OFY Showcases World-Class Pinoy Talent at New Cultural Stage Proscenium

In the afternoon of Sunday, Aug. 10, I had the privilege of attending a special preview concert at the newly opened Proscenium Theater at Rockwell, Makati. The invitation came from ABS-CBN chairman Mark Lopez and featured a performance by the Orchestra of the Filipino Youth (OFY)

- Razzle-Daza WITH PAT-P

I was especially eager to go — not only to experience the Proscenium Theater for the first time, but also to support Mickey Muñoz, executive director of Ang Misyon Inc. (AMI), the organization behind the concert and a former colleague from ABS-CBN.

Unknown to many, OFY is the performing arm of Ang Misyon, Inc. (AMI), a non-profit dedicated to empowering musically gifted, primarily underprivileged youth through free, high-level orchestral training. Since its inception in 2012, AMI has supported over a thousand scholars by providing music education, instrument support, and invaluable performance opportunities.

As of June 2025, OFY has 81 young musicians under its wing. Every Saturday — and on performance days — they travel to their rehearsal space in Rockwell, Ortigas, coming from all over the country: 13 from the National Capital Region (NCR), seven from Region 3 (Zambales and Bulacan), 59 from CALABARZON, and two from Cebu. Remarkably, only 20 percent hail from Metro Manila. The rest demonstrate incredible commitment - some journey as much as five hours one way, and a few even fly in and out of Cebu to attend lessons and rehearsals. The orchestra is composed of 50 males and 31 females, with the youngest scholar just 12 years old. Most are between 19 and 25 years old.