Concert For A Cause Held To Help A Sick Young Singer
Maasin City, Southen Leyte – A concert for a cause was held here recently at the city gymnasium to help a sick young singer who is popular in the local singing community, Josephine Batistil Ramos. Her disease was diagnosed by pediatric neurologist Dr. Martha C.T. Lu-Bola?oso of Manila Metropolitan Hospital as Sub Acute Schlerosing Penencephalitis (SSPE).
Fifteen local bands who expressed their willingness to perform live for charity were not able to do so. Only 6 of them have actually performed live at the stage-giving out pleasure and entertainment to the thick crowd composed of children, teenagers adults and old people.
Left and right bleachers were full with the sounds provided by Viper Music Production which used modern equipments to meet the expectation of music lovers. It did delivered balance sounds of vocals and musical accompaniments to the delight of the audience.
Two child singers beautifully rendered songs, ?Broken Vow? and ?Habang May Buhay?. Joani Anti Cepada with SJC kids did a dance and song number. Other local popular vocalists Brian Gilles and Hazel A?o did a beautiful Tagalog duet ?Ikaw Lamang Hanggang Ngayon?.
A?o, now a licensed Civil Engineer, a classmate of Josephine Batistil Ramos, reminisced her days with the latter when they were both members-vocalists of the Offbeat Band (2000-2001) when they were in first year college at St. Joseph College here. Hazel, a potential recording artist like her classmate Josephine, dedicated a Celin Dion?s song, the latter?s favorite piece and Josephine?s winning song during the ABS-CBN?s KTV or Katunog Ng Voice in 1998 entitled ?It?s All Coming Back To Me Now?.
Before she begun to sing she claimed that only her classmate can sing it, but Hazel did it well with her In-born high pitch voice at par with her friend?s during rendition.
Janice Ramos, Josephine?s younger sister also dedicated a song from Celin Dion, one of the latter?s favorite singers, singing in front of her. A bedridden placed on wheelchair; she was brought upstage by several men. Emotion started to throb as Janice kissed her and tears running down her checks.
The audience then applauded as the American host Mark Coombs spoke about the reason why they were there that night ?a night full of songs and music.
Songs from the performing bands covered English, Tagalog and Visayan in a type of rock, love songs, ballad, rap and reggae. Sixtenz band composed of SJC students and Trendsonic also covered songs of Alanis Moresette, The Aegis, Asin and songs of current popular singers.
Other bands who entertained the audience were the Recykool, Hybird Monkees, Yawtakis and Tribu Latagaw who drew laughter from the throng with their comic acts. However, the musical enjoyment was unexpectedly disrupted, when at past 1:00 a.m. a drunken man threw a chair to a group of youngsters, said a witness. He claimed that the drunk shouted to stop the show. Both youngsters and young men around, instead of negatively reacting to his unethical behavior allegedly influenced by the spirit of liquor, have kept their cool, a witness said. At the time of trouble, he said, there was no policeman. He said he accosted the drunk, pacified him and advised to go home which he did. The American host, he further said, got hungry and decided to stop the show.
Proceeds For Treatment
Nevertheless, the incident did not affect the sole purpose of the concert: to use the proceeds for the further treatment of Josephine B. Ramos in Manila to see if she can still be cured of her disease said Mr. Coombs, a musician and disc jockey from Texas, USA. Like Ron Woods, another American who was married to a Filipina akin to Coombs, both have espoused the idea of a ?Concert For A Cause? to help the sick young singer get well.
Ms. Lina Hermosilla, owner of an okay-okay store, where Josphine?s mother Genita bought clothes on credit for selling to buy for her daughter?s needed medicines, was instrumental in introducing Genita to the two (2) Americans. They visited the house of the Ramoses in Brgy. Tagnipa where they saw Josephine?s pitiful condition. They also listened to the singer?s 10 recorded songs on a CD courtesy of Cebu FM radio station where she won as champion in a singing competition.
Her songs were repeatedly played at the gym while different sponsors and concertgoers were entering the gate.
Josephine aside from being a bedridden couldn’t also eat by herself. Lately her mother Genita Batistil-Ramos, 49, a former stenographer at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, said Josephine got sick with pneumonia which caused the lost of her appetite. Though she was already cured of the disease, she is now under NGT (Naso-Gastric Tube) feeding for 2 months. She said her daughter?s nose-feeding will continue until she will recover her appetite for eating.
A female singer of the Hybrid Monkees also informed the production that since they could not personally contribute financial assistance to their sick friend?s treatment, their performances were for free.
Some of the sponsors, among others, were: Panny?s Bakeshop, Viper Music, Inday Saludo(USA), Mark and Daisy Weber, Sogod Bay Divers? Resort, Couples For Christ, Mercury Drug, Rose Pharmacy, Lemar?s Enterprises/Electronics, Evergreen Merchandise, Southern Leyte Times, Edne?s Bakeshop, St. Peter Chapel, Mayor Maloney Samaco and the City Govt., CE Tan Enterprises, JGQ Construction, Nerio Cepada Construction, Roll-In Eatery, Hazel Pharmacy, Kyle?s Restaurant, Maasin Cable TV, Engr. Victor and former Gov. Rosette Lerias, Candy?s Supermart, Pepsi Cola, Norkis, Dr. Lorna Bantug-Kapili, Travelogue Hotel,Rotary Club Of Maasin, Green Bank, Omnibus Internet Caf?, N. Marketing, SOLECO, Atty. Romeo Geniston, Verrano Laboratory, Philend Company, Inc., Montessa Enterprise, Golden Wharf Restaurant, KKK Motorparts and Accessories. (Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.)
About the Contributor:
“Life is a rich strain of music, suggesting a realm too fair”
my cousin josephine..we the ramos clan are here offering prayers for you.
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