The Director Behind “We Heal As One” Shares A Few Inspiring Words In This Time of COVID-19

Everywhere it seems, a new video of a group of celebrities and personalities will crop up, set to an inspirational ballad—perfect for these trying times during the COVID-19 pandemic. For weeks now, these videos are some of the few things that’s kept people going. They’re reminders of the resilience and capacity of the human spirit to persevere through hardships. As we all head into the fourth week of the quarantine that has since been extended up to April 30, let’s remember that not all of us have the privilege and luxury to stay at home. 

Out there, every day since the second week of March, frontliners from all walks of life—doctors, food service workers, hospital staff, grocery and pharmacy employees, and more—have been risking their lives in order to provide service and essentials to Filipinos. These are the people and their families are the ones we stay at home for aside from ourselves. It’s because of them that we’re able to stay in the comfort of our own homes with our families. 

As tribute, those behind the opening and closing ceremonies of the SEA Games this year have initiated a video of hope and healing. They’ve tapped Maestro Ryan Cayabyab and Direk Floy Quintos to provide the music and lyrics to “We Heal As One,” and Eloisa Matias as music producer. The music video, directed and edited by long-time Metro collaborator Frank Lloyd Mamaril of FLM Productions, was released last month.

“It is also the collaborative effort of talent managers who lent their talents for a good cause,” says Frank. “A song that once united this nation has been re-written and re-arranged to reflect the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

“It is our collective hope,” he adds, “that the new lyrics reflect a timely, humane and artistic response to the war we all must win together. A call to every Filipino to unite, help one another and the fervent hope that we will all heal as one.”

Frank reminds us that we are not alone in this battle, and that we must unite and heal as one, as the song and the music video hope to convey. 

The artists that performed in the song include Lea Salonga, Sarah Geronimo, theatre veterans Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo and Isay Alvarez, Gary Valenciano, Ogie Alcasid, Alden Richards, Aicelle Santos, and more.

Lead photos from Universal Records/YouTube