What makes Gary Valenciano such an icon is that he remains Mr. Pure Energy even while battling diabetes for more than four decades now. This medical condition is very common among Filipinos and sometimes leads to complications if left untreated.

Gary V. is a success story when it comes to managing the disease and he recently revealed his secret weapon in fighting it.

The singer revealed that back in the old days, he used to do finger pricking to monitor his blood sugar levels. The routine was quite painful and also felt awkward, especially when he was doing it in public places, like a restaurant.

Then he recalled that one day, fellow singer Ogie Alcasid told him about a continuous glucose monitoring device that his diabetic daughter Sarah was using in Australia. Ogie highly recommended it because it was wearable. Gary said he was skeptical at first because he was used to the old ways of doing things. But eventually he gave in and that's when it changed his life forever.

Gary said the FreeStyle Libre system allowed him to "face life with a smile because even when I'm on the stage performing, I can do my glucose reading." Freestyle Libre consists of a discreet sensor which can be worn on the back of the upper arm and a reader which can provide up to eight hours of glucose history once it scans the sensor. No more finger-pricking. Gary said the system enables him to be more hands-on in monitoring his blood sugar, even while closely coordinating with his doctor, the prominent endocrinologist Michael Villa.

"Science provided these things to make dealing with diabetes easier, but it's also my faith that kept me going, not to mention observing the proper diet and taking regular exercise " Gary said.

The Valenciano family has paid it forward with the Shining Light Foundation which is currently involved in raising funds for diabetes education. Through the years, it has also extended medical assistance to underprivileged Pinoys suffering from diabetes.