his generation is the iconic Jose Mari Chan.
Jose Mari has been credited to have composed and recorded the familiar songs "Deep in my Heart," "Afterglow," "Constant Change," "Beautiful Girl," "Please be Careful with my Heart," " I Love You So," and especially, the iconic "Christman in Our Hearts," the theme of all Christmas savvy individuals and a lot more of his compositions and recordings.
At the presscon of Jomari about his upcoming concert, "Afterglow: Seasons of the Heart" on July 11, 2026 at the Plenary Hall of the Philippine Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City, Chan generally said that after all these years, he hasn't remembered when was the last time he was given a royalty check.
“I don't exactly remember, but I haven’t exactly been receiving royalties anymore from the recording companies,” he announced during the presscon which was written by ABS-CBN entertainment reporter MJ Felipe.
What he is worried about, he said, are the young composers and singers who only depend on royalties of their creations.
"I feel frustrated, but more so, I feel frustrated for the young singer-songwriters of this country. What kind of future can they look forward to? You know what I mean? Where can they get their income?” Jomari asked.
Chan's announcement was made in public, in a press conference at that, where everything happens so fast and that one's quick statements could spark controversies especially if taken out of context.
"I would like to clarify that I have not been receiving royalties from recording companies, in as far as CDs (compact discs) and cassette tapes are concerned, because they aren't sold anymore.
"But I receive royalties from streaming," said the iconic singer who is excited about his show with some of the young discoveries from ABS-CBN's "Your Face Sounds Familiar" like Marielle Montellano, JM de la Cerna, Kolette Madelo and the “Tawag ng Tanghalan (TNT)” champion Lyka Estrella.
Amidst the brouhaha, Chan clarified that his record label Universal Records has been very consistently professional and obligatory about sharing with him his royalties.
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