By Villamor Visaya Jr./Philippine Daily Inquirer News Correspondent/GMA7 News Stringer
TUGUEGARAO CITY- Cagayan-born singer-songwriter Ruth Lee Resuello performed at the Wish Bus in this city recently by showcasing her originally written songs, ” Chase the Sky ( Makkagak Itta Duwa) at “Malay Mo,” both being produced by Northern Root Records.
As a rising singer-songwriter, Ruth Lee was hailed for highlighting the local music in her own hometown.
The daughter of elected Vice Mayor Pastor Ross Resuello of Tuguegarao City, Ruth is a registered pharmacist and a part-time pharmacology teacher at St. Paul University Philippines. She is also a board exam lecturer, who finished Doctor of Pharmacy with Distinction at Centro Escolar University.
She tutors students for free for board exams. She trains kids in their church and now they are already part of the music team.
Ruth also supports missionaries in church-planting in various areas.
During the COVID-19 pre-pandemic, when former President Rodrigo Duterte requires all enrollees of state universities to undergo drug tests, she organized the distribution of 1000 drug testing kits and drug testing activities in CSU Andrews Campus with the help of DOH, Victory Tuguegarao, and her father Pastor Ross Resuello.
She also organized fundraising using an original inspirational album “Anthem of Hope” during Typhoon Ulysses; she was able to raise almost 350,000 pesos worth of goods. She partnered with Victory Tuguegarao to distribute to affected families; 100% of the funds was donated.
Ruth is an accomplished professional musician and recording artist; one of the few with Cagayano blood who are currently rising to prominence. Ruth she won the nation-wide music writing and production contest organized by the CCP in 2021 as a member of musical duo Letrang Norte. Her winning song, Tahanan, was also nominated in the 34th Awit Awards as the Best World Music Recording, with Ben&Ben, Kz Tandingan and Sitti Navarro.
As a solo artist, S1K4M1, her advocacy is to promote four local languages of northern Philippines namely Pangasinan, Ibanag, Ilocano and Itawes; she produces songs in these languages.
Her first songs with Ibanag lines were released and were featured in official curated playlists on Spotify along with mainstream OPM artists and international artists.
She is apparently the first ever Cagayano music artist to be featured on a billboard in New York City. Her discography: self-titled act, SIK4M1, Letrang Norte, has extensive following and reach on Spotify
She has garnered five nominations for Awit Awards. Started the first, if not the first, professional record label in Tuguegarao. Northern Root Records, as an official record label, started 2020, during the pandemic. It can be considered as an international record label since Ruth manages Cagayano artists that are based in other areas, and is already under Warner Music Philippines (distribution). Her mission is to promote and preserve local languages in northern Philippines and her goal is to bring local talents to the mainstream music scene.#
