Benefit concert for Ondoy victims set

MANILA – A special concert for the victims of tropical storm Ondoy (international codename Ketsana) will be held next month at Ka Freddie’s Bar along Adriatico Street in Manila.

Bar owner Freddie Aguilar is spearheading the concert on October 14 at 7 p.m. Some of the stars who are expected to grace the gig are Joey Ayala, Meagan Aguilar, Watawat Band, Mark Velasco and many more. Ticket price is P250.

“The show is also aimed to raise funds and gather donations in kind, most especially for our poor kababayans in many parts of the country who are most affected by Ondoy,” he said.

Aguilar has come up with the idea after witnessing how Ondoy affected his neighbors in New Manila.

Many old Filipino aristocrats live near Aguilar’s house in the well-off district. Due to nonstop rains brought by Ondoy last Saturday, the river near their houses overflowed, submerging most of their homes in waters and mud.

Some of the displaced residents came to Aguilar’s home, located in the upper northeast corner of the neighborhood, and sought refuge there for almost two days. His house is big enough to accommodate hundreds of people.

The folk singer served them food and water. He also provided them with sources of information and entertainment like television and radio sets.

Aguilar’s immediate and longtime neighbors are the poor ones who many of them assisted in welcoming the well-to-do victims of the calamity.

Right there and then, it dawned on the controversial performer that everyone is equal in time of catastrophe.

“Maaaring mayaman sila at makakabili agad sila ng mga gamit na nawala sa baha pero ang concern na ipinakikita sa kanila ng kanilang kapwa ay hindi mabibili ng salapi,” said Aguilar.

Ondoy victims

Prof. Ryan Manal, a very famous music teacher of the Grand Palace Music School, was one of those affected by Ondoy. Floodwaters deluged his house at Cartland Subdivision in San Mateo, Rizal province at the height of Ondoy’s fury last Saturday.

Manal used to be the voice coach of singers Ronnie Liang, Geoff Eigenmann, Ava Jugueta and Stef Prescott. He was tending to his musical notes when he noticed that floodwaters had already reached his doorstep.

“Ang laki-laki na ng tubig nang buksan ko ang pinto. At nang tingnan ko pumapasok na sa sala namin ang tubig,” recalled Manal in a very emotional interview Monday morning in his Cubao studio.

He immediately called Roger de Leon, his very close friend who is a former movie writer and now marketing officer of a daily broadsheet.

“What we did was left the house, the three of us, Roger and my son. We just got the available money and some handy important things. Pero ‘yong mga musical instruments like the guitars, the piano, the saxophone and some other valuable things, iniwan na namin dahil palaki na nang palaki ang tubig,” he recounted.

The good professor also managed to grab some photos of his celebrity-friends and protégés for posterity like Liang, Eigenmann, Jugueta, Prescott, Mark Herras, Sarah Geronimo and still a few more.

De Leon said: “Lahat ng appliances at original piano books collection ni Ryan at mga damit, as in lahat [naapektuhan]. Bubong lang ang natira at isang pirasong tabo. Okay lang, basta we are all alive at tuloy ang buhay.”

“We are safe kaya lang wala ni isang bagay na na-save sa bahay namin. Wasak lahat. Dito na lang muna kami sa Grand titira,” added Manal.

Celebrities were not also spared by Ondoy. Cristine Reyes, K Brosas, Jean Garcia and daughter Jennica, Ogie Diaz, Chokoleit, Gladys Reyes and husband Christopher Roxas, and Carmina Villaroel and her family were among the thousands of affected people.

Brenda Fajardo, who is the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) stalwart, awarded playwright and commissioner of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), was also affected by Ondoy’s fury.

Bayanihan spirit

Gerald Anderson and Jericho Rosales, meanwhile, provided help to their neighbors during Ondoy's onslaught.

Roland Tolentino, chairman of Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino, also headed relief operations for the victims. Tolentino, dean of the University of the Philippines’ College of Mass Communication (UPCMC), has been in the forefront of soliciting donations.

He said the UPCMC are now accepting donations and pledges from donors.

Filmmaker Kiri Dalena has also organized a relief drive to help and save residents and neighbors of Fajardo.

Dalena is calling all doctors, nurses and those with basic first-aid training to volunteer on behalf of the numerous victims of typhoon Ondoy in Quezon City and other areas in the metropolis affected by the downpour.

TV and movie character actress Lui Manansala is helping out Dalena in her efforts to aid Ondoy’s victims.

Mike Feria , an expat film critic, has organized relief fund drive in the United States.

Prolific and enterprising young filmmaker Khvan de la Cruz isn’t taking this catastrophe sitting down. He’s also supporting his colleagues in aiding the victims. -Boy Villasanta, abs-cbnNEWS.com