Gary Valenciano not yet retiring after 'One Last Time' concert, but will leave 'Mr. Pure Energy' behind

OPM figure Gary Valenciano said he isn’t retiring just yet despite his upcoming concert’s title Pure Energy One Last Time seemingly suggesting so.

“‘Yung nakitang ‘One Last Time,’ alam ko maraming nagtatanong, ‘Ha? Hindi na siya magpe-perform, magre-retire na?’ I did not say I was going to retire. Hindi ako magre-retire,” said Valenciano in a guesting over Ogie Diaz’s vlog posted on YouTube on March 7 while shaking his head.

Valenciano noted that even God might probably tell him that it’s not yet time to retire.

“Binabanggit ko rin sa tao, basta tumitibok pa rin ang pusong ‘to, tuloy-tuloy pa rin. Gagawin at gagawin ko ang lahat ng kailangan kong gawin,” he said.

“Until this heart no longer beats, that’s it,” he added.

Valenciano, however, clarified that his future shows won’t exude much “Hataw na” energy anymore, especially since he’s already 59.

“At this age, I think it’s time that I will move on to continue my music but maybe in smaller venues,” he said, adding that there’s a difference between a big venue and an intimate venue.

From holding 10,000-seat plus concerts years ago, Valenciano said he’d opt for a 2,000-seater at most moving forward.

“For me, this is the right time. Is it gonna be the end? No. But it will be the end of something,” he said. “It will be the end of a chapter. It won’t be the end of a book. Chapter lang, then you’ll open up new chapters.”

Valenciano said he’s leaving behind the “Mr. Pure Energy” identity from his younger years.

“I may be Mr. Pure Energy, but I’m also human,” he said. “I know that it’s time. It’s time for these big concerts, solo, all out Mr. Pure Energy. That has to come to an end.”

Aside from smaller concerts, even appearances in movies or theater shows, Valenciano said he’s open to collaborating with other musicians.

Since kicking off his career in 1983, Valenciano has released 39 studio albums, won 12 of the prestigious Awit Awards, and held sold-out concerts not only in the Philippines, but also in over 20 countries across Asia, Europe, and the Americas.

Aside from singing, he also starred in over 10 movies, including Hotshots and Natutulog Pa ang Diyos, and appeared on television a few times, including the drama anthology Maalaala Mo Kaya. He also became a judge in singing competitions The Voice of the Philippines and Your Face Sounds Familiar.

Valenciano is living with type 1 diabetes; his pancreas makes little to no insulin, a hormone that helps blood sugar enter the body’s cells for use as energy. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, lack of insulin results in high blood sugar, which can damage the body and lead to complications.

In May 2018, he underwent open heart surgery due to a blockage of his left anterior-descending artery brought about by his diabetes. The following June, or just a month while healing from surgery, he was diagnosed with kidney cancer. He became cancer-free in 2019.

Pure Energy One Last Time will be held on April 26 and 27 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.