Antonio J. Montalván II • May 5, 2020
Bayanihan Musikahan helps the poor through music during pandemic
Bayanihan Musikahan, the marathon online concert series started by National Artist for Music and Ramon Magsaysay Award laureate Ryan Cayabyab, continues to help raise funds for some of Manila’s most vulnerable communities and health frontliners.
For two weeks, Bayanihan Musikahan featured various artists in an online show live-streamed at https://www.facebook.com/bayanihanmusikahan/, at https://www.bayanihanmusikahan.org, at @bayanihanmusika on Twitter and at BayanihanMusikahan on Instagram.
The performers played for free while encouraging viewers to donate whatever they can for the intended beneficiaries. Last April 5, Palm Sunday, they raised P30 million.
Part of the donations went to Caritas Manila, which came up with two types of survival packs: the Caritas Ligtas Kit, which contains sanitation and health goods; and the Caritas Manna Food Bag.
In just over a month, Bayanihan Musikahan distributed 50,000 food and vegetable packs to a vetted list of families in urban poor communities in Metro Manila. The vegetables came from farmers in Tublay, Benguet who lost their Metro Manila market because of the lockdown.
The project also opened seven shelters, benefitting 400 homeless beneficiaries.
Bayahihan Musikahan also provided personal protective equipment (PPE) to 2,600 frontliners. It also helped provide a number of barangay quarantine spaces.
Among those who participated in the project are Trina Belamide, Hans Dimayuga, Jamie Rivera, Louie Ocampo, Jason Dy, Gary Valenciano, The Company, Agot Isidro, Christian Bautista, Lance Busa, and Lea Salonga.
Other project partners are Likhaan, Catholic priest Flavie Villanueva of Kalinga Center and the 250,000-strong urban poor organization Samahan Nagkakaisa Pantawid Pamilya, Oxfam Pilipinas and Philippine Business for Social Progress.
