VP Leni's office sets online concert for healthcare frontliners on May 1


The Office of the Vice President (OVP) has partnered with Filipino musicians and other artists to stage an online concert for healthcare workers leading the fight against the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Harana: Musical Tribute to Filipino Frontliners art card (Istorya ng Pag-asa Facebook page)

In a statement, the OVP said the online concert dubbed "Harana: Musical Tribute to Filipino Frontliners" will be held on May 1, Labor Day, at 7 p.m.

The OVP said that the online concert aims to offer a breather for medical frontliners leading the fight against COVID-19.

The online concert is under the OVP’s Istorya ng Pag-asa program and will feature artists who volunteered to participate in the musical in support of frontliners.

Artists slated to perform in the concert include The Company, Noel Cabangon, Cooky Chua, Nonoy Zuñiga, Agot Isidro, Buboy Garrovillo, Jim Paredes, Joana Ampil, Renato Lucas, Skarlet Brown, Ivy Violan, Joey Ayala, Noli Aurillo, Bayang Barrios, Amp Big Band, Nona Galan, and Arman Ferrer.

Viewing stations in participating hospitals, such as the National Kidney Transplant Institute and the Quirino Memorial Medical Center, and other provincial hospitals will be set up to allow on-duty frontliners and even patients to enjoy the musical.

Aside from the artists, highlighting the concert are performances from doctors, nurses, and staff from the Philippine General Hospital (PGH).

Messages of inspiration and hope from frontliners, their families, and patients who recovered from COVID-19 will also be featured in the program.

Some of the OVP's staunch Angat Buhay partners took part in organizing the concert, including Architect Peach Buencamino, who was among those who initiated the Oasis Project for frontliners.

According to Buencamino, the online concert aimed to show appreciation and admiration for health workers.

"Sana kahit papano, kahit sandali at kahit sa maliit na paraan ay magawa nating ipakita ang ating paghanga at pagmamahal para malaman nilang hindi sila nag-iisa sa labang ito (We hope that even just for a while and in our own little way, we can show our admiration and love for them and let them know that they are not alone in this fight)," she said.

"Lahat tayo may magagawa, maliit man o malaki. Malalampasan natin kahit ano, kung tulong-tulong tayo (We can all do something, big or small. We will overcome this if we will help one another)," she added.