Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), in partnership with a broad range of Filipino musical artists answering the call of National Artist for Music, Ryan Cayabyab, is raising funds to immediately address the food and personal protection needs of the most vulnerable Filipinos in the National Capital Region.
Dubbed Bayanihan Musikahan, this project benefits two non-government organizations, Likhaan Center for Women’s Health and the Samahang Nagkakaisa Pantawid Pamilya, a 250,000-strong organization of the urban poor.
All proceeds from the nightly sequence of concerts will, first of all, increase the production volume of survival packs for the poor developed by Caritas Manila, and secondly, help establish barangay quarantine spaces, so that poor communities can isolate their sick in the general vicinity of their loved ones, and prevent further contagion.
Through their performances and personal/group calls, the artists ask their fans and the general public (and global audience) for donations to a fund in the care of PBSP in this catastrophic time. Investing in a strong concept of nation by channeling heightened fellow-feeling, the viewers follow their favorite artists into renewing the bayanihan spirit.
To date, the concert series is still running. With the remarkable number of Filipino artists signing up from different parts of the Philippines and the world, the series could run for much longer. On Facebook live streaming, the conjoint experience of artist and fan/viewer is intimate and moving. The concert series is itself an idea whose time has come, albeit in a period of extraordinary danger.
As the pandemic threatens to crush the most vulnerable Filipinos, this concert represents quick citizen response to catastrophe. The project creates the opportunity for ordinary Filipinos to be at the forefront of efforts to help their kapwa-taumbayan find the strength to survive the lethal impact of the pandemic. LIKE Bayanihan Musikahan on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/watch/bayanihanmusikahan/
Excerpted from www.bayanihanmusikahan.org