Jonathan Manalo, Reverb Worship Win Best Inspirational Song at 47th CMMA

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 

OPM hitmaker Jonathan Manalo bagged the Best Inspirational Song award at this year’s Catholic Mass Media Awards (CMMA) for his song Bahaghari, released under Reverb Worship PH, CBN Asia’s music arm.

Manalo, together with Reverb Worship’s Project Head, Ivy Catucod, accepted the award at the Citystate Tower Hotel in Ermita, Manila, and later performed a live rendition of the song.

“Thank you, 47th CMMA, for recognizing Bahaghari as Best Inspirational Secular Song. It is an honor to have written, composed, produced, and interpreted this piece, and an even greater privilege to minister through this song and share its message at the awards night,” Manalo shared.

Bahaghari, a lively pop-funk anthem that highlights God’s enduring promise, serves as the carrier single of Reverb Worship’s Bahaghari EP—the group’s first extended play released in October 2024. Other tracks on the EP include Bahagi by EJ De Perio, Palagi by Vee Jay Dela Calzada, Tahanan by Diwa, and God Is Good by Hazel Faith and Caleb Santos. 

Since then, Bahaghari has received warm reception from listeners, and now, recognition from prestigious award-giving bodies such as the CMMA. Behind the award-winning single are arranger Tommy Katigbak, mixing and mastering engineer Dante Tañedo, and Reverb Worship artists on backing vocals.

“I am grateful to everyone who received the heart of this song and allowed its message to speak to them. Above all, I give back all the glory and honor to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,” he added.

Reverb Worship has consistently earned awards and special citations from 2021 to 2025. Getting the nods from organizations like the CMMA continues to spotlight Christian Contemporary Music, giving audiences alternatives to mainstream songs and inspiring artists to create music that transforms lives.

Have you listened to Reverb Worship's songs yet? 

Stream Bahaghari on all digital streaming platforms worldwide! Stay tuned for Reverb Worship’s upcoming song releases, follow on Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. 

Turning the Tide Against the Silent Killer: A Nation Unites for ‘The Cancer Game Plan’

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 

MANILA — In the shadow of the Philippines' deadliest malignancy, a historic counter-offensive was launched. This November, as the world observes Lung Cancer Awareness Month, the Rizal Park Hotel transformed into the command center for a national health revolution.

We are honored to witness “The Cancer Game Plan: ASPIRE, Build, and Unite for a Future Free from Lung Cancer.” 

When: November 27, 2025 (Thursday)

Time: 12:30 PM – 3:30 PM (Program begins at 1:00 PM) Where: Ballroom 3, Rizal Park Hotel, Kalaw Avenue, Manila 

Photos and videos from the forum were uploaded and shared on our Wazzup Pilipinas social media accounts like Facebook.

The Battleground: Why This Matters Now

Lung cancer remains a formidable adversary, claiming thousands of Filipino lives annually. It is a crisis that demands more than just awareness; it demands a strategy. This high-level forum is not merely a discussion—it is a convergence of power. Policymakers, healthcare titans, patient advocates, and the private sector are gathering with a singular, burning ambition: to drive a national call to action and secure a future where a lung cancer diagnosis is no longer a death sentence.

The Architects of Change

The forum opened with the impassioned voices of the Lung Health Alliance Philippines (LungHAP). Atty. Arnel Mateo (Chair) and Engr. Emer Rojas (President) set the stage, rallying the nation to look beyond the statistics and see the human cost of the disease.

In a show of legislative force, Hon. Ciriaco Gato Jr., Representative of the Lone District of Batanes and Chairperson of the Committee on Health, delivered a crucial video message, signaling legislative support for this health emergency.

The event was supposedly to be headlined by a Keynote Address from Department of Health Secretary Dr. Teodoro “Ted” Herbosa. His presence should have underscored the government's commitment to prioritizing lung health on the national agenda. But we were informed that he is in Cagayan De Oro so we got a video message from Senator Riza Hontiveros, and a few more personalities from the government.

The ASPIRE Consensus: A Blueprint for Survival

At the heart of the forum was the unveiling of the ASPIRE Consensus Document, introduced by Dr. Kenneth Samala. This is the tactical roadmap for the war on cancer, dissected through three high-impact panels:

The Frontlines (Prevention & Detection): Panel 1 tackled the critical need for early detection and diagnosis—the moment where lives are most often saved or lost. Moderated by Dr. Chita I. Nazal-Matunog, this segment featured oncology experts dissecting the path to earlier intervention.

The Arsenal (Access to Treatment): Panel 2 confronted the harsh reality of cost. It focuses on "Access to Innovative and Affordable Treatments." Key figures like Dr. Corazon Ngelangel (President, Philippine Cancer Society) and Dr. Lia Villanueva (HTA Council) debated the mechanisms needed to make life-saving drugs accessible to every Filipino, regardless of economic status.

The Alliance (Partnerships & Investment): Panel 3 expanded the battlefield to society itself. Moderated by Dr. Maricar Sabeniano, featured industry leaders discussing sustainable investments, removing stigma, and the power of public-private partnerships.

