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Join Yahoo Philippines in supporting the families of the #Fallen44

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SONGS FOR SAF 44

A Yahoo Philippines fundraising event

8pm, Monday, February 16, 2015

Puñta Manila, Shaw Boulevard

All are invited

No cover charge


The deaths of 44 PNP SAF servicemen in Mamasapano have shocked and saddened our nation.


This is the best time for all Filipinos to rally together and lend a hand to the families of these brave Filipino heroes.


Yahoo Philippines will do its small part on Monday night with Songs for SAF 44, a sing-along fundraising event in Puñta Manila (pronounced “punyeta”), the bar and restaurant owned by our friend Paolo Bediones.


The event will be similar to rockeoke, and will be like the Football-okes that I have organized to raise funds for youth football in provincial areas. Guests can sing a song of their choice as long as the chords are searchable online. Then they can donate any amount they wish for the families of the SAF martyrs.


On Monday I will not be the only one doing the accompanying. Noel Zarate, my fellow Yahoo Philippines sports blogger, will be dusting off his keyboard and tinkling the ivories for ya’ll.


I actually met Noel through music, not through sports. In the late ’90s, when I was still a copywriter in Publicis, he was the arranger for a song we made for Mitsubishi Motors Philippines, our client. I still remember him doing the chords of Kenny Loggins’ “Enter My Dream” during one meeting and me singing along. We do that again on Monday, Noel??


But there’s more! Charlie Cuna, Yahoo’s regular blogger on all things PBA, is also going to be crooning for you that night. Charlie is from Southridge school and was classmates with Gabe Mercado and Jay Ignacio, who were my bandmates in that obscure ’90s nerdcore band, DaPulis.


ALSO READ: Jimmy Connors, Aaron Krickstein turn back clock in reunion tennis match.


Our boss, Yahoo Philippines Sports editor Sid Ventura, says he will not be singing on that night, but it is rumored that after a few drinks he may be coaxed into belting out a rendition of “UP Naming Mahal.”


Handling the donations will be Diday Veneracion Alcudia, my long time office mate in Ace Saatchi and Saatchi many moons ago.


Diday is a military wife who has been able to raise around three-quarters of a million pesos already for the families. You can see the accounting here. Our donations on Monday will be added to this total and will be given straight to the families.


Mrs. Alcudia is also a former Philippine Madrigal Singer and it would be great to hear her voice on Monday.


This tragedy may be a sad moment in our history, but we would like Monday’s occasion to be a happy one. You can sing anything you please as long as we can find the songs and chords online. It would be great if guests brought tablets and smart phones that would allow us to search for chords.


There will be no cover charge in Puñta Manila that night. I also encourage you to sample their wickedly good Latin American cuisine, which is so uniquely irresistible.


Puñta Manila is on Shaw Boulevard in Mandaluyong near the Liberty Center. It’s behind KFC and is across the driveway from the Gatorade Hoops Center. There’s a link to a map on the Facebook event page.


I hope to see you on Monday for a fun night of remembrance, tribute, and support to these Filipino heroes and their families. The fun starts at 8 p.m.


Follow Bob on Twitter @PassionateFanPH.