Reunion concert raises over P100K for city patients

By Ramon Dacawi 

BAGUIO CITY -- People of various ages and  simple walks  filled up last Monday evening  the main  conference hall of the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center here and, for three hours, celebrated the humanitarian message of folk and country music with top musicians of this city and the Cordillera.

In a refrain of sorts of Procol Harum’s  haunting and mythical composition “A Whiter Shade of Pale”, interpreted that evening by female vocalist Liza Noble, the crowd was calling out for more even after the artists reassembled on stage for the “(May You) Stay Forever Young” chorus as finale in the reunion concert.

The PNP –Cordillera Band led by Sr. Insp. Henry Domogan obliged with “We Are the World” as many in the audience still lingered, snapping up the chance for handshakes and souvenir shots with the musicians led by homecoming soloists Conrad Marzan and Mhia Tibunsay.

Mhia, who is flying back to her work in Singapore Tuesday, and Conrad, who is returning to Northern California Monday, reunited with fellow lead singers, lawyer Jose “Bubut” Olarte, Bryan Aliping, Tito, Alma Angiwan, Liza, Dianne Walcien, banjo player Dick Oakes, singing newsmen Alfred Dizon and March Fianza and the reassembled Foggy Mountain Band composed of Arsen and Kris Marzan and Dolfo Pedronio.

In keeping with the spirit that marked their years of performing pro bono in concerts-for-a-cause,  Mhia announced the total cash collections, as of that night, was at P104,000, aside from  P4,000 and a $100 bill pooled by the audience in a pass-the-hat.

Right there and then Dr.Manuel Quirino, president of the Association of Government Information Officers-Cordillera (ASGIOCO) which sponsored the fund-raiser, and regional director Helen Reyes-Tibaldo of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA), turned over P27,200 each for the three patients for whom he concert-for-a-cause was mounted.

Ten-year old Chelsea Benito, the youngest of some 160 patients undergoing regular hemodialysis treatment for kidney failure at the BGHMC, was represented by his father, Ibaloy farmer Billy Benito.

A son represented Jun Willy, a technical staff member of People’s Television 4 who is also undergoing hemodialysis, while Linda Fines, an ASGIOCO member and with the staff of the Department of Tourism, received an equal share to prop up her battle against cancer. 

Chelsea, third of four children, was diagnosed for kidney failure last September, after her blood pressure shot up and her vision blurred. Recently, graduates of St. Louis Boys high led by Palanca Award-winning writer Ed Maranan launched a fund drive for her while the office of Rep. Bernardo Vergara allotted part of his medical fund for her treatment.

Last Wednesday, a government employee also fighting cancer also received P5,000 support from the proceeds of the concert hosted by Hiyas Zambrano   and Paul Nuval of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.

As of press time, volunteers from the PIA were making the rounds to complete the collection of ticket sales and sponsorship to the humanitarian event supported by the Cordillera Association of Regional Executives led by executive director Clarence Baguilat of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Some institutions and individuals who could not make it to the show still sponsored or bought tickets. Aside from bringing in the Camp Dangwa band, police regional director Benjamin Magalong had musical instruments delivered while BGHMC chief, Dr. Jimmy Cabfit, offered free use of the concert hall, all designed to cut down on administrative costs.

Taking the cue from Mhia’s rendition of “Strawberry Wine”,some of the musicians’ friends began delivering brandy bottles to the side of the stage to spice up the performances.

For them, Conrad and Mhia belted out “If It Hadn’t Been You”, Billy Dean’s composition of gratitude.  Bubut, March, Liza and Dick opened up with “The Weight”, a centerpiece composition of the Canadian-American group The Band, while Alma, Liza and Dianne ended their set with “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” another The Band composition popularized by Joan Baez.

Bryan turned plaintive with his Igorot love song “Lungayban” before he and Conrad brought the house down with a narration of the travails of fatherhood through “Buksitan”. Alfred, performing solo, interpreted the concert theme with James Taylor’s “You Got a Friend”.

Last Friday, the musicians and their friends regrouped  at the Busol Watershed where hey lined up the foot trails with rows of mulberry cuttings while  a “mambunong” performed a thanksgiving ritual-prayer for the success of the concert.

As in previous coming-homeconcerts of Conrad, an unidentified close friend of his provided the ritual pig.