After 3 Christmas singles, Ronnie Liang to record 15 songs composed by soldiers
Ronnie Liang
Despite the pandemic and the various protocols and restrictions, Ronnie Liang sees to it that he’s able to efficiently juggle all of his personal and career endeavors, which include his show biz career, his duties as an Army reservist, his aviation training and his graduate school studies. As a recording artist, Ronnie recently released three Christmas singles—an original titled “Sa Paskong Darating” and covers of the classics “Tuloy na Tuloy Pa Rin ang Pasko” and “Sana Ngayong Pasko.”
“We have been through a lot the past two years, so I decided to record and produce these songs in hopes of boosting the morale of our countrymen during the holiday season,” Ronnie told the Inquirer in a recent interview. “I want to spread cheer and give inspiration through my music.”
Like Jose Mari Chan
Given the opportunity, Ronnie said he would love to come up with a Christmas record, and with it, an enduring song that will be played every year. “We’re already preparing for it, hopefully we can do it next year. It must be nice to have a song that people listen to every year like Jose Mari Chan’s works,” he said.
And now that he has been getting inquiries for Christmas-related online shows and live events, Ronnie figured that it would be better if he had his own songs to perform. “We’re all looking for something to boost our morale. Sometimes, I sing other artists’ songs. But why not produce my own, or at least my own versions? It feels good performing your own work,” he said.
On television, Ronnie makes regular guest appearances on variety programs. He also currently sits as a judge on TV5’s videoke contest “Sing Galing!” In the absences of live concerts, having a regular television gives Ronnie a layer of security.
Army reservist duties
“Performers like me rely on projects; we don’t have regular jobs. So when inquiries to do television projects or shows come in, I consider those as blessings,” he said. “It won’t replace concerts or live gigs but the great thing about being on television is that it helps you stay visible to the audiences.”
As an Army reservist, Ronnie has been carrying out his duties since the onset of the lockdowns last year, assisting in food and aid distribution and providing transportation for front-liners. And just last September, he was deployed in Sulu to take part in a civil military operation. “We’re also being tapped recently by private companies and entities to help distribute groceries to different barangays,” Ronnie related. “And other times, I even get to sing and perform for the people, like in my recent visit to Rizal and Iloilo.”
His time with the military, he added, gave him another concept for a music-related project. “As a tribute to men and women in uniform, I gathered 15 to 16 songs composed by the soldiers themselves. I arranged and produced them …. I have already started recording them and I plan to release them next year,” he said.
On top of those, the “Ngiti” singer has also been putting in the training hours at an aviation school in Lingayen, Pangasinan, to earn a commercial pilot license. Ronnie, who currently holds a private pilot license, said the dream is to work for major airlines in the future. In fact, he has already gotten calls from some of them, thinking that Ronnie has already completed training. “I recently spent a week there and had to fly daily, handling bigger aircrafts. I started training this May. And hopefully, I get my license by 2022. Next year, I will go full blast,” he said.
Other career options
And just to make sure that he has enough career options or fallback in the future, Ronnie is also pursuing a master’s degree in national security and administration through the Philippine Christian University’s online program. “Show biz isn’t forever,” he stressed. “The pandemic has been eye-opening for me … I would like to have options in the future.”
How does he manage to do all these? “It’s all about time management. I coordinate my show biz schedule or engagements with Viva (Artists Agency, his management). I also contacted the aviation school for availability. And the most important thing is that you have to love what you’re doing,” he said. “As they say, ‘Find a job you love, you will never have to work a day in your life.’”
