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Friday, March 29, 2024

A new mission for Lance Raymundo

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By Rogelio Constantino Medina

Singer-actor Lance Raymundo, or Reggie Raymundo in real life, who met a serious accident when his trainer dropped an 80-pound barbell at the gym on March 19, 2014 that almost damaged his face and career in show business, looks forward to a solemn Holy Week. He will enact the role of Jesus in a musical stage play Martir sa Golgota on April 7, to be directed by Lou Veloso and produced by Tanghalang Santa Ana and Greenfield District.

“I am very thankful to God for the second life,” related the singer-indie actor who graduated high school at La Salle Greenhills (in 2000) and earned a B.S. degree in Biology at the University of the Philippines.

Prior to his entry into the local music industry, he was a Levis model, along with Carlos Agassi, Jake Roxas, PJ Trinidad, Bojo Molina, Dingdong Dantes, Ryan Agoncillo, PJ Monotoc, and Bernadette Allyson.

“Dingdong Dantes became an actor while I became a singer (though he was an actor for two years). I had then a hit single, “You are the One”,” he reminisced with enthusiasm.

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He added, “I was on TV almost everyday. I came back to show business in 2008. Ms. Angie Magbanua (Lance’s former manager) was still alive then.”

He also performed at the Gantimpala Theatre, appearing as Romeo in the Tagalog version of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and he appeared in a Singaporean TV series, the Incredible Tales.

On ABS-CBN, he was included in the TV daytime drama series Pieta, with Ryan Agoncillo and Cherie Gil in the lead.

He has appeared in several films by Peque Gallaga (as Lapu-Lapu in documentary film Images of Nation: Botong Francisco), Mario O’Hara (as Emilio Aguinaldo in Ang Paglilitis ni Andres Bonifacio), Romy Suzara (Tinik), Carlo J. Caparas ( Ang Pangarap Kong Jackpot), Francis Jun Posadas (Aninag), and  Sandy Bacolod (in Fidel), among others.

“Acting is my passion. It’s my new-found awareness, which serves as a platform to give inspiration to younger people,” commented Lance, younger brother of singer Rannie Raymundo and son of former actress and beauty queen Nina Zaldua-Raymundo. He is the cousin of actress Ina Raymundo, balladeer Julius Obregon and actor Christian Vasquez.

It is interesting to note that Lance knows the value of good living. He does not drink, he does not smoke and he does not sleep late. He swims, runs and involves in amateur boxing. He can forgive a person for a wrongdoing done to him, especially during last year’s gym incident that almost got his life.

“When I looked deeper at the mirror, I just smiled. I readily accepted the incident that happened to me. I realized no matter how you look, life has to go on and people will accept you. I remember I told my trainer that I have already forgiven him and asked him to help me go to the nearest hospital. Ang pagpapatawad ay malaking bagay para gumaan ang loob mo (Forgiveness is a big thing to have some relief inside)… Healing starts when you forgive someone who does you wrong,” philosophized Lance.

As a Catholic, Lance believes in miraculous healing. He vividly recalled when he stood up from his hospital bed, he saw the images of Jesus and Mother Ignacia in the blanket. His mother Nina put a novena under his pillow, and his mother is a devotee of Blessed Mother Ignacia, or venerable Ignacia del Espiritu Santo, a Filipino religious sister of the Roman Catholic Church and founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Religious of the Virgin Mary (the first native Filipino female congregation with approved pontifical status).

“You don’t have to be Catholic to believe in that. It’s faith in general,” said Lance.

Certainly, Lance has realized that one’s life is not dependent on how one looks, as most actors of course want to look their best as their assets or investments to continue in show business. He is not selfish on his time to readily give talks to students in schools and to cheer up patients in various charitable institutions to share his experience and thank God in giving him another chance to live a meaningful life.

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