Quest inspires Filipino youth

The song Sasamahan Kita is all about dreams and the promise of being ever present during the trying times of their pursuit. Composed and produced and also performed by hip-hop artist Quest for PHINMA Education, the uplifting anthem says “Buksan ang kinabukasan/ tuklasin ang kayamanan/ ng pusong nangangarap/ bawat hakbang patungo sa pangarap.”

Released in April, Sasamahan Kita comes at the most opportune time since the new school year has just opened.

PHINMA, which is a network of schools all over the country, makes its promise to help build a bright tomorrow through Sasamahan Kita. But the message also holds true for parents and teachers and guardians and all those who are in a position to provide the youth with the inspiration they need.  

PHINMA Education believes that education is the key to creating a better, brighter future. Its network covers Araullo University in Nueva Ecija; Cagayan de Oro College; Southwestern University in Cebu; University of Iloilo; University of Pangasinan; and Saint Jude College in Manila. 

All these schools focus on active learning. They provide an industry-relevant, skills-oriented curriculum that encourages students to develop their soft skills and which leverages their motivations to create tangible results. The PHINMA network also makes sure that deserving students in need have access to scholarship programs without a grade retention component. This makes it easier for students who have to work, to stay in school and to complete their degree programs.

So to make its advocacy of “Making lives better through education,” better known to the public, PHINMA has asked the 37-year-old Quest to spearhead its campaign. Quest, who was born Jose Villanueva III, hails from Las Piñas and is one of the country’s leading rappers. Sports buffs know him best as the creator of Sige Lang, the inspiring theme song of the Gilas Pilipinas basketball team.

Inspiring is the key word in the PHINMA network campaign and that is also the keyword that has pretty much characterized the work of Quest. He also battled poverty and was raised by his grandmother, a teacher who taught him the value of education and the importance of having a strong role model. “My grandmother inspired me to work hard and never give up.”

Quest is known in local music circles as the best proponent of the hip-hop sub-genre Pinoy Inspirational Rap. In fact, the first time I heard about Quest was through his work for the Victory Christian Church. I thought then that Victory had church music that could easily go mainstream given the quality of the compositions and the recordings. 

Later on, I found out that Quest was the musician-in-charge at Victory and he did go mainstream successfully. Among his hit songs are Back To Love, Tagay, Unang Hakbang, Walang Hanggan, No Greater Love with Clara Benin, One Day and Saludo. He has released two albums, Life of a Champion and Revolution.

Quest is happy to be partners with PHINMA in the Sasamahan Kita campaign. He says, “I am a big advocate of getting an education and having the right mentors. That is why I gladly accepted when the opportunity to work with a passionate partner like PHINMA Education was presented to me. Through this anthem, we aim to raise the spirits of the Filipino youth, to remind them of the value of education and to even help them pursue their educational opportunities with PHINMA.”  

The music video for Sasamahan Kita is now in frequent rotation. I think PHINMA should be complimented for featuring three of its students in the music video with Quest. These are Harry Bibat, a BS Criminology student who works as a tricycle driver; Aldrin Aquino who is taking up BS Civil Engineering and works as a student assistant; and Erika Balaoing, who is taking up Civil Engineering and works as a farmer to support her studies and to help support her family. 

The trio are very good examples of what studying at PHINMA can do. I hope that like what Quest does with his music, they inspire others to be like them as well.