“Faithful”, a song about personal reflection on the many times that a person has experienced God’s faithfulness in one’s life, won Best Inspirational Song in the 43rd Catholic Mass Media Awards. Composed by renowned songwriter Cecile Azarcon-Inocentes, the woman behind such OPM classics as Basil Valdez’s “Sana Ay Ikaw Na Nga”, Kuh Ledesma’s “I Think I’m In Love”, Martin Nievera’s “Ikaw Ang Lahat Sa Akin”, and Gary Valenciano’s “Reaching Out”, “Faithful” was interpreted by X-Factor UK and The Voice Philippines contender, Alisah Bonaobra, who recently signed with San Francisco-based RJA Productions headed by Rosabella Jao-Arribas. The 43rd CMMA’s Best Inspirational Song was arranged by Eugene Nick Parpana, mixed and mastered by Dante Tañedo, with Arnie Mendaros serving as vocal coach.
Learning of the great news, Alisah said, “Honestly, I am really surprised. Not that I don’t trust our song, but with the other nominees for the Best Inspirational Song Category, being nominated is already a tremendous achievement. Until now, I still can’t believe that we won. Praise God!”
Upon knowing that “Faithful” was declared Best Inspirational Song in the 43rd CMMA, Cecile, who is now based in the San Francisco Bay Area, shared, “I just lost my mom last month and my dad last May. My first thought upon learning of this wonderful news is how I wished my parents were still around. This news would have made them so happy and proud of their daughter.”
Both the RJA Productions talent and the acclaimed composer were deeply grateful when they received the recognition.
Alisah expressed, “My heart is overflowing with gratitude to accept this award on behalf of the whole team. I am deeply honored to interpret this song which is Best Inspirational Song at the 43rd Catholic Mass Media Awards. To God be all the highest Glory! To all the wonderful people behind the Catholic Mass Media Awards, thank you very much for this recognition. This means so much to me and to the whole team. To Miss Cecile Azarcon-Inocentes, the magnificent composer of “Faithful”, I can’t thank you enough for allowing me to interpret your song. I will forever hold this memorable experience in my heart.”
“To my RJA Productions family, my heartfelt thanks for the tremendous amount of support you have given to this song. To my manager, Tita Rosabella Arribas, thank you for always trusting me. To my RLAJ Fam, Furbabies, Alisah Warriors, friends and supporters, thank you so much for the love, motivation, and support. Lastly, to all the people watching tonight, please keep the faith. God is faithful. Maraming salamat po!” she concluded.
While Cecile said “I dedicate this win to my personal Lord and savior, Jesus Christ, who is the giver of every good and perfect gift and to whom I give all the glory, honor and praise.”
As the country is still dealing with the aftermath of typhoon Odette, Alisah and Cecile also gave words of encouragement to the people most affected by the calamity.
“Never give up and stay faithful to God, because God never gave up on us. Life is always not fair, but God is always faithful. A thousand times I failed yet God’s mercy still remains. God will take care of you when you trust Him,” Alisah said.
Cecile stated, “Although things may happen that are difficult to understand, even in our darkest moments, do not lose hope, there’s a reason for everything. Hold on to your faith and just continue to put your trust in God.”
Truly uplifting words from these God-fearing women that are in the same vein of the message of their song “Faithful”.
To watch the music video of the song “Faithful”:
Alisah is releasing a new song “Muli’t Muli” through her label RJA Productions and will be available on all digital platforms starting Dec. 31, 2021. The song’s music and lyrics were provided by Kevin Montillano and Kiko Salazar; music arrangement, mix and master were rendered by Kiko Salazar. For more information about RJA Productions visit. https://www.facebook.com/rjaproductions/
