Musical fundraiser get P22-million for quarantine affected poor

Bayanihan Musikahan, the daily concert fundraiser organized by National Artist for Music Ryan Cayabyab, has so far raised more than P22 million to benefit marginalized communities.

Now on its third week, the concert series has seen performances by over 80 artists including Martin Nievera, Ebe Dancel, Morisette Amon, Bullet Dumas, Karylle Tatlonghari, and Spongecola, among others.

The concert series is expected to run for another few weeks. This week will see performances by Jed Madela (Wednesday) and Gary Valenciano (Thursday), among others. Both previous performances and live performances can be viewed on the Bayanihan Musikahan Facebook page.

Lea Salonga did a one-hour concert on April 3 that raised P1.5 million and “it was immediately clear to an audience of tens of thousands that the surge was driven by the experience of virtual, communal bonding around an admired singer, and heightened awareness of the gravity of [the] threat to impoverished communities,” said a release.

The Blue and Green Fund, created by the De La Salle Brothers and the Society of Jesus (or the Jesuits of the Philippines) through the corporate networks of the alumni of De La Salle University and Ateneo de Manila University, donated P10.5 million to the cause.

The funds raised by the marathon concert series will be used to buy food packs through the Samahan ng Nagkakaisang Pamilya ng Pantawid (SNPP), a 70,000-strong urban poor organization. The organization has so far delivered 15,000 food packs to families in dense, inner-city pockets. The funds are disbursed and accounted for by Philippine Business for Social Progress.

Those interested in giving to the cause can donate via pymy.co/pbsp or dnation.ph/pbsp (for BPI Debit/Credit Cards only). – ZBC