Project Ngiti: A hit ballad finds a greater purpose
With his signature ballad “Ngiti,” Ronnie Liang has serenaded countless fans and helped put a smile on people’s faces—even those who physically couldn’t.
In 2022, as part of his birthday celebration in a karaoke game show he was part of, the recording artist thought of paying his blessings forward by shouldering the cost of a young girl’s cleft lip repair surgery. It was a success. The mother was all smiles—and soon enough, her daughter would be smiling, too.
“It was really touching and fulfilling seeing the family so happy. And so, after that, I was like, ‘Why not help more children?’” Liang told Lifestyle.
When he first posted on Facebook about his intention to provide free surgeries for people with cleft lip and/or cleft palate, Liang expected to receive 10 to 20 inquiries. He received close to a thousand.
“The post went viral … I was shocked. I had no idea that so many people were born with that condition. It was then that I realized that I would probably need to put up a foundation to accommodate all of them,” Liang said.
Thus, Project Ngiti was born. And since then, the nonprofit organization—in partnership with hospitals, corporate entities, and other cleft-focused charity groups like Smile Train—has helped more than 300 beneficiaries. It’s still far from the target of 1,000. But with the foundation slowly expanding operations, Liang hopes to keep the waitlist moving.
Generous deals
At first, surgeries were done only at the Rizal Medical Center in Pasig City. Now, he also works with St. Vincent General Hospital in Marikina City and the San Fernandino Hospital in Pampanga.
The operation can cost upwards of P80,000 in private hospitals, and about P30,00 in public hospitals, Liang said. However, the foundation’s partner hospitals give generous deals. The surgeons on board, Liang added, waive a portion of their professional fees. And with Smile Train’s invaluable help, Project Ngiti is able to offer this service free of charge.
The surgeries are done in batches of 10 to 15, either monthly, or as soon as enough number of patients pass the preoperative tests and get the green light from doctors. “We start in the morning and finish around 5 p.m. Sometimes, the surgeons allow me to watch them perform the surgery, so I could have a better idea of what happens,” he said.
While the foundation focuses primarily on children, adults are also welcome to seek assistance, Liang said. “We have had patients in their 30s and 40s, too.”
Cleft lip and cleft palate are described by the Mayo Clinic as “openings or splits in the upper lip, the roof of the mouth (palate), or both.” These oral differences happen during pregnancy when tissues involved in the formation of a fetus’ upper lip or palate don’t join together completely.
The procedure to correct the issue is relatively simple and takes only an hour to complete. Its impact on the person’s life, however, is immeasurable. “I have met adults with cleft lip and palate. Many of them grew up being teased, stared at, or bullied. But we can change that. The earlier a child gets surgery, the better,” Liang said.
Project Ngiti is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). But while it awaits the issuance of its solicitation permit from the DSWD—which allows individuals or organizations to accept donations—the foundation raises funds by selling merchandise and holding various fundraising concerts and activities.
“In December 2023 and January 2024, we set up a booth at Lucky Chinatown, which also gave us space to hold shows,” Liang related. “But we expect to receive the permit in April or May. That will be a big help to our cause.”
Own money
Truth be told, Liang has no choice but to cover some expenses, like medicine or medical sundries, with his own money. Part of his show biz talent fees goes to Project Ngiti—and so do all his earnings from record sales and streaming. But thankfully, 18 years after its release, “Ngiti” continues to receive decent radio airplay. On Spotify—where Liang averages 691,000 listeners—the song has 61.9 million streams.
“‘Ngiti’ is still going strong, surprisingly. People still listen to it, they sing it at karaoke, and at times even use it as a contest piece. I feel happy that the song has taken on a greater purpose. That’s why I ask God to continue blessing my music,” said Liang, who has also released a new single titled, “Byahe ng Buhay.”
The uplifting ballad encapsulates Liang’s personal journey—from a choir boy and working student who took on odd jobs to make ends meet, to a singer, actor, and now, an Army reservist and a licensed private pilot. He also earned his doctorate degree in security development administration from the Philippine Christian University just this March.
“I have been in the industry for many years now. I did 300 auditions and got rejected from almost all of them. I joined singing contests, I did television and movies. Now, I get to pursue other passions in life. I’m thankful I’m still here,” he said.
Liang’s future goal is to tap facilities and organizations in Visayas and Mindanao, so that Project Ngiti could more efficiently cater to the needs of patients in those regions. “We have limited resources so far, so we can’t bring all of them here. But it’s not much of a problem for those in Luzon; we can take care of their transportation and simple accommodation.
“Maybe I can also make use of my being an Army reservist to connect with military hospitals in other regions. Some of them are actually open to that; we just need to provide the surgeon and equipment. That way, patients won’t have to travel long distances,” he said.
“God willing,” Liang hopes that Project Ngiti can continue being part of their beneficiaries’ journeys. After all, he said, healing doesn’t stop after the surgery. Some of them may need rhinoplasty or speech therapy later, or potentially another surgery as they grow into adulthood and into their features.
“This is a long-term project. It’s a lot of work, but I know it’s going to be worth it,” he said. “The surgery is simple, but can be life-changing.”
