Peyupscavenger

Photo shows two children checking a black plastic bag containing their catch of the day: trash from garbage cans and plastic bottled drinks from pedestrians at the shopping center inside the University of the Philippines Diliman campus. On the foreground is a plastic label the taller scavenger tore from a plastic bottle and threw on the grass. Photo by Dennis D. Estopace, Oct. 14, 2009/ Quezon City, Philippines

WombRock 2

GOT my free beer last night.

Yup, two bottles, in fact, and a dinner of mechado and tokwa’t baboy in tausi sauce. Yum!

Even got a free ticket for the official launch Friday, October 16, of “WombRock;” thanks to Tony Gutierrez, its main fund-raising man.

“WombRock,” as the invite goes, is a year-long fund-raising campaign that mobilizes young people to take active role in reducing overall maternal mortality as well as pregnancy-related deaths of young mothers.

Wednesday night, October 14, some members of the media -including Gil Nartea and the QC Times publisher- were treated to a sneak peak of the whys, the hows and wheres of the campaign.

I wrote a story about the launch and, hopefully, it gets to see print in my paper BusinessMirror.

Hemingway, the campaign is aimed at raising P5 million, the surplus of which would help the 40-year-old Family Planning Organization of the Philippines provide services to poor young Filipino women and raise awareness on reproductive health.

The launch Friday starts at 1800H (6pm) at The ‘70s Bistro Bar and Restaurant (#46 Anonas St., Project 2, Quezon City.

Tony’s invite said they’ve asked the following musicians to perform for the launch: Color it Red, Bayang Barrios, DJ Alvaro, Luigi De Lara, Lynn Sherman Diyosa Espina, Tao Nono Aves, Chikoy Pura, Kevin Roy, Kez, Paraluman, and Live Mission Band are those mentioned in the invite.

An entrance ticket of Php200 (US$4.30 at P1=US$46) goes with one free drink. The rest of the ticket payment goes to the campaign, according to Tony.

For reservations or more questions, he advises calling Nestor Marayag at (02) 4343597.

Joseph Taylo, band manager of Brownman Revival band, announced the following schedules for the tour:

23 Oct - Mag:Net, The Fort

24 Oct - Mag:Net, Katipunan
30 Oct - 1002 Bar, Timog
31 Oct – Penguin Bar, Malate
31 Oct – Absynth Bar, Makati
07 Nov - Guerilla Radio, Pasig
13 Nov – Conspiracy Bar, QC
11 Nov - Bamboo Giant, Manila
17 Nov - Java Café, Los Baños Laguna
25 Nov - Bamboo Giant, QC
04 Dec - Naga City
05 Dec - Naga City
11 Dec - Baguio City
18 Dec - Pampanga
19 Dec – Palawan

Please call Mr. Marayag to confirm the schedule as this blogger just reported what Joseph announced during the press launch Oct. 14.

WombRock

MAYBE I’ll get a free beer by posting this. But that’s a BIG maybe.

I'll probably get it from Ton, a good friend of mine since the GST-for-Men training days. He's also connected with Bistro70s, the 20-year-old Quezon City home of real Pinoy Rock.

Tonight, October 14, rock and roll will play there again but this time to kick off the year-long fund raising campaign of the Family Planning Organization of the Philippines (FPOP).

According to the invite I got, this year, apparently, marks the 40th Anniversary of the FPOP. The group claims itself to be the “acknowledged pioneer of the family planning (FP) movement and of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) service delivery in the country.”

The gig at Bistro70s, the invite read, starts a nationwide bar tour to encourage “young people to take active role in reducing overall maternal mortality as well as pregnancy-related deaths of young mothers.”

As I gather, the money raised is expected to reach the poorest of our people through support services related to reproductive health.

Ton said in his letter they invited musicians “who have committed themselves to championing the same cause through their music.”

These musicians include: Aiza Seguerra, Cookie Chua, Bayang Barrios, Cynthia Alexander, DJ Alvaro, Skarlet, RJ Jimenez, Noel Cabangon, De Lara, The Jerks, Razorback, The Dawn, Color It Red, Session Road, amng others.

Ton added that women musicians who are also SRH champions will be the major performers of the bar tour.

The gig is only for journalists.

If you’re one of these insignificant denizens of this cosmos (like me), drop an email to Brayant Gonzales fpop1969@yahoo.com.

If you’re lucky enough to have avoided this pitiful career called journalism, drop by the bars or restaurants the FPOP will host.

And give: it’s a fund-raising campaign, after all.

Hey, maybe I won’t have a free beer.

Ah, tough luck.

Oh, well, here’s to the music and the babies.