THE STRUGGLE CONTINUES

Photo by Jaime Hernandez.

I want to express my deepest and utmost gratitude to all those who made the Philippine Earthquake Relief Fund benefit for the Aeta communities in Central Luzon a beautifully moving and generous gathering of artists, musicians, activists, community leaders, and concerned citizens on July 3, 2019 at saGuijo, Makati. 

The highlight of the evening beyond a doubt were the Aeta tribal leaders who came with staffmembers of Alay Bayan-Luson, Inc. all the way from the hinterlands of Pampanga. They spoke truth and strength to our gathering. Theirs were not the faces and voices of victims, but of warriors persevering through centuries of oppression, injustice, marginalization, persecution. They came to witness for us boldly, with conviction, with steadfast unwavering faith in the righteousness of their cause, with strength of purpose in the struggle that they continue to wage against mighty multinational corporations wreaking havoc upon Bathala's creation all in the name of profit, with complete disregard for the needs of the local people in that area who are still in the midst of crisis. Accompanied by Karl Ramirez of Pordalab on acoustic guitar, Fridie Saplala, Piping Dela Cruz, Palak Abuque, and Tokaya Trajano lead the community in a couple of revolutionary anthems "Buhay at Bukid" and "Awit ng Pag-asa." In their voices was the sound of uncompromising determination, unquestionably willing to put their lives on the line to save their people and preserve their way of life. They then blessed our gathering by dancing the traditional Aeta unity dance.

In all of my years of organizing, I must say this was the most intensely beautiful thing to take place in any event I have been involved in. What a blessing for our gathering to be able to witness an ancient dance and hear their voices of leadership in struggle. By giving them the space and opportunity to express the Aeta vision for the community, they granted us inspiration that we will carry in our hearts for years to come, inspiration to do more in this struggle for justice, equity and freedom for all.

The Aeta families continue to live in makeshift shelters under tarps. This is where they sleep, cook, eat, and go to school. Years ago, this community made the decision to abandon the traditional nipa hut design for their homes. They shared with us that the modern concrete structures with cinder block walls and corrugated aluminum roofs they thought would better protect them from the elements actually collapsed on top of many of them, causing unprecedented death and destruction during the earthquake. The Aeta now want to return to their traditional designs that had been used for hundreds if not thousands of years. The funds we raised are just a drop in the bucket of what this community needs. But the most important outcome of fundraising events like this is immeasurable in material terms, and the true benefit will play out over time.

We must continue our work. The next Philippine Earthquake Relief Fund benefit concert for the Aeta communities will be on September 7 at Super Happy Fun Land in Houston, Texas. Artists coming together for the Houston edition - Karina Nistal, Free Radicals, Kasama, Music4Life featuring Phillipidon & Moe, Bird of Peace, The Sea Sick Fish, and The Presidents. A new event page is in the works as details continue to coalesce. In the meantime, please read more about the cause on the July 3 event page - click here Philippine Earthquake Relief Fund.

I would like to thank the sponsors of this fundraiser for their ongoing support - Alay Bayan-Luson, Inc.; International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines; Baybayin Buhayin; Rock and Roll Machine with Cousin Hoagy; Musika Publiko; Austin Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines... If you are a non-profit grassroots organization, a local business, or an advocacy group interested in expressing your solidarity with the cause, please join us as a sponsor! Contact Kokoy at presidentscrucial@gmail.com. 

I want to thank the members of the Central Luzon Aeta Association and Alay Bayan-Luson including officers Aprilyn Perido, Radz Ybañez, and Marvz Natividad, and the Aeta tribal leaders who drove several hours to join us in solidarity. The next day, Pordalab vocalist Boogs Villareal, who also volunteers for Alay Bayan-Luson, shared with me that speaking and performing at our event really boosted the morale of the Aeta leaders. That news in itself made it all worth the hard work in putting the event together.

I want to thank the wonderful staff at saGuijo for hosting the event and making sure that everything went smoothly. Off the saGuijo menu, I highly recommend Jackie's Famous Siomai - Thai style sprinkled with crispy crushed garlic chips with a succulent homemade sauce on the side. One order has eight or ten siomai (I can't remember how many I counted, but it was a good amount). Order it with a generous mound of garlic fried rice and Red Horse on the rocks. If you're lucky, Ate Jackie herself will serve it right to your table. 

