No government institution or any president of the country, including the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos, ever ordered that 500 Pinoy songs be given a mandatory airplay within a period of six months or a year at least.

But now it can be done, and this is through a project of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP), Filipino Composers Development Cooperative (Filcomdec) and the CLICK Music Portal Philippines, Inc. The project, KBP Pop Music Festival, has been launched, and qualified entries – at least 500 songs – will be given mandatory airplay in all radio stations nationwide.

“Listeners,” according to Mon del Rosario, Filcomdec director and chairman, CLICK Music Portal Philippines, Inc., “can download the songs of their choice and pay for them. Their payment shall be shared by the radio station and the composer.”

The project will greatly diminish or eliminate the “payola” system among individual radio announcers or disc jockeys. The “payola,” a form of expensive bribery, is discreetly given to a disc jockey by a composer so that the artist’s songs will be aired regularly and more frequently during a given period.

Victor Wood, at the height of his singing career in the ’70s, exposed the “payola” and radio announcers and disc jockeys ganged up on him and cut him off entirely from the airlanes. That ended practically his recording career.

With the KBP Pop Music Festival, songwriting will be encouraged and the Filipino music industry becomes much richer. Entries are now being accepted at the KBP.

Prizes will be awarded in March 2011.

During the launching of the project held at the New Horizon Hotel, top musical artists shared their talents. They were Gino Padilla, Jamie Rivera, Richard Reynoso, DJ Alvaro, Girl Valencia, and Neil de Mesa.

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‘The Gift’ concert set at Crossroad77

Big Mike Productions will present on Sept. 24, a concert for a cause entitled “The Gift.” It will be held at Crossroad77 in Quezon City and will feature WYCOPA champions: The Cercado Sisters, Aria Clemente and Ralph Salazar.

Joining them are Young JV of “ASAP XV” and “Pinoy Pop Superstar Season 2” grand winner Gerald Santos, with the special participation of “KNC Show” hosts (Kuya Eric, Ate Blanca, Kuya James and Ate Mikee) and Wanlu, the most popular ventriloquist in the country.

According to Marlon Manalang, general manager of Big Mike Production, “The Gift” will remind the kids that gift-giving should not only be done during special occasions like Christmas and birthdays and that gifts should not be expressed through material things only. Beneficiaries of “The Gift” concert are the disabled children of Akapin Foundation of Malolos, Bulacan.

“In ‘The Gift,’ we will be putting together those who are gifted with talents, like our performers, and the handicapped, mga may kapansanan. They are all gifts from God,” Manalang added. He expressed gratitude to the performers who did not think twice about performing in “The Gift” when they learned it was for a good cause, he said.

To recall, the Cercado Sisters (Elvira, Aira, Irene and Mylene) brought home 16 gold medals from the WYCOPA 2006. They won in all the four categories of the Vocal Group Junior Division: Broadway, Gospel, Pop and Original. The sisters do their own choreography.

The Cercado Sisters were the winners in the family singing contest on QTV 11 which was hosted by the late Francis Magalona. A singing-dancing group, they first joined amateur singing contest during fiestas.

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VIPs, celebs shop at Greenhills

A familiar landmark in San Juan is the Greenhills Shopping Complex, which is also a bargain mecca. Among the bargain hunters who frequent the place are the rich and the famous – prominent personalities in business, entertainment, politics, sports, media and even VIPs from other countries.

“Not only the ordinary shoppers, famous personalities are also shopping in Greenhills,” according to Albert Castro, project coordinator of prime Asia Trade Planners & Convention Organizers (PATEPCO). “I often see here showbiz personalities, top government officials, well-known names in sports, media and business. When the Queen of Spain visited the Philippines, she was spotted in Greenhills buying pearls incognito. Even former US Ambassador Khristie Kenny together with some relatives and friends from the US shopped here,” Castro added.

By the way, the 17th National Arts & Antiques Show (still ongoing up to Oct. 3) in Greenhills Shopping Complex is now basking in modernity. It has major renovations aimed at giving it a more modern or 21st century look.

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Tidbits: Happy b-day for Sept. 22, go to Mrs. Baby Liban, producer Violy Sevilla, Nene Leonor, Marg Hubilla-Ordiales, Pitay Reyes-Vitan, Nicky Tesoro, Julihan Ladub, Jinia Samad, Rashid Mathew Dayot, Elizabeth Cristobal, Cristina Tanyao, Emmie Domingo, Dolly Anne Carvajal, Bong de Leon and Caroline Riggs of Star Magic...