The Production Team Behind ‘LIYAB’—Get to Know Ducks Entertainment and Its Visionaries

Music has always been more than a harmonious melody or clever lyrics; its impact stretches far beyond the final note. Amid global uncertainty, Ducks Entertainment, Inc. recognized an opportunity for music to cut through the chaos, uniting voices (all 200 of them!) in a shared vision to spark positivity and drive a meaningful cause. 

With “LIYAB: Mga Himig ng Dakilang Pag-Ibig,” National Artist for Music, Mr. Ryan Cayabyab, fulfills yet another dream: to hold a concert dedicated to his classical choral compositions. It was something he manifested last year, and a group of people noticed and thought, “Why not?” 

Their dreams met a common goal, and that was how Ducks Entertainment was formed. Two couples—Monique Eugenio, Mon Eugenio; Melfred Hernandez, and Arlene Hernandez—had the idea to make all their dreams come true. 

Melfred told Metro.Style, “Mr. C, he posted sometime a few months back that his dream was to have a concert featuring his sacred works, sacred choral works in particular. And then that got us into thinking—you know, Mon and me and Monique and Arlene—that maybe we can have a hand in trying to make this dream of his a reality.” 

But at the same time, Ducks Entertainment is the realization of a project that has long been part of their bucket list. “We have been talking about, you know, maybe working together, friends, putting up our own production outfits so we could be our own bosses. So that we can realize what we feel that we have to contribute to the Filipino music industry,” Melfred added. 

Mon and Melfred happen to be friends with Mr. C as well, and so, the collaboration felt organic and, interestingly, timely. “About 15 years ago, I had the chance to meet these two guys. And we hit it off,” Mr. C said.

Now, if you’re curious about why they named their production company Ducks Entertainment, here’s the simple and cute story: “We call ourselves the ‘Tatlong Bibe’ (three ducks), and together with the three ‘Bibets‘—Mrs. C, Arlene, and Monique came together and parang we’re just one barkada… And then when the idea of this show came up, we decided we needed to incorporate that, and the name that we thought of was Ducks Entertainment, a takeoff from ‘Tatlong Bibe.’”

Having this brilliant idea is one thing, but executing it is a whole different story. They hesitated for several reasons, timing being one of them. “There was a lot of hesitation to come up with this project. But I think the timing of ‘LIYAB’ is perfect because right now we’re experiencing war, a lot of uncertainty. The political situation is not ideal. And so, a lot of people are not feeling good. And I think it’s a challenge for us, audacious in fact, for us to come up with a project like this. Because basically, the title is ‘LIYAB: Mga Himig ng Dakilang Pag-ibig.’ And I think if we are forgetting one message, what’s going to pull us through all of this anxiety is love.”

Love is at the core of the concert, which gathers some of the finest, world-class artists in the music industry: Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, conductors Jonathan Velasco and Toma Cayabyab, together with the 200-voice Grand LIYAB Choir and an exceptional roster of Filipino performers including Lea Salonga, Martin Nievera, Ogie Alcasid, Bituin Escalante, Jed Madela, Gigi De Lana, Sofronio Vasquez, and Arman Ferrer. 

The concert is divided into three parts, all exploring a different aspect of love: “There’s love for God, love for country, and love for the beloved. So we’re hoping that this will uplift people and we’ll get that message through. That, you know, meron pang hope, and we’re holding on to that,” Mon said. 

Working with friends on such a huge undertaking, such as “LIYAB,“ is no easy feat. “I think what will be most rewarding for us—I think I speak for all of us—after all these months of preparation and headaches. And near fights. And disagreement. Near fights… the audience should not feel any of that for the next two hours. They should just sit back, relax, and enjoy the magic,” Melfred shared. 

Clearly, “LIYAB” is just the beginning for Ducks Entertainment because the team has bigger dreams of making more significant contributions to championing and preserving Filipino music, particularly Ryan Cayabyab’s body of work.

Arlene said, “There are many composers. Many music composed through the years… And ‘LIYAB’ is a little contribution from us—of legacy, of preservation of the Filipino music kasi ang ganda talaga ng musikang Pilipino.” 

But “LIYAB“ is also designed in such a way that a viewer need not be a fan of Mr. C to enjoy the concert. “For the non-choir or non-musically inclined, it also shows them the breadth of the work of Mr. C. He does all of these songs. He made them pala. A lot of people don’t realize. They think he’s ‘Da Coconut Nut’ or ‘Kay Ganda Ng Ating Musika.’ They don’t realize how vast his body of work is. So, it’s a nice introduction to what he has made all these years,” Monique explained.

While the concert is all about love and will highlight the love songs composed by Mr. C, Mon also emphasized the talent and versatility of the National Artist for Music, showcased through his songs for God and the country. He added, “It’s nice to share. This is our opportunity. While you’re going to see the pop side. You’ll also see the serious side of his music.”

As Arlene noted, “LIYAB” serves as an instrument to honor Mr. C’s work, and so, they don’t see their collaboration with him as a one-night-only thing. “’LIYAB’ is an instrument to introduce or emphasize that his music is actually something to be treasured, something that has to be taken care of. That was our vision when we put up Ducks Entertainment.” 

While they’re all focused on putting together the best show possible for “LIYAB: Mga Himig ng Dakilang Pag-Ibig,” Ducks Entertainment is also setting their sights on the next concerts they want to produce, such as bringing “LIYAB” to Visayas and Mindanao, where they can help give a platform to the homegrown artists. Ultimately, they hope Ducks Entertainment can be a significant figure in amplifying Filipino music so that more people, including the young ones, can enjoy it. 

Talking about how beautiful it is that the same songs can be interpreted in different ways by different artists, Mon said, “I think that’s another way of bridging the gap between the generations because you will now hear a fresh take, a new sound from different artists who are doing the same music.”

Ducks Entertainment’s tagline goes: “We make a little noise. Beautifully.” And that’s what they’re set out to prove on their first milestone project. In today’s chaotic world, it’s noise like this that we truly need to drown out negativity. 

“I hope, and I know that when people get out of the theater after two and a half hours of beautiful music, there will be more than just a spark. Magliliyab talaga ’yung puso nila,” Melfred concluded.