MANILA -- Three of the biggest names in the country's music industry have come together to pay tribute to medical frontliners, who have been dubbed modern-day heroes amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

National Artist for Music Ryan Cayabyab, Broadway icon Lea Salonga, and "Mr. Pure Energy" Gary Valenciano have collaborated for the song "Heroes," a project of the Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) Foundation.

It aims to help raise funds for the Philippine General Hospital's (PGH) Panatag na Kanlungan initiative, which supports doctors, nurses, hospital staff, and other volunteers in the country.

"Heroes" was composed by Cayabyab, with lyrics by Joey Reyes and Jonathan Manalo. The music video for the song was launched online on Wednesday night.

Watch more in iWantv or TFC.tv

"I am the type of person that believes that with or without the pandemic, the frontliners need to be reminded of the critical role they play in all of our lives. When the pandemic hit, all the more," Valenciano said during the virtual media briefing.

"Everyone got into it because we knew what it was for, who it was for... I wanted to be part of something that really shows appreciation where it is needed and where it is due. So it was not difficult to put this together," he added.

Valenciano said he is glad to see how everything came together given the challenges of recording from home, among others, due to the pandemic.

"The time to record for Lea was different from my time... But that's okay, we understand each other when it comes to music," he said.

Cayabyab, for his part, was all praises for Valenciano and Salonga for agreeing to do the music collaboration.

"After I gave it to Gary and Lea... they jumped right into it, it's like diving into the pool," he said, adding that the final product was made by "a dozen or so musicians and creatives."

Meanwhile, Cayabyab said they are also planning to release versions of "Heroes" in Filipino languages so it can reach more people in the Philippines.

"Maybe I'll ask Joey Reyes to write new Filipino lyrics and entice more people to sing along... The truth is, hopefully we can also ask my Visayan friends to write Visayan lyrics, and my Ilocano friends to write Ilocano lyrics kung puwede," he said.

After hearing Cayabyab's remarks, Valenciano said he is willing to perform the later versions of the song as well.

"When the Tagalog version comes out, you know where to reach me. I'm right here," he said.

More details, including how to donate to the cause, are available on the TOYM Foundation's website.

Related video:

Watch more in iWantv or TFC.tv