Familial love in the time of pandemic
AUDIO-VIDEO Solutions Corp. (AVSC) offers world-class home entertainment products such as Grand Videoke, became every household’s favorite.
It is no secret that the current pandemic has turned the lives of many upside down. Everyone is pushed to adopt a new lifestyle, while new heroes—our frontliners—rose to the challenge of being our first line of defense during this time of certainty. But while everyone is struggling to adjust to the “new normal,” there remains one problem that a lot of people have been struggling with until now: keeping our connections with others, especially to those that we love.
Marianne Coleen Basibas is one such person who can give voice to this challenge. As a medical frontliner, she has personally experienced the impact of dealing with the virus first-hand, as well as the disconnection it has brought when it comes to her loved ones.
It has been particularly hard on Marianne since she has always been so close to her mother and grandparents who raised her. A daughter of a humble single mother, she shares that she never felt something was lacking in her life. “Napaka hands-on niya sa pag-aalaga sa akin mula bata ako hanggang ngayon. I am living with my grandparents and my mother so masasabi ko na maswerte ako sa kanila dahil hindi lang iisang tao ang nagmamahal sakin. Kumpletong pamilya yung meron ako and I am very thankful for the family I have,” she shared.
When asked about her greatest challenge working as a frontliner, she answered: “One of the difficulties I have experienced was when I was isolated in the hospital. I cannot go home because I was exposed to patients. I think that’s one of the difficulties that frontliners like me are experiencing. We know our lives are at risk, but more importantly, we need to stay away from our family for their safety as well.”
This longing is the very reason that inspired Marianne to take her chance on Grand Videoke’s Kantah-anne virtual singing contest. “I was quarantined in the hospital and I saw it online. The contest was for the celebration of Mother’s Day, so I had the idea of joining to dedicate a song for my mom. I was thinking, if I win, the Grand Videoke will be a perfect gift for her. One of our favorite bonding sessions together is having videoke sessions.”
Luckily, Marianne’s soulful rendition of the classic “Ugoy ng Duyan” bagged her the top prize. “I chose the song because it is so relatable to my experience right now. Yung
“Ugoy ng Duyan,” kanta siya ng isang anak na sabik ulit na mayakap at makapiling ang kanyang nanay. Naisip ko, kapag napanood ng nanay ko yung video for her, she will be touched, and she will feel kung gaano ko siya kamahal kahit magkalayo kami ngayon.”
Grand Videoke’s Marketing OIC, Jin Cortez shared that this is their small way of trying to encourage people to be more positive during these hard times. “Singing is a big part of our culture as Filipinos. We usually have videoke sessions to celebrate during gatherings, but we also want to shift that a bit and show that it can be the perfect outlet to express our feelings even when we are far apart from each other at the moment. We don’t need to be physically close to each other to feel connected.”
The Grand Videoke is more than just a regular videoke unit, too. It boasts of advanced technologies like its proprietary feature Perfect Pitch, a scoring system that guides users to improve their singing skills using an interactive real-time feedback that acts like their very own singing coach at home.
This is not the first and last activity that the brand has in the pipeline, too.
Grand Videoke is planning to bring more exciting things to provide home entertainment and fun to the community during these tough times.
For Audio-video Solutions Corp. (AVSC), distributor of Grand Videoke, (https://www.facebook.com/grandvideoke/ posts/1870158659785463), Marianne is the perfect poster child to win the contest because of her singing prowess and inspiring experiences. “To all frontliners, stay strong and healthy. Remember that our family is always there for us no matter what. Everything will be fine, and we will soon go home to our families in God’s perfect time,” Marianne said. Reni Salvador