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All things are possible until they are proved impossible - and even the impossible may only be so, as of now. -- Pearl S. Buck
The above quote is a favorite of Allan Pineda Lindo, better known around the world as apl.de. ap of the Grammy-Award winning group, Black Eyed Peas. Not only because his rags-to- riches story bears testament to the truth of the words, but more importantly, because it is through the Pearl S. Buck Foundation that the seemingly impossible became possible in Allan’s life.
Pearl S. Buck had a dream to create a bridge between the East and the West – a desire to give children a better life, an opportunity to connect indirectly back to part of their lineage and a chance for many countries around the world to help out children in need. Through the Pearl S. Buck Foundation, a struggling kid from Pampanga named Allan Pineda Lindo was adopted and raised in America where he pursued his passion for music. After 2 decades, Allan and his group have become famous, with almost a dozen Grammy nominations, three Grammy Awards, and an estimated 27 million albums and singles sold worldwide.Now it’s “Give Back” Time. Last November 18, during the celebration of his birthday at the Vanguard in Los Angeles, apl.de.ap started raising funds for his newly-formed Apl Foundation. Inviting his friends and fans to the party, Allan and friends put up a show, the proceeds of which will go directly to help poor children in the Philippines. “We will prepare gift packs which will be distributed to poor children in time for the Holiday season,” he said.
Aside from apl.de.ap who sang his new solo music and other popular songs of his like Bebot, several artists performed during the show, including Taboo of the Black Eyed Peas and noted Pinoy singer, Florante.
“This is my birthday wish happening right here tonight,” Allan told the Asian Journal.
The exciting wish is a dream fulfilled for Allan. When he left his family in Pampanga at the age of 14, he carried a dream in his heart to someday be able to go back and help his family and other children who have similar stories like him from his homeland.
Allan Pineda Lindo was born November 28, 1974 in Angeles City, Pampanga, to a Filipino mother,Cristina Pineda, and an African-American father. His father, a US airman stationed at nearby Clark Air Base, abandoned the family shortly after Allan’s birth. Allan’s mother, Cristina Pineda, raised him and his six siblings in their small barrio.
Apl was sponsored by the Pearl S. Buck Foundation, an organization that finds healthier living environments for young abandoned or orphaned Amerasian children, most of whom have been abandoned by their American fathers. He was sponsored by Joe Ben Hudgens and initially brought to the United States at the age of 11 to treat nystagmus, an involuntary movement of the eyes.During this time, Alan and his mother started to discuss the possibility of adoption. Joe Hudgens wanted to adopt Allan to help him with his eyesight, provide him with a better education, and more options for his future. His single mother, Cristina, was faced with a difficult and emotional decision about giving her son up for adoption. But she understood that this would be Allan’s opportunity for a better life.
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