Singer-philanthropist Emma Cordero (also popularly known as "Emcor") has made it a "panata" (religious vow) to share her blessings from God with her townmates in Barangay Sta. Maragarita in Quinapondan town of  Eastern Samar.

Thus, a few days after her well-attended Eighth World Class Excellence Japan Awards (WCEJA) at Heritage Hotel,  Emcor flew to the island to attend the barangay fiesta in honor of St. Anthony de Padua and bring more festivities to her townmates there.

"We opened our door to anyone and everyone who would like to partake of what we have laid on our table. It has become a tradition for us to do that since various members of our family began to reap success as entertainers in Japan and elsewhere," says the singer who is also known as" "Asia's Princess of Songs."

Several fiesta dishes were served to visitors. No one was not welcomed to the buffet tables.

That was at daytime of the fiesta. When night came, Emcor and  Quinapondan Vice Mayor Leo Jasper Candido led the people in the popular dance Kuratsa during which people toss money to their favorite dancing partners.

Kuratsa is one of the traditional dances in the islands of Leyte and Samar in Eastern Visayas. It is widely performed during fiesta, family reunions,  weddings, anniversaries (including birthdays)

It is known to be a courtship dance in which the performers imitate wooing movements of rooster and a hen in a creative way.

It is said that unlike other traditional dances in the Philippines, Kuratsa dance steps vary in the provinces in the region.

In Samar, Kuratsa is more playful and lively because the men sometimes do fancy movements in imitating a rooster attracted to a hen. In Leyte, it is said to be graceful, emphasizing the movement of the female dancer whose feet movement is fine and intricate.

In community, dancing Kuratsa is a way of raising fund because of the "gala" or "abwag".

"Gala" is the money that people offer to dancers, while "abwag" is the money tossed up on air by the dancers or the people who offer their money.

Mostly, "abwag" is done when prominent people are the ones dancing.

A table cloth is usually laid on a prominent spot on the dance floor where people can toss their money.

Emcor, who can dance tirelessly, accommodated all the gentlemen who wanted to dance with her. Other women guests danced, too, including Mayor Flora of  Mc Arthur, Estern Samar. Other municipal officials and "balikbayan" guests also hit the floor.  They, too, were generous with their money.

The money raised was donated to the church. The fundraising dance was covered by Kadumagat vlogger, Chorz de la Cruz  YouTube channel and her own official Emma Cordero You Tube channel.

To celebrate her birthday on June 20, Emcor filled up with goods an area in a covered basketball court where she gave a free concert for her townmates. Instead of accepting gifts, she gave presents (including cash) to the people on her birthday. Her gifts to the people included packaged food, imported chocolates, shirts, school supplies for the children.

Her family, though, gave the gifts that warmed her heart and made her cry. Likewise, her younger brother, Florentino "Florie” Macawile, is the chairman of Barangay Sta. Margarita.

Before flying back to Manila, Emcor went to a church in Barangay Sulangan, Guiuan, Eastern Samar which she considers "miraculous." She believes that the church supported all her prayers there for her health, her family, her business ventures, and her philanthropic activities.

The singer-philanthropist flew back on June 23  to Fukuoka, Japan where she has been based for more than three decades now. She will earnestly prepare to hold there in October this year the 9th World Class Excellence Japan Awards, slated to be held at the Fukuoka New Otani Hotel on Oct. 28.

Emcor revealed that during her brief visit to the Philippines this June, she practically went overboard in her philanthropic undertakings to make up for the two years of the pandemic that she could not visit. She spent hectic days with the beneficiaries of her philanthropic groups Voice of an Angel Foundation, Emma Cordero Official YouTube channel, and World Class Excellence Japan Awards.

Emma Cordero vows that for as long as she is healthy, dynamic, and productive, she will go on helping others even as she humbly admits that her philanthropic activities are among the reasons she has been doing well in her God-supported life. (Obette A. Serrano/contributed article)