Musical Surge: a day of Remembrance

A sharing of what the Youth for a United World (Y4UW) of Tacloban did for the first anniversary of Typhoon Haiyan. “This is why we sing, why we lift our voice, why we stand as one in harmony.”

With lit candles we sang our prayers as we walked out of the parish to the mass grave right outside it. We brought the big bouquet of flowers from the stage through the procession to the memorial site at the middle of the mass grave where a choir welcomed us with solemn songs. The parish priest led a prayer after which we put our candles by the graves of the people we lost to the typhoon. This was how we ended our vigil concert.

That night, through songs we lifted our prayers and soothed souls and as I stood in the midst of everyone I couldn’t but feel overwhelmed by the love and faith that filled the air. The smell of candles burning brought me back a year ago when the stench of death enveloped the grief that has fallen upon this place. It was as if the stars came down to be one with us that evening. I looked up to see the stars in their place high up in the sky and thanked God for giving us this chance to affect lives that have been torn apart. This was the reward that we have worked for in the weeks that passed leading to that very moment- to share hope, be one with the people in remembering, and strengthen their faith.

A moment so beautiful couldn’t have been born with just us. He was there all along guiding our every step of the project.

The idea started with a thought of how us Filipinos, even in the midst of our trials, find our songs to sing if only to lighten our burden. In further meetings of the Youth for a United World and the Division of Humanities of the University of the Philippines along with individuals who believed in building back better in this part of the country, it was realized that a gap in relief efforts was to be filled with an event project that would provide a meaningful commemoration for the first Haiyan anniversary. A collaboration was then formed and the MUSICAL SURGE PROJECT was born.

To foster unity is what we, the Youth for a United World, have always set out to do. We have gone through a many innovative ways to cater to the call of universal brotherhood and each day we renew our commitment to this idea.

When typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda struck and devastated our region in Eastern Visayas, Philippines, we were in pain and grief for the many lives lost to the catastrophe. With an outpour of love, we have felt the whole world with us to share our undertakings. A year after, we have gone far from that day when our faith was tested and strengthened.

We understood here in Tacloban that we are called to do much- to become inspirations to our fellow survivors and to the rest of the world. With this, we have come up with creative ways to affect lives around us. Renewing our YES to this challenge brought us to a fruitful collaboration with the University of the Philippines, in cooperation with the START AGAIN Project.

November 5, 2014 became the start of a realization of weeks of hard work. More than 150 participants from different choral groups and 20 children from the worst affected San Joaquin Central School arrived for the free choral training workshops. Star Magic Vocal Coach-Ms. Luningning Aballe-San Jose, A recent alumna of the Philippine Madrigal Singers- Ms. Mary Jeanne Egloso, Irish soprano- Orna Joyce, and Choirmaster of the Philippine Madrigal Singers- Mr. Mark Anthony Carpio, all arrived to share knowledge and enrich the skills of the choral groups in the region. With everyone eager to learn from the workshops, we, the Youth for a United World started the project with inputs of our life ideals of love and unity. All participants were provided with lunch and 2 snacks a day during the free 3-day workshop and were provided with music pieces they may be able to use with their own groups. The MUSICAL SURGE PROJECT also accomplished the formation of the Eastern Visayas Choral Association (EVCA) that hopes to cater camaraderie more than competition between the differing chorale groups in the region. It has also formed a children’s choir for the San Joaquin Central School.

The project culminated into a vigil concert last November 7, 2014 at the San Joaquin Parish Palo, Leyte that started at 9:00 in the evening and lasted until a few past midnight. It was a ‘salubong’ to the 8th of November, welcoming the fateful day that changed the face of our land.

As the choral groups gathered for the MUSICAL SURGE vigil concert, they understood that this event was our gift to the people of San Joaquin, Palo Leyte which was one of the worst affected communities to typhoon Haiyan. Without introductions, performers went up stage one after the other to give songs, dances, share experiences and prayers, forgetting themselves and being there merely to love and be one with the community. This was no ordinary concert for this was a concert of prayers. With one another we prayed through songs and dances that followed the themes of remembrance, thanksgiving and hope. At exactly 12:00 midnight a moment of silence was offered for the lives that have been lost to the typhoon and to Ms. Luningning Aballe-San Jose’s father who passed away because of a transit accident early that day.

There were a few tears that night as people remembered loved ones lost. But there was more strength than ever in facing tomorrow with one another. No more was the uncertainty and emptiness that plagued our souls a year ago. That night, there were three things that were clear- love, hope and faith. As people placed candles in graves of loved ones there was peace. We shed a tear and we let go. We didn’t hate, we forgave. We remembered and we accepted. We gave thanks and shared our hope.

We ended the MUSICAL SURGE vigil concert with our candles that burned like stars flickering above the graves, our songs our prayers for those we lost, and our smiles our thanks to those who gave.

-Jove Opina