The show will go on.
Just over a month since reeling from another unbearable family tragedy, Prince of Pop Erik Santos held his first official media conference with a grateful smile despite the sadness in his eyes. He had to, not only because his fans have been waiting for him to announce his plans for his upcoming 20th anniversary in music but also as a significant way to pursue a new direction in life he has realized.
With a heavy heart, Erik openly shared how he is still grappling with losing both his parents to lung cancer in a matter of months. His mother, Angelita Ramos Santos, passed away on November 25, 2022, and his father, Renato Santos, also perished only last August 10, causing the singer and his siblings unimaginable grief.
These tragic losses rocked the beloved OPM artist to the core, leaving him in deep despair to the point of challenging his faith.
“[When my parents were sick], we experienced not knowing who would stay with them in the hospital because we needed to work. We didn’t know where to draw strength every time we faced the doctors, wondering if there would be more bad news or a glimmer of hope. It was incredibly draining in all aspects,” Erik recounted. “Admittedly, my faith was shaken, especially when we received the same diagnosis for my father and mother. I questioned why it had to happen to them of all people — two kind-hearted souls.”
Still, the faith he almost lost turned out to be his very salvation in the end. Thanks to genuinely supportive friends who never allowed him to go astray.
Erik elaborated, “I surrounded myself with good and supportive friends who encouraged me to follow inspiring Instagram accounts, attend Mass and read the Bible. So, if you see me standing strong now, it’s all by the grace of God. He sends people into your life, especially at your lowest point. And these people, [who I consider] my family, didn’t leave us amid the storm we faced.”
It was also because of faith that, despite losing his parents, Erik found a meaningful way to heal and move on while still paying tribute to his beloved mother and father.
In asking for God’s help, he was filled with the desire and determination to inspire others, fortunate enough to still have their parents, to spend more time with them.
“Even for those with complicated relationships with their parents, let’s humble ourselves and reach out to them. We never know when we’ll share our last hug, our last kiss, or our last ‘I love you.’ Life is uncertain. I did this for my parents. Up until their last breath, I was there for them, and I’m grateful to have done that.”
One of the ways Erik plans to honor this commitment is through his brand new partnership with Anchor of Hope & Strength, a seven-year-old non-profit organization dedicated to supporting cancer patients.
Its founder, Dr. Charity Viado-Gorospe, was the oncologist of Erik’s mom, who, besides doing all she could for the late Santos matriarch, even waved her professional fee, touched by the immense love and care she saw the celebrity devote to his elders.
And so, to express his immense gratitude for Dr. Charity’s selflessness and inspire Anchor of Hope & Strength’s patients and their families to make every day count, Erik wholeheartedly decided to go on with his 20th-anniversary concert for their benefit.
Aptly titled “milEStone,” Erik has pledged a portion of the production’s proceeds, including his talent fee, to the foundation, which will be used to subsidize medication, chemotherapy and other needs of cancer patients who can’t keep up with the expensive yet indispensable treatments to stay alive.
With some 20 cancer patients present at the media conference along with members of their families — all of them grateful to Erik for giving back to them even after his parents’ passing — the dutiful son couldn’t help but break into tears.
He told them, “I want to thank you because you’ve given my life a new purpose. I want to tell all of you that you’re not alone in this journey.”
Erik Santos’ 20th-anniversary concert, “milEStone,” will take place at the SM Mall of Asia Arena on October 6. Co-produced by Cornerstone Entertainment, ABS-CBN’s Star Music, and Erik himself, the event promises to be a celebration of resilience, faith, and the enduring power of music. With many sections already sold out, remaining tickets are availble at all SM Tickets outlet and www.smtickets.com.
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