Lea Salonga helps raise P9.3M in Hawaii for cyclone victims

Lea Salonga has lifted up the image of Filipinos through her artistic achievements. She did it one more time for leading Filipino volunteers in Hawaii in raising millions of pesos for victims of recent cyclones in the Philippines. Philippine officials in Hawaii thanked world-renowned Salonga and Filipino volunteers there for raising more than P9.299 million for victims of recent tropical cyclones Ondoy (Ketsana) and Pepeng (Parma). Hawaii Councilman Romeo Cachola, Vice Speaker Michael Magaoay and Senator Robert Bunda gave Certificates of Appreciation to Salonga for enhancing the prestige and image of Filipinos through her artistic achievements and for her humanitarian contribution to the typhoon relief drive, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). The DFA cited a report from the Philippine Consul General to Honolulu that Filipino volunteers raised $200,000 (P9.299 million) for the victims of Ondoy and Pepeng. “Aside from this, (Salonga) donated a portion of the ticket sales of her sold-out concert at Blaisdell Arena on November 10," the DFA said. The DFA did not specify how much from her ticket sales Salonga donated. Cardenas hosted a reception to thank all Filipino community leaders and volunteers for their initiatives and efforts in rallying the Filipino community in Hawaii. Almost 2,000 Filipinos were killed and millions were directly affected when tropical cyclones Ondoy and Pepeng lashed the country last September and October. In October, Salonga managed to raise $19,000 (P889,200) in Washington D.C., and appealed to Filipinos and the international community to do more for victims of the recent cyclones. At the time, Salonga made a special appearance at a “Solidarity Mass" at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle and had a reception for donors at the Philippine Ambassador’s Residence. “Much has been done… but there is so much more that still needs to be done," the DFA quoted her as saying at the cathedral, where she sang “The Lord’s Prayer" in Filipino and made a special appeal to the Mass participants. Salonga made a similar appeal at the donors’ reception and urged everyone present to do their part for the typhoon victims in the Philippines. Philippine Ambassador to the United States Wilfredo Gaa thanked Salonga for her commitment to help raise awareness and funds for typhoon victims in the Philippines. - GMANews.TV