I want to thank Pastor Jay Enage for opening our event with a heartfelt prayer. Pastor Jay is the Chairman and founder of Baybayin Buhayin and spearheads the movement to revive the traditional Filipino script into the common vernacular after it was interrupted and virtually extinguished by centuries of colonial rule. I want to thank the other members of Pastor Jay's Baybayin Buhayin leadership team who came to the event in solidarity and shared some of their photos - Justine Louise De Vera, Jaime Hernandez, and visual artist Arlene Seraspi. (Later in the week, Pastor Jay was interviewed by my brother Howie, who also came to the event in solidarity with the Aeta people, for a segment of his award-winning documentary series i-Witness on the GMA-7 television network. That segment will air on August 25, 2019 during the annual Buwan ng Wika - Filipino Languages Month.)

I also want to express utmost thanks for members of Initiatives and Hearts for Indigenous People who came to hang out, including musician Cecilia Garcia Artates and former Philippine National Team football players Ludwig Fuentebella and Elmer Lacknet Bedia. As core members of IHIP, they volunteer as youth football coaches in economically disadvantaged indigenous communities, using the beautiful game to mentor their players out of poverty. I am honored to be associated and to work with such a distinguished group of football coaches.

Many many thanks also for many members of the Musika Publiko collective who came en force. Musika Publiko is a network of musicians, composers, performers, and enthusiasts advocating socially relevant music making - creating and performing songs in various styles and genres that articulate people's issues and highlight aspirations for real change and development for the many. Special thanks to Musika Publiko photographers Markuss Javier, LJ Pasion, and Belle Jarligo who took some awesome shots at the event. (Many are featured below.) 

Finally, deepest gratitude to all of the musicians in the bands, each of whom put on an inspired and spirited set - Bopek, Elemento ni Lirio Salvador, Tropical Depression, Talahib People's Music, Yohi, Pordalab, and my kayumanggi Pinoy rock band players.

Here are links to some cool videos posted by various people from the event:

Scenes of destruction in the Aeta communities of Pampanga - shot and posted by Marvz Natividad of Alay Bayan-Luson

Jaime Hernandez went live with the Aeta leaders

Highlights reel created by Darrel Roberto of Talahib People's Music

Tropical Depression - Mahal Kita Bilog Na Naman ang Buwan and an untitled Excerpt 

Makibaka by Pordalab and Yohi

Below are some choice images from the evening. 

(All photos below by Kokoy Severino unless otherwise indicated.)

Pastor Jay Enage opens the festivities with a prayer...

Alay Bayan-Luson Officer-In-Charge Aprilyn Perido speaks passionately on the current conditions endured by the Aeta communities in Pampanga...  

Aeta Tribal Leaders Fridie Saplala, Piping Dela Cruz, Palak Abuque, Tokaya Trajano 

Photo by Musika Publiko.

Photo by Arlene Seraspi.

Photo by Arlene Seraspi.

Photo by Musika Publiko.

Bopek

Photo by Justine Louise De Vera.

Photo by Jaime Hernandez.

Elemento ni Lirio Salvador

Photo by Musika Publiko.

Photo by Cecilia Garcia Artates.

Photo by Justine Louise De Vera.

Photo by Justine Louise De Vera.

Tropical Depression

Photo by Musika Publiko.

Photo by Musika Publiko.

Photo by Musika Publiko.

Photo by Musika Publiko.

Photo by Musika Publiko.

Photo by Arlene Seraspi.

Talahib People's Music

Photo by Musika Publiko.

Photo by Musika Publiko.

Photo by Musika Publiko.

Yohi

Photo by Musika Publiko.

Photo by Musika Publiko.

Photo by Musika Publiko.

Pordalab

Photo by Musika Publiko. 

Photo by Musika Publiko.

kayumanggi Pinoy rock band
with Anna Marie Santos on flute, Bo Bismarck on lead guitar, Cocoy Dimala on drums, Shariko Pascual on bass, Tan Cuenca and Ryan Ignacio on percussion, and special guests Boogs and Yohi

Photo by Arlene Seraspi.

Photo by Musika Publiko.

Photo by Musika Publiko.

Photo by Musika Publiko.

Photo by Musika Publiko.

Photo by Musika Publiko.

Photo by Musika Publiko.

See you on September 7 at Super Happy Fun Land, Houston, Texas...