Dedicated to our people, our country, our world.  “Hoping the message of this song would, in some ways, help bring back to our “kababayans” (countrymen) and foster at them regimentary consciousness to keep our home country, Philippines, and the whole world safe and clean for the future of our children”.

“The 20th century has been hard on the Earth's ecosystems.  Until recently, many of us saw the planet as a never-ending supply of resources and a bottomless pit for wastes. Entire ecosystems like old-growth forests, streams, lakes, marshes, and grasslands have been wiped out because of our unsustainable deeds.


Today, we realize that we've been consuming the generous gifts of nature so rapidly that the Earth could ultimately lose its ability to meet the needs of wildlife and humans. Signs like acid rain, global warming, a damaged ozone layer, and wildlife extinctions warn us that our activities are hurting the planet that gives us life. Somewhere along the line, we've forgotten one basic truth: our own survival depends on the fate of the planet Earth and the animal kingdom.


In a world where thousands of species fall extinct every year, there's an urgent need for us to understand that all living things are connected -- that none of the five million species on Earth, including us, can survive without each other or without healthy ecosystems.”


“Ating Paraiso” is an environmental song, (lyrics by Elsa Ballesteros and music by Marc Ballesteros, and is endorsed by the former Toronto Consul General Francisco Santos.  Marc and Elsa performed this song at the University of Toronto's Convocation Hall during the welcome ceremonial program for the former Philippines President Fidel Ramos and the former First Lady, Amelita Ramos in November 1997. At that time, Consul General Santos had spoken about this song with Mrs. Ramos as an awakening inspirational song suitable to Mrs. Ramos' environmental program.  The song inspired ConGen to send a copy to the former First Lady, an active supporter of environmental issues in the Philippines.


Earth ... a “wonderful world” indeed.


Making the Song


Picture of Earth shown on album cover courtesy of NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration).  This picture was taken by the astronauts of Apollo 17 on Dec. 7, 1972 as they left earth orbit en route to the Moon.

Adding the backup vocals with me at Digitrax Studio in Makati, Philippines is my wife and lyricist to the song, Elsa Ballesteros.

Providing the children's background vocals are the SoundSprint Music Singers. Taking a break from learning the song are (left to right) Karla Santos, Trina Belamide, Jingle Sayson, Daryl Reyes, and Monette Garcia. Arnold Buena, on the right, arranged the music and background vocals to the song.

Doing the mix with me is recording engineer, Dodjie Fernandez

Unlike the pictures above, this picture and the four pictures below were video capture shots. Unfortunately, poor lighting condition gave these lesser quality shots.  Video camera was in front of the glass window of the sound booth so some reflections can be seen.

Back in Toronto, I added more instrumentation and vocals.  Finally it was remixed and digitally mastered.  In front of his mixing board with on-board computer is Definitive Sound owner and recording engineer, Chris Anderson.

Pictures above shows my cousin Melissa Silvano (from the German Moreno's "That's Entertainment") and Elsa Ballesteros loosening up and having a joke with the recording engineer.  At bottom left, finally getting down to some serious notes with the background vocals.

Ating Paraiso
(Our Paradise)