Raymund Launchengco: Wiser and surer

Raymund Lauchengco is back. And because not many people know about it, no less than his Cebuano groupies were taken aback last October 23 in SM City's Entertainment Plaza, to see their dearly missed idol sing his heart out again.

"Nothing much has changed. But I guess I've become wiser, maybe surer of the things I want to do," he admitted-and also to being older now-when asked to differentiate the new "Raymund" to the old "one" 10 summers ago.

With the mushrooming of younger talents who can be more intimidating than promising, Raymund is visibly not bothered by jitters, because to compete is not his purpose for returning to showbiz.

"I'm a very realistic person. I'm here to sing again. A Manila writer called me crazy for coming back alongside these new artists like Christian Bautista or Erik Santos. But, honestly, I don't care," said he, who in jest threw a wisp of the same question to the stunned members of the press: "Ten years from now, are you going to stop writing just because a new breed of writers are coming in?"

Although he dabbles professionally in photography, Raymund admits to being in Cloud 9 when he's singing. It's not really the "performing" per se that he had missed truly, madly, deepy-but the people to whom he's dedicating his songs.

However, Raymund does not underestimate his hobby of photography, which he started developing when he was a college hearthrob at the University of the Philippines, Diliman. The experience built for him the platform from which he later forayed into the more challenging field of directing concerts, music videos, magazine shows, et cetera.

But between performing and photographing, the balladeer cum lensman is clear on one thing. "When you're a singer, you only care about yourself (like, what you wear to the show or your concert, or what time you should be in the venue)," he said. "But when you do photography, it involves other people (like, your subject or the model) and many other things (especially the concept)."

While he might have had some acting credits under his belt (he's best remembered for his movie "Bagets"), Raymund Launchengco is not so big right now on starring in the silver screen, even brutally frank in saying there's nothing glamourous about being in the movies. "For example, you have to go to places only God knows where and you have to do impossible things like waking up at two in the morning and the director will ask you to cry with only your right eye shedding a tear or two."

But the happily married man and undeniably committed Christian is not one to turn down the right project. "I certainly haven't closed any doors. Should there be a story that will convey a positive message to the people, who knows?"

Sure as fate, Raymund Lauchengco had not closed his door. That's why he came back again.