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Friday, December 23, 2022

I lost my baby this Christmas!


It's been 21 days since I lost my furbaby, Crumpy. He is my 17-year-old Maltese who has been with me for almost half my life. He passed away due to old age. 



I had him right after college and he was there in all the milestones in my life like landing my first corporate job, getting married, relocating to Manila, and later on in Bacolod, etc. I celebrated all these happy moments including all our birthdays and Christmases with him. With every major change --- he was there. 



Actually, even in the "not-so-happy moments," we were in it together too and he helped me get through it. I was able to get through "adulting" because I had a dog to take care of. In my darkest moments when I just want to end it all, he gave me a reason for living because all I would think of is "who would take care of him when I am gone?" 

And now.. 2 days before Christmas, my heart is empty. I have never felt more alone. I have a supportive husband and a loving family however when it's all quiet, the feeling of loss creeps in and I just miss him so bad. 

No matter how much I love Christmas. It's just so hard to be merry and bright at this time of the year. I am the type of person who gets excited to put up Christmas decorations as early as September 1st but now, we don't even have a Christmas tree. 

The past 3 weeks were a blur. I barely remember anything aside from working. To be honest, I feel like a robot. And now that we are on a holiday break, everything starts to sink in. 

I miss you, Baby Crumpy. I really do. 

For now, let me just quote what Ed Sheeren said, "I wish that heaven had visiting hours and I would ask them if I could take you home." 

Thursday, December 22, 2022

Yanthy Releases Debut Singles and Launches Album Christmas Hymns for Him

Homeschooled music prodigy, Yanthy, has just released 10 new singles via Distrokid that will be part of his debut album titled Christmas Hymns for Him, scheduled for launch on the First Sunday of Advent.


The album Christmas Hymns for Him is Yanthy’s Grade 8 homeschool project for school year 2022-2023. He made his own musical arrangements of some of the oldest Christmas songs ever made and performed them on the piano. He recorded all ten singles in his album from home. He was also the one who did the sound engineering of these singles with the help and guidance of his dad.

To enable Yanthy to achieve all these, his parents got him music coaches and teachers who taught and guided Yanthy while working on his project. Among them was Hanzel Estrella, a composer, singer, musical arranger, voice coach and former Madrigal Singer from the UP College of Music. Yanthy had online lessons on music theory and making musical arrangements with him.

Yanthy released his first four singles last October before his 14th birthday. His debut single Silent Night was released on October 6. This was followed by O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, O Come, All Ye Faithful, and Away in a Manger.

Then, he released 6 more singles to complete his album in November. All of Yanthy’s singles are now live and available for listening in at least 20 music platforms worldwide including Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and YouTube Music. His album was produced by his parents.

“God has blessed Yanthy with an amazing gift in music! I’m so grateful that we were able to discover it while he was still young and that Yanthy chose to use his giftedness to serve God and His Church,” said Teresa Gumap-as Dumadag, Yanthy’s mom who homeschools him and who suggested this project to Yanthy late in September this year.

“We hope that through the songs included in Yanthy’s album, people would be reminded that we celebrate Christmas because of Jesus, the King of Kings, who came to save us,” she continues.

The album will be launched at Mary, Mother of Good Counsel on November 27 at the end of the 8:30 AM Mass.

You may read more about this amazing boy from the award-winning e-book titled YANTHY: God’s Little Pianist, which won in the Cardinal Sin Catholic Book Awards. This book was authored by his mom, who is a multi-awarded author and blogger.  


You may also follow Yanthy on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/musicianyanthy) and YouTube (https://youtube.com/@YanthysMusic). Click here to go to Yanthy’s official YouTube Artist Channel.

About Yanthy

YANTHY taught himself to play the piano when he was only 5 years old. He later had formal piano lessons after his parents observed that he was determined to learn the instrument. He has been homeschooled since birth. He started serving as a church pianist for daily evening Masses and Sunday afternoon Masses at Mary, Mother of Good Counsel Parish in Paranaque at 7 years old. He continues to serve as a pianist in their parish now that children are again allowed to go back to church.