Filipino musician Troy Laureta and Asia's Powerhouse Diva Dessa will collaborate in a show entitled "Liriko: An Intimate Night of Music," staged at Kusina Filipino restaurant in Cerritos, California, on April 26.

Singer and drag artist Jensen Carlo Quijano, founder of Darsen12 Foundation, Inc., said he is thankful Troy and Dessa agreed to perform in the upcoming show.

"These two people are super kind to say yes for this concert. I am overwhelmed. At the moment, the tickets are almost sold," said Jensen during a recent interview. Josefina Silveyra and Justin Klunk will also join the show.

Jensen said the show will benefit golden gays and street children in the Philippines. He hopes to build homes for gays evicted by their families and street children under the Gabay ng Landas Foundation in Angono, Rizal.

"Since Justo C. Justo passed away, the golden gays have been settling from one place to another. I believe they are in Pasay now, which is a small area. 

"Last year, we went back, and their condition is pitiful. We aim to build a retirement home for them to be embraced and accepted. We hope they will have a home that is like a home for the gays. We want to make it happen this year.

"We are talking with Ayala Land to hopefully allow us to build a retirement home for gays disowned by their families. We will have programs so they can have a livelihood. Just living is not possible. We will teach them how to make life meaningful. I'm a firm believer that you can make the impossible possible. I want to be a channel of change for the community," Jensen added.

Even though he noted that he was not wealthy, Jensen expressed his desire to share his blessings with others.

"I struggled, but along the way, some people helped me. I wanted to give back. I live a comfortable life now, but I am not rich. I want to have enough to travel and buy things I like. I learned that from people who helped me.

"I wanted to scatter the seeds to people. So that these people can also scatter (the blessings); the more you scatter, the more you can help many people. When you pass on, you cannot bring anything. You will only leave a legacy for humanity. I'm not a saint, but my heart wanted to help," he said.

'Jensen added: "We went to the US six years ago. It's tough in the Philippines when you're old, especially when your sexuality is different. Sometimes, you don't have any value because you're gay. Sometimes they say you're hopeless. I don't want to go that way. It's so painful how our society often views this way.

Darsen12 Foundation, a non-profit organization registered in California, was co-founded by his husband, Darwin Anthony Quijano. Jensen recalled how it all started.

"In March 2020, when the pandemic hit, I lost my job but still wanted to help. I don’t know what the future holds for my husband and me, but I still want to help the community. 

"Before emigrating to the US, I tried venturing to bars as a karaoke master and had the opportunity to meet different people from different walks of life. I was deeply saddened to see my friends who work for bars being directly affected. I know that some of them consider that as their bread and butter. That’s when I started the journey of Darsen12. 

"To better support my friends in the industry, I opened a new American Express card that has an introductory offer. I used this offer to send food, specifically donuts and pizzas, to my friends who are part of the comedy club scene. Additionally, we started conducting live stream giveaways, which we continue to do to this day. Our friends noticed the positive impact and offered their support, contributing to the success of Darsen12," he added.

Jensen said he will return to the Philippines soon to turn over the show's proceeds. Jensen said his team would look into that when asked about possibly doing a benefit show in the country. "Why not? We will see."