Filipino Nurses in The Hague sponsor Bantay Bata 163 Fund Raiser

Filipino nurses in The Hague sponsor Bantay Bata 163 fund raiser

By LOUI GALICIA
ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau

Despite misunderstandings among its members, a group of Filipino nurses in The Hague managed to pull through a hit concert featuring local Pinay talents for the benefit of Bantay Bata 163, ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau reported.

The Nightingales was founded last year by Randy Locquiao, who thought of turning a simple “barkada gimmick” into an enterprising initiative for his nurse friends by organizing community parties featuring local Pinay singers.

After a jam-packed concert last year featuring Venus, Tina and Toks, three talents based in the Hague, Locquiao thought of organizing as his next project, a party for a cause which will benefit the ABS-CBN Foundation’s Bantay Bata 163.

“It’s really my dream to put up a project where it will be a benefit concert. I chose Bantay Bata to be the beneficiary. I have a soft heart for children. When I see less-fortunate children especially in the Philippines, I feel for them and I really want to help in my own little way so we decided to put up this project,” Locquiao said.

Bantay Bata 163 is a child welfare program of ABS-CBN Foundation that not only rescues and rehabilitates sick and abused children, but also provides shelter, therapy and quality home care for rescued children until they can be reunited with their families or referred to proper child-caring agencies.

Indeed, when Locquiao went to the Philippines in April, his first stop was at the Bantay Bata 163 office where he requested for permission to hold the fund-raiser in the Netherlands.

Through the assistance of BB163’s Jenny Lee-Villanueva, his request was granted and true to his words, he planned and coordinated the execution of the event, making his simple dream a big reality.

Despite some disagreements before the event, Locquaio thanked everybody for their selfless contribution to the cause.

He singled Michel Taal, a half-Pinoy half-Dutch who gave all his time to the organization of the event being the all-in-one handy man, driver, photographer.

“You can’t explain the feeling. It’s very overwhelming. It’s very fulfilling. I just hope that a lot of people will take initiative to give their share as well,” Locquiao said.

Although it was not over capacity as the first concert, the hall was full and surprisingly, a lot of Dutch people attended the concert.

The attendees were particularly moved at the presentation of two contrasting slides, one showing the poor children in the Philippines against the other showing the happy children of Pinoy parents who are living abroad.

The slides became a sort of eye-opener to the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) that night. They realized that they are fortunate enough to be living abroad and that their children are healthy and happy.

Halfway through the concert, a message from Bantay Bata Program Director Tina Monzon-Palma was read and BB163 envelopes were handed to guests who want to donate cash.

The response was overwhelming, specifically from the Dutch.

A middle-aged Dutch who didn’t want to be identified said that he came with his father not only to enjoy the party but also to help the needy children in the Philippines.

Having been in the Philippines three years ago, he still vividly remembers the needy children he saw there and appreciates the efforts of the Nightingales for holding the first Bantay Bata 163 event in The Hague because the children need it.

The event generated over 1,000 euros or 63,000 pesos in cash for Bantay Bata 163 and that was just from financial contributions.

Other Pinoys extended their support in kind and one can’t put a price tag on the time and services they have volunteered to help minimize the Nightingales’ overhead costs.

Singer Venus tirelessly performed her best and belted numerous requested songs all night without any talent fee.

One Filipina was very proud for her son’s offering his Dangerous Combination Youth group to perform a break dance at the concert.

“Nung nabalitaan namin na para sa Bantay Bata, kinausap ko yung anak ko kung gusto niyang mag-offer ng dance. Nung sinabi ko na ang goal is Bantay Banta, tinanong niya kung ano yung Bantay Bata. Sabi ko matutulungan mo yung mga me sakit na bata, poor children. Sabi niya o sige, so niyaya niya yung mga dance group niya para magsayaw so nagsayaw sila ng walang bayad (When we heard it’s for Bantay Bata, I talked to my son if he would like to dance. When I said the goal is for Bantay Bata, he asled what Bantay Bata is for. I told him he would help sik children, poor children. He said okay and he invited his dance group to perform and they did without payment),” Sonia Vicente said.

Vicente said that when she first went to the Philippines as a Balikbayan with her son Erwin, he was shocked to see an eight-year-old girl asking for alms while they were boarding a cab.

He didn’t understand why the girl was doing it because one rarely sees such form of begging nor child beggars in the Netherlands.

Street beggars here usually provide some form of musical entertainment like singing or playing an instrument such as a guitar or accordion in crowded places like downtown or train stations.

People are free to drop coins in their hats if they feel like it and it is very occasional to find someone approaching you directly for a coin.

The phenomenon of street children in the Philippines will certainly never be understood by so many Europeans but such an issue will always be close to their hearts.

SOURCE: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryID=86716