Actress Chin-Chin Gutierrez visited Cebu over the weekend to support the drive to plant at least 1 million mangroves around the province.
Named a Time Magazine Asian Hero in 2003, Gutierrez, or Carmina Lourdes Cynthia Arnaldo Gutierrez in real life, advocated the coastal reforestation program in the Cebu sponsored by the Rotary Club of Mactan, Coastal Conservation and Education Foundation, Inc., Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the province of Cebu.
Gutierrez, one of the Ten Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service awardees in 2004 for environmental protection, joined in the planting of mangrove propagules here to intensify her support to the environmental campaign on the planting of mangroves around Cebu.
Gutierrez was also here to promote her “UYAYI: A Collection of Philippine Lullabies” album. Uyayi is an Ifugao term referring to lullaby or “hele” in Tagalog and “laylay” in Sugbuano.
Through a concert at the University of San Carlos Gym dubbed “UYAYI: Womb Songs of the Filipino Spirit – An Evening of Canticles and Cradle Songs” last Saturday, Gutierrez was able to lead the Cebuano audience into an “enchanted musical journey” back to the soothing joy and comfort of the cradle.
As an independent artist and producer, her painstaking efforts were rewarded when “UYAYI” won Best Secular Album in the 2004 Catholic Mass Media Awards.
She also received a Special Award in recognition of her initiative in said groundbreaking project which highlights her ecological work that extends to health and wellness, animal rights, the conservation of indigenous cultures and peoples; and peace and ecumenical initiatives.
It was learned that since then, her concerts have delighted audiences in key cities of the Philippines as well as her highly successful performances in France and Japan.
“Every concert serves as a homage to three important sources of inspiration - the living, present and active Motherland by celebrating indigenous people and diversity; Mother Nature - for the precious biological diversity that forms the environment - and the tireless advocates who work towards protecting it; and our Divine Mother - the maternal facet of God - who is the Source of all Life and who nurtures it,” she said.
Her “UYAYI” series of concerts is a fund-raising event that will benefit the Golden Jubilee celebration of the Carmelite Order in the Philippines. — Marigold P. Lebumfacil/MEEV