Pinoy artist to help promote Saipan

Filipino artist Khalil Ramos visited Saipan to shoot footages that will be used for a promotional video by an airline company. (Jon Perez)

Filipino artist Khalil Ramos visited Saipan to shoot some footage that will be used in videos co-owned by his production outfit, New Age Creatives, for a client that wants to promote the Marianas as an ideal get away.

Ramos is a contract artist of Star Magic, Philippine broadcast giant ABS-CBN’s talent arm. He traveled with McCoy Tarnate, a cinematographer and lighting director at ABS-CBN productions.

They first went to Guam, arriving on April 29, to shoot the sites and places to go in the CNMI’s southern island neighbor then spent two days on Saipan—May 1 and 2.

The 20-year-old singer-actor said the footages that they took would be turned into an in-flight video for an airline. Their client required them to produce a short travel video and they thought of Guam and Saipan in the Marianas.

“We first went around Guam to shoot some of the places there then here on Saipan. We also toured Saipan to see its sites,” said Ramos, who learned about the island through a friend. “There are a lot of things to do around here and see historical sites.”

He and Tarnate rode the Deepstar Submarine yesterday to see Saipan’s underwater world filled with World War II wrecks and a wide variety of fish living in the coral reefs. The submarine goes underwater at a depth of 100 feet.

“It was my first submarine ride and the trip underwater was very relaxing. We have a lot of good footages for the promotional video,” said Ramos, who is studying to move behind the camera.

“I want to learn new things. I’m still young so why not study filmmaking. Plus I get to apply what I learned from my production company,” added Ramos, who has made his fifth trip outside the Philippines this year.

His job with his co-owned production company has brought him to Korea, Japan, New York, and recently to Guam and Saipan.

He knew that there’s also a large Filipino community here on Saipan. “I really wanted to come here on Saipan for a long time. I’ve heard about the place and the people. It is a simple island with a lot of friendly people.”

“I’ve met a lot of people, Filipinos and locals. I love the people here and they are always smiling. There a lot of happy people and this is a happy place,” said Ramos, who was discovered after placing second in the reality talent show Pilipinas Got Talent aired in ABS-CBN.

He was first known as a singer but moved to acting and starred alongside stars Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla in the drama series Princess and I. He is also the host of Filipino Ka, Sabihin Mo—a show for learning about Filipino culture and language.