Celebs unite in Tulong Na benefit concert

MANILA, Philippines - Songs of hope, unity and inspiration filled the recent sold-out, star-studded fundraising concert of ABS-CBN that gathered some of the country’s brightest stars, Kapamilya network executives and almost 10,000 people for one cause — to help raise funds for the relief of the survivors of the recent calamities that struck the Visayas region.

Tulong Na, Tabang Na, Tayo Na! An All-Star Benefit Concert was conceived by ABS-CBN in less than a week and promoted to the public in just two days. It brought together some 60 ABS-CBN artists, singers, choirs, bands and dancers who all performed for free.

“The artistic heart is very big. It makes things like this possible when you have artists who are so generous,” said Tony-award winner Lea Salonga who, alongside Gary Valenciano and Piolo Pascual, led the opening number of the benefit concert at the Araneta Coliseum.

Among the concert’s highlights were Lea’s moving rendition of Bayan Ko, the hair-raising and Twitter-trending interpretation of The Prayer by the shadow play performers El Gamma Penumbra; back-to-back heartfelt performance of inspirational singers Jamie Rivera and Fatima Soriano, who sang Heal Our Land and Mahiwaga, respectively; a high-energy, all-out rock performance of OPM band 6Cyclemind that turned the Big Dome into a huge dance floor; and the Hawak Kamay performance of the whole coliseum, which symbolically glowed in the dark as all were asked to raise their mobile phones while singing along with the performers.

Joining the pack of world-class performers, who inspired one and all to continue reaching out to the calamity survivors were Martin Nievera, Charice, Toni Gonzaga, Sam Milby, Abra, Rico J. Puno, Bituin Escalante, and other Kapamilya stars. While, among the ABS-CBN stars who narrated the touching stories of calamity survivors, volunteers and donors were Judy Ann Santos, John Lloyd Cruz, Angel Locsin, Angelica Panganiban, Dawn Zulueta, Richard Gomez, Maja Salvador, Shaina Magdayao, Xian Lim, Enchong Dee and Venus Raj.

Also, ABS-CBN executives, led by chairman Eugenio “Gabby” Lopez III and president and CEO Charo Santos-Concio, took part in the event.

During the concert, the newly-launched ABS-CBNmobile announced that it is giving away over 100,000 SIM cards for free, along with relief packages, to the survivors of Super Typhoon Yolanda. It is also putting up free text and calling centers in calamity-stricken areas until power and communication lines are normalized.

All proceeds of Tulong Na, Tabang Na, Tayo Na! An All-Star Benefit Concert would be donated to the calamity fund of Sagip Kapamilya, the emergency humanitarian assistance program of ABS-CBN Foundation.

Even after the concert, ABS-CBN continues its call for help to calamity survivors through its ongoing Tulong Na, Tabang Na, Tayo Na! relief campaign. To volunteer, donate or find a lost loved one in the calamity-stricken areas of the country, visit ABS-CBNnews.com/TulongPH. Continue sharing the worldwide call for donation on Twitter using the hashtag #TulongPH.