The other side of Joey Lina

MANILA, Philippines - When former senator Joey Lina and this writer were still in our teens, we knew he’d end up not only a lawyer, but a leader as well. After all, he was president of the College Editors’ Guild of the Philippines and editor of The Collegian, official school publication of the University of the Philippines.

Back then, more than two decades ago (ouch!), we never imagined he’d one day form one-third of The Singing Tenors made up of his friends, MMDA Chair Bayani Fernando and Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes. I never thought our next meeting would be on the set of GMA 7’s Celebrity Duets, where he was to sing a duet of One Moment in Time with Fernando.

Before I could rub my eyes though, Lina approached me as if to say, “Yes, it’s me, the one you read position papers with, the one you spent many weekends with plotting pooled editorials for fellow students to read.”

How on earth did it all come to pass?

As it turns out, Lina’s journey as a singer started when at the University of Sto. Tomas, where he was a member of the Glee Club until he dropped out because he had to buy his own uniform. Years after, Lina sang at a friend’s wedding where Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Nachura was present. Impressed, Nachura asked Lina to sing at a family wedding soon after.

Not long after, Lina was at the Aliw Awards where he was supposed to be a presenter. While waiting for his turn, Lina asked the award-giving body’s president, Alice Reyes, to do him a favor. Can he sing instead, so he could go home early because he hated staying up late?

Reyes’ nod led to an impromptu spot number, which gave birth to a concert act with Reyes and Fernando, two of Lina’s partners in what is now known as The Three Tenors.

As president of Manila Hotel, Lina, on a lark, took the microphone at the Tap Room, and thinking that it was still too early for the place to accept guests, sang a ballad or two. Lo and behold! Hotel guests stopped in their tracks to listen. That’s how Lina hit upon the idea of coming up with a President’s Hour, where he could open the Tap Room earlier than usual and sing to those who want to unwind with a laid-back ballad or two now and then.

Lest you get any ideas, Lina says pursuing a career as performer is the farthest from his mind.

“I use my singing to raise funds,” he declares. “You can say I sing for God and country.”

His debut album, Nagmamahal, is a case in point. The album, which shows Lina’s beloved Laguna Lake (he was former Laguna governor) in the background, is actually an inspirational CD Lite. The seven songs speak of God’s love, courage, pride of country and other values.

The song closest to the debuting recording artist’s heart is his own take on The Impossible Dream.

“It’s a song of hope, of encouragement. It urges us not to be quitters, but to fight ‘til the end,” Lina explains.

Yes, the former student activist has more windmills to fight, now that he is in a better position to do so. He is giving proceeds of Nagmamahal to Bayanihang Pilipino, a non-governmental organization that promotes values formation, spiritual growth, financial literacy and livelihood education.

“God gave me a gift.  So I will honor Him with this gift,” he states. “It will be a big mistake if I don’t acknowledge this gift from Him.”

Already, Lina’s gift is gaining acceptance, especially among OFWs, for whom he is dedicating the track Nasaan Ka Man. He reports that OFWs in  Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Dubai have placed orders for Nagmamahal.

The signs are so encouraging, Lina is already planning a sophomore album, which will consist of eight more songs, soon. This time, the album will include his eldest son’s compositions. And if Nagmamahal is a family affair (his daughter did the album cover and one track, The Prayer, features his children), the next one will be no different. The happily married father of six will see to that.

Decades after his student activist days, Joey Lina remains a crusader at heart. This time, the former campus journalist is battling negative values that threaten to tear the country’s social fiber apart.  It’s an uphill climb, but at least, Joey is doing something about it.