The international entertainer and recording artist David Pomeranz arrived here from Philadelphia to witness, the day following his arrival, the contract-signing between the Operation Smile Philippines and the Ultimate Entertainment, Inc. which will produce three concert tours in the Philippines early next year with the US-based singer as the main performer.

The concerts will be held on Feb. 27, 2009 at the Pacific Grand Ballroom, Waterfront Hotel Lahug, Cebu City; Feb. 28, 2009, at the CAP Auditorium in Davao City, and on March 1, 2009 at the Harbour Tent, Sofitel Philippine Plaza, Pasay City.

David’s special guest performer will be Chadleen Alberth Lacdo-o, who is among the many who’ve been benefited by Operation Smile. Chadleen has also been invited to perform for Operation Smile in the US.

What is so significant with David’s forthcoming concerts is that it is a fund-raising show for the benefit of Operation Smile Philippines.

Operation Smile is a private, non-profit volunteer organization providing free reconstructive surgery and related health care to indigent children and young adults with cleft lips, cleft palates, and other facial deformitities. Its main headquarters is located in Norfolk, Virginia and is globally present in over 30 countries.

Since 1982, Operation Smile Philippines has treated over 22,000 Filipinos with facial deformities. With one oral cleft incidence in the Philippines estimated at one in every 500 births, about 4,000 Filipino babies are born with cleft problems.

In the Philippines, Chadleen Alberth Lacdo-o, 13, was born with an oral cleft, the front of her palate missing as well as her upper lips below her nose. She could not speak clearly then. A local physician tried to reconstruct the deformity but the operation was a failure. She was then four years old. Later, a medical team from Operation Smile conducted the reconstruction, and now, there is not a bit of any indication that she ever suffered the deformity. Chadleen’s story has been told in various newspapers and on toprating TV shows such as “Probe Team,” “Rated K,” and “ANC’s Storyline,” among others.

Chadleen is now a very promising singer and David is very proud of her.

“Chadleen is a miracle; she is a walking testimony to what Operation Smile has done to humanity,” David said. “I’m relatively new to what OS is all about, I’m really impressed and I think it is something to be promoted. Operation Smile has come into my life at the perfect time, being Christmas.” The singer who loved so much the country and the people that he has kept coming over and over again (this is his 22nd time to come here, he said) said that to him, the meaning of Christmas has always been the same. “It is a time to be grateful for the people around you, in my case my parents who are still alive. It’s very important not to take people for granted…”

David’s Christmas shows

While here (for just a week since it is Christmas and he doesn’t want to be away from his family on this significant occasion), David will hold two Christmas shows, the first of which will be staged tonight at Market! Market! in Taguig City, and on Dec. 22 at the Alabang Town Center. Since these are Christmas shows, David will be singing Christmas songs of course, including his favorites which are “Oh Holy Night,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “Silent Night, Holy Night” and “Christmas Story,” and maybe “Pasko na Sinta Ko,” “which is the only Tagalog Christmas song that I know,” he said.

Now based in Florida (but he is also in New York where he was raised most of the time he said), David lives in Los Angeles for 28 years. He and his wife has a seven-year old son. In Florida, the parol that German Moreno gave him a few years ago, and which he hangs on the door of their house, is always a conversation piece, David proudly said.

The other reason David is in the Philippines is his mall tour in Metro Manila where he will be singing the Christmas songs in his new album, “The Eyes of Christmas.” Featured in the album are 14 songs, namely, “The Eyes of Christmas,” “My Grown Up Christmas List,” “Somebody Must Be Grinning Down On Me,” “Oh Holy Night,” “Old Home Town,” “Christmas Star,” “Santa’s On Vacation,” “Toyland,” “Christmas Is the Time of the Year,” “Pasko Na Sinta Ko,” “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” (with Ima Castro), “Joy To The World,” “The Power of Giving,” and “This Little Light of Mine/Silent Night.”

In the past, David’s performances benefited among others Retintis Pigmentosa Foundation, The Philippine National Red Cross, The March of Dimes, Easter Seals, The NAACP (Human Rights Award Tribute To Frank Sinatra), The Presidential End Hunger Awards at the Kennedy Center, and the United Nations World Summit For Children.

Realtor-banker marks a milestone

Ms. Cristine Decena hogged the headlines in the recent past for a legal bout with former boyfriend, actor Phillip Salvador. The write-ups about the case made her popular and for a while, Ipe was pictured as the bad guy. The case is finally searching an end, but Cristina said she doesn’t want Ipe to be jailed. She just wanted to clear her name, and that done, “ayoko naman makulong si Ipe. Tapos na ito, magkaibigan pa rin kami.”

Cristina added that their lawyers are helping each other to settle the case as soon as possible. “Maaayos na ito, and I’m helping him para di siya makulong. Nalinis na ang pangalan ko, nalaman na ng mga tao ang totoo kaya okay na sa akin.” About the money involved in the case, “nabalik na sa akin sa ibang paraan. Yong lawyers’ fees na lang ang ayusin niya.” Cristina and Ipe (who is currently starring in Viva Films’ Metro Manila Film Festival entry “Baler”) lived together for more than two years, she said.

Cristina describes herself as basically a businesswoman engaged in build and sell, and real estate (she builds houses in Ayala Alabang and BF Homes). She also studied interior design so she designs her own houses. She was featured recently on Korina Sanchez’s “Rated K” show on ABS-CBN.

By the way, Cristina recently marked a milestone (her birthday) and she hosted a dinner party for family, friends and relatives. The birthday party was held at her new house along Jericho St. in the Multi-national Village in Parañaque City. Her 12-year-old daughter, Lara Cristina or Chin-Chin, and some friends sang beautiful songs for the entertainment of her guests and well-wishers who included Joel Cruz of Aficionado Germany Perfumes (Joel concocted a special scent for Cristina) and Jose Dominador Z. Mascardo, Jr., singer-businesswoman Mila Garcia, Dr. Roe dela Fuente and wife Susan Co Ong of Prettylooks (which offers cosmetic surgery and non-surgical treatments).

Helping entertain the guests was Cristina’s husband Sonny (they have five children) with whom she has remained friends and who is now also helping her managed her newly acquired business, the Rural Bank of Norzagaray which will soon be a private development bank, she said. They are set to open a branch in Taguig next year.

Also at the party was Sonny’s mom Sylvia who confessed to being an avid fan of Angel Locsin. She and her Katipunan group are saddened by the conclusion recently of Angel and Piolo Pascual’s “Lobo,” she said. “ Sana makita namin siya very soon sa ‘ASAP 08,” Sylvia added.

Anyway, to Cristina, we wish you more success and many more birthdays to come.

Tidbits: Happy b-day greetings today, Dec. 19 go to Mrs. Erlinda “Liding” Oledan, Lyanne Gonzalez, Abraham S. Divina, Jr., Geronimo Tabios, and Junie Siytangco…Happy wedding anniversary to Juan and Anna Liza Apera…