David Pomeranz: Smile Ambassador

CEBU, Philippines – One of the world’s renowned singer-songwriters, David Pomeranz, is lending his clout and talents to bring a big smile to children in need. David, who is an Operation Smile celebrity ambassador alongside Jessica Simpson, Mariah Carey and Donald Trump, came to the country last week not only to entertain Filipinos but to also raise funds for Operation Smile Philippines.

Operation Smile is a global children’s medical charity that has been treating children afflicted by facial deformities such as cleft lips and cleft palates for over two decades now. Founded by Dr. William Magee Jr. and his wife Kathy, it began its worldwide operations via the Philippines more than 25 years ago. In Cebu, Operation Smile’s mission has been coordinated through the charitable foundation put up by businesswoman-philanthropist Mariquita Salimbangon Yeung. To date, it has performed more than 120,000 operations on children and young adults in 51 countries.

With this magnitude, the man behind the romantic hits “Born for You” and “Got to Believe in Magic” is proud to be part of Operation Smile.

“I really wanted to help these kids and young people who have this kind of impairment, that’s why I did not hesitate to extend my help to them. My concerts will serve as a fund-raising for Operation Smile. I am very much honored to be part of Operation Smile,” David told the Cebu entertainment press during a presscon at Pagcor-Cebu’s Teatro Casino in Waterfront Cebu City Hotel last February 26.

David had a successful concert entitled “David Pomeranz: In Our Hands” at the Pacific Grand Ballroom of the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel last Friday, February 27, with guest performer, Chadleen Lacdo-o.

Interestingly, Lacdo-o is one of the “miracles” of Operation Smile as she was once had a cleft palate. Not well-off, her parents sacrificed a lot to be able to afford two operations for her when she was eight months old and four years old, but both operations proved futile. It was through Operation Smile that her cleft palate got successfully treated. Now, Lacdo-o has a lot of national and international singing engagements.

David said of Chadleen, “I am really proud of her because she is the voice of all cleft palate patients. Chadleen only proves that there is always hope in everything. She is a magnificent singer with a huge career ahead of her.”

The American singer-songwriter has churned out a lot of compositions already, but he claimed that his favorite is “It’s In Every One Of Us.”

“It’s in everyone of us, To be wise, Find your heart, Open up both your eyes, We can all know everything, Without ever knowing why, It’s in everyone of us, By and by,” David sang these lines before the press.

This has been translated into numerous languages and has become an international phenomenon. The song was featured in the motion picture, “Big,” the hit West End Musical “Time” as performed by Sir Laurence Oliver, has been recorded by scores of recording artists, was a major sponsor theme for the Seoul Summer Olympics and has been utilized in corporate trainings by companies like United Airlines, The Dupont Corporation and The Boy Scouts of America.

David is no stranger to charities and causes. His performances, on the other hand, have helped raise funds for a number of institutions already. These includes the Retinitis Pigmentosa Foundation, Philippine National Red Cross, The March of Dimes, Easter Seals, Citizen’s Commission On Human Rights, The Mary Fisher Family AIDS Foundation, and The Police Athletic League, for which David performs annually via the “Christmas Stories” benefit concert at Celebrity Centre International alongside artists such as John Travolta, Kirstie Alley, Charles Durning, Edgar Winter, Anne Archer, Jermaine Jackson, Jonathan Winters and Jenna Elfman. – Marigold P. Lebumfacil