The Climax: A Declaration of War on Cancer

The event culminated in a defining moment of unity: the Launching of the Philippine Declaration on Lung Cancer.

In a powerful visual manifesto, LungHAP Board Members, speakers, and participants stood together to launch a change.org Petition. This movement seeks to mandate a specific PhilHealth benefit package for lung cancer, ensuring that the "Game Plan" becomes tangible policy, not just promises.

Our Role in History

This was more than an invitation; it is a summons to witness history. Our coverage hopes to amplify this united advocacy, shaping public compassion and driving the political momentum needed to save lives.

Join us as we ASPIRE, Build, and Unite.

The Unseen Battle: Philippine Declaration Launches Urgent War on Lung Cancer, Demanding Equity and Action

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

Manila, Philippines – A powerful and long-overdue commitment has been etched into the Philippine public health landscape. In a landmark move, the Philippine Declaration for Lung Cancer, launched on November 27, 2025, during the ASPIRE Lung Summit, has sounded a dramatic call to action against the nation's deadliest malignancy.

Lung cancer, which claims over 20,000 Filipino lives every year, is no longer a silent crisis. It is an urgent, systemic failure compounded by late diagnoses, rampant stigma, and profound inequalities in access to care. This Declaration is a unified pledge to ensure that every Filipino has a fair chance to live free from the burden of this disease.

The Deadly Inequity: Why Lung Cancer is a National Emergency

The documents released from the summit paint a stark picture:

Late Detection is a Death Sentence: Most cases are diagnosed late, often misdiagnosed or mistaken for tuberculosis. This delays access to modern treatment, drastically reducing survival rates, particularly for metastatic lung cancer where survival rates drop to around 5%.

More Than a "Smoker's Disease": The pervasive stigma that lung cancer is solely a smoker's disease is a critical barrier to seeking help. Crucially, around 20% of Filipino lung cancer cases occur in people who have never smoked. This misconception delays diagnosis and treatment, denying patients compassion and support.

The Cost Barrier: While advancements in targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and biomarker testing offer new pathways for survival, these high-cost options remain out of reach for the majority due to prohibitive expenses and limited diagnostic capacity nationwide.

The fundamental belief underpinning the Declaration is simple: We believe that every Filipino deserves a fair chance to live free from the burden of lung cancer.

The Five Pillars of the New War Against Cancer

Guided by the Universal Health Care Act and the Philippine Cancer Law, the Declaration outlines five mandatory commitments, transforming the approach from reactive treatment to proactive, equitable care:

1. Urge and Expand Prevention

This is the foundational step, focusing on comprehensive measures, including stronger regulation of tobacco and vaping control, culturally relevant advocacy, and the mitigation of non-smoking risk factors like air pollution and occupational hazards.

2. Prioritize Early Detection

A robust surveillance program is mandated, targeting high-risk groups (e.g., never-smokers with family history, former smokers) and those with chronic pulmonary disease. This requires investing in accessible diagnostic infrastructure, including low-dose CT scans, molecular testing, and AI-based tools.

3. Ensure Equitable and Sustainable Access to Treatment

This pillar tackles the heart of the inequity. It demands expanding access to essential services—surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy—by establishing better PhilHealth coverage, faster approvals, integrated precision medicine tools (like biomarker testing), and strengthening referral pathways for timely, quality care delivery.

4. Build Partnerships and Promote Investment

A whole-of-society approach is critical. The government, medical societies, advocates, and private sector must collaborate on policy-making, awareness-building, and system strengthening to ensure reforms are implemented effectively across the country.

5. Recognize Stigma as a Barrier and Commit to Reducing It

The most emotionally compelling commitment, this calls for explicitly confronting the stigma that shames survivors and keeps people from seeking help. It requires launching educational campaigns and providing psychological and emotional support to patients, caregivers, and families.

PhilHealth Takes Center Stage: The Coverage Push

The most immediate and impactful reform highlighted at the summit is the call for a comprehensive PhilHealth Lung Cancer Benefit Package.

PhilHealth's role is deemed central to the national commitment, with the goal of making timely diagnosis, modern treatment, and comprehensive PhilHealth coverage a reality for every Filipino facing lung cancer. The package aims to drastically reduce household financial burdens by covering the entire spectrum of care—from early screening and diagnostics to biomarker testing and modern treatment.

The Declaration is not just a policy document; it is a moral imperative. It demands urgent, inclusive, and evidence-based action so that no more Filipino lives are lost unnecessarily.

Uniting Stakeholders: The event culminated in the signing of the Declaration, signaling a unified pledge to expand early detection, strengthen treatment access, and ensure PhilHealth plays a central role. Everyone is encouraged to participate in this push for an accessible, equitable lung cancer care by signing the petition: https://www.change.org/p/lung-cancer-can-affect-anyone-action-can-save-everyone

The battle against lung cancer is difficult, but with this Declaration, the Philippines has finally moved from silent suffering to an empowered fight, promising hope, healing, and equity for all.