Helping sick Pinoy musicians pay their way
On New Year ’s Eve, record producer and The Youth bassist Robert Javier issued a cry for financial help on Facebook. His mother suffered a stroke while on vacation in Cebu and Robert had no money to defray his mom’s mounting hospital bills.
When Bong Pascasio, frontman of ‘90s rock band Grin Department, was diagnosed with colon cancer, his former bandmates and supporters put up charity concerts to raise funds for Bong’s treatment. An online campaign for donations was also launched.
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“Ganito na lang ba palagi? Concert dito, concert doon kapag Stage IV (cancer) na?” asked chanteuse Skarlet (real name: Myra Ruaro) of what has become standard procedure to raise funds—often, too little, too late—for desperately ill musicians?
Remembering Susan and Koyang
Skarlet, of Put3ska and Brownbeat All-Stars fame, remembers deeply mourning the passing of protest singer Susan Fernandez from ovarian cancer in 2009.
She could not accept that in ill health and in death, the typical Pinoy musician would still be begging for a little help from friends and strangers. She could not understand the absence of basic services that can help the early detection and prevention of major illnesses for musicians.
It took another death, that of close friend and legendary jazz guitarist Koyang Avenir in the middle of 2011, and her subsequent depression from his passing, to set things in motion.
Health insurance
Thinking of a long-term response and after two years of trying to nail a program in place, Skarlet established Heart of Music (HOM), a group that aims to address the health needs of musicians and workers in the music business.
HOM board members include jazz singer Gou de Jesus, Color it Red vocalist Cooky Chua, keyboardist Butch Saulog, who is also HOM’s legal council, technical adviser RG Salazar, senatorial aspirant Bam Aquino and microfinance expert Julius Alip, among others.
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Surprisingly, HOM has a pretty simple plan initially: sign up musicians to PhilHealth, the national health insurance program.
Gou de Jesus said she is now compiling a database of musicians, initially by seniority because older musicians are more likely to need immediate health benefits. They include musicians who play on cruise ships.
Skarlet is also in negotiations to waive certain requirements that would allow immediate medical help to members who need it most.
Uphill climb
HOM knows they face an uphill climb given the itinerant and irregular nature of a gigging musician’s job.
Which is part of the reason they chose not to ally themselves with existing musicians’ or performers’ groups.
“In the case of PhilHealth coverage, the established organizations would most likely follow the standard procedure of deducting the contribution of musicians from their earnings,” Skarlet explained.
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“But musicians who ply their trade every chance they get and who are most vulnerable to health risks cannot be easily convinced to part with any portion of their earnings. In fact whatever they earn after every show will be spent by the following morning. There’s nothing left for anything else beyond basic needs,” she added.
Coming up with funds
To hurdle the first obstacle of coughing up the bucks for PhilHealth premiums, HOM is holding a benefit concert called Mabuhay Nyor! on Thursday, January 17.
The fund-raising samba gig features Guarana with vocalists Lynn Sherman, Sitti, Bayang Barrios and HOM board members Gou de Jesus and Cooky Chua.
Posting on Facebook, Skarlet says that HOM has also gotten the support of visual artists Gig and Simkin de Pio and National Artist Ben Cabrera with reps from other organizations like OPM, Indie Pinoy, and the Philippine jazz and blues groups, among others. Also attending the concert is Dr. Eduardo Banzon, president and CEO of PhilHealth.
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"[Let's support] HOM dahil sincere na pagtulong sa mga musikero ang intention nito. it's about time!!!! sana lang marami ang mag support para maumpisahan na natin tulungan, di lang ang mga sarili natin kung di ang mga 'nyor (seniors)," Cooky Chua told Yahoo! OMG in a statement.
Added HOM vice-president Salazar: “HOM is the way to go because the empowerment of musicians will be achieved through sustainable and participative programs with the participation of the beneficiaries and musicians themselves. The concert will be the start of a long-running involvement of musicians in their protecting own welfare."
Mabuhay Nyor! will be held at the Camp Crame Multipurpose Hall on January 17 at 6 p.m. For ticket inquiries, call or text 0916 362 4596.
