Asian Journal- The Filipino-American Community Newspaper

Twenty three U.S. cities will become the arena for the Philippines’ best, beginning in Los Angeles on October 25 at the Glendale Civic Auditorium, as ANCOP-Gawad Kalinga culminates its 2008 activities with a WowGK road show.  Multi-awarded composer and musical director Ryan Cayabyab and painter Joey Velasco, plus Productivity Bazaars will be this year’s headliners.    The road show, aptly called WowGK Paskuhan, will bespeak of Gawad Kalinga as a continuing source of the Christmas spirit in its relentless efforts at giving and sharing.

Except for the concert, for which tickets are popularly priced at $40 and $30, the full-day event is free to the public.

ANCOP GK’s heroes, advocates and the general public will be regaled at 4:00 pm by the prolific Ryan Cayabyab and his 7-man ensemble of handpicked singers.  

The rare concert will culminate a day-long exhibit of Joey Velasco’s provocative paintings of Jesus Christ with the street children of Manila, as well as a GK Productivity bazaar that will feature a wide array of merchandise produced in the livelihood centers of the various GK villages that dot the Philippines.

Messrs. Cayabyab and Velasco, through their respective arts, have produced powerful statements that embody the moving spirit that propels Gawad Kalinga into its tireless task of re-building the nation.  

A prolific composer and musical director, Ryan composed “Paraiso”, the grand prize winner of the 1992 Tokyo Pop Music Festival Awards.  Originally written for the singing group Smokey Mountain, it is a plaintive song that juxtaposes the squalid garbage dump called Payatas with lofty dreams of flight as cherished by its inhabitants.  “Paraiso” has aptly become the Gawad Kalinga theme song for its message of hope amid the most sordid of realities.  A movie trilogy of the same name was last year’s WowGK feature.

Joey Velasco took real children from the streets of Manila and made them the models for his oil paintings. His works invariably depict Jesus Christ as the waifs’ constant companion and friend, conveying the eloquent assurance that – far from being abandoned - the lowly and untended innocents are really the closest to Our Saviour’s heart.   The most popular among his collection is Hapag Kainan, where not the 12 apostles but real boys and girls of the streets dine with Jesus at a darkly lit banquet reminiscent of His Last Supper.   Just as Ryan depicts in song an evolution of hope, Joey’s collection of paintings visually conveys an unfinished journey from despair to utter joy.

As eloquently as the two renowned artists impart hope amidst chaos, the GK Productivity exhibit will showcase the proud work already churned up by the residents of GK Villages in Laguna, Las Pinas, Bulacan, Quezon and Davao.   Candles, capiz decor, rosaries, raffia picture frames, coconut bowls and utensils, purses, placemats and key chains, jackets, and GK memorabilia are among the wealthy line of artisan craft made available for sale in time for the gift-giving season.

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