John Lester Barot
John Lester Barot is included in Negros Island Stories as a professional violinist from Bais City whose long-running career has become closely associated with Dumaguete and the wider Negros Oriental events and music community. His work spans weddings, live events, and public performances, while his role in bringing together local wedding professionals for the widely reported 2024 “Take 2” wedding brought his community work to national attention.
Biography
Name: John Lester Barot
Location / connection: Bais City and Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental
Field: Music / violin / live performance
Profession: Professional violinist and entertainer
Career: At least 15 years as a violinist by 2024
Professional work: Weddings, corporate events, and live performances
Community involvement: Organizer within the Negros Oriental wedding and events community
Notable public initiative: Head organizer and violinist for the 2024 “Take 2” wedding in Dumaguete City
Media recognition: Featured in coverage by PEP.ph, GMA Regional TV, Cebu Daily News, PhilSTAR Life, and SunStar
Based in: Dumaguete City, Philippines
John Lester Barot — Significant Contributions
Professional Violin Career
John Lester Barot has built a long career as a professional violinist working primarily in Negros Oriental and the wider events industry.
In a 2024 interview, PEP.ph reported that Barot had already been working as a violinist for 15 years, with weddings forming an important part of his professional career.
Weddings and Live Events
Barot has become particularly associated with live violin performances at weddings and other events in Dumaguete and Negros Oriental.
His continued presence in the local wedding industry has made him a recognizable musician within the region’s professional events community. SunStar has identified him as a professional violinist and entertainer working with weddings and corporate events.
Work Beyond Negros Oriental
Barot’s professional activity has not been limited entirely to Negros Oriental. A profile published by the Dumaguete arts platform Beetzee reports that he has performed at major events elsewhere in the Philippines, including the Baguio wedding of Ben&Ben vocalist Miguel Benjamin Guico.
This wider performance activity has helped extend the visibility of a musician whose professional career remains strongly connected to Negros Oriental.
The 2024 “Take 2” Wedding
In June 2024, Barot became one of the central figures behind a second wedding organized for Janine and Jove Sagario after problems during their original church ceremony in Amlan gained national attention.
Barot initiated the effort and helped bring together wedding suppliers from across Negros Oriental to provide the couple with a new ceremony and reception at no cost. PEP.ph described him as the person who started the bayanihan effort, while Cebu Daily News identified the participating wedding professionals as being led by Barot.
Community Collaboration
The “Take 2” wedding demonstrated Barot’s role beyond musical performance.
Wedding coordinators, designers, photographers, caterers, venue operators, musicians, and other suppliers collaborated on the project, with Barot serving as head organizer as well as violinist. PhilSTAR Life and other national and regional media subsequently reported on the event.
National Media Attention
Barot’s involvement in the project brought his work and the Negros Oriental wedding community to a wider Philippine audience.
The story was covered by PEP.ph, GMA Regional TV, Cebu Daily News, PhilSTAR Life, SunStar, and other media outlets, identifying Barot as a professional violinist and one of the principal organizers behind the initiative.
Connection to Negros Oriental
Although his work includes performances outside the province, Barot’s professional identity remains closely connected to Bais, Dumaguete, and Negros Oriental.
Through a career in live music and his participation in the province’s events community, he represents one part of Negros Oriental’s contemporary performing and creative scene.