Bridging the Gap Series: A series of benefit concerts for the underprivileged most especially the poverty stricken children by starting from one city at a time. Background
The Philippine population is divided into three levels of social and economic stratifications. The structure of its population is a pyramid wherein approximately 15-20% of the population controls approximately 75% of the country’s resources, approx. 20-30% are the middle class and approx. 40-50% consists of poverty-stricken communities living on less than $1/day. In 1998, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) estimates a total of 222,417 street children located in 65 major cities in the Philippines. Action International Ministries estimated approximately 50,000 to 70,000 street children in Metro Manila alone. The population in Cebu City alone consist of approximately 40-60% poverty stricken communities. Although the gap between the rich and the poor are not as wide compared to other regions in the country, these people are still excluded from cultural and social programs available in the community. Studies show that poverty populations have been increasing consistently over the years (~30 to 40%). The age of the street children range from 5 to 18 years and consist primarily of boys. It was reported that girls are extremely vulnerable and often prone to discrimination among this community. These children often belong in large households of at least 6 to 7 members. Most of these households consist of at least one parent. In spite of various community development programs offered by the local government, participation of these communities remains low. Most of the abandoned youth or street children are known to take “rugby”- an adhesive used to repair shoes and other rubbers, and function as an opium-like drug substance. This substance use leads to other drug use, which in effect increases the crimes in the community. Street children work and live on the streets, and are most often left on their own to fend for themselves against crimes and other forms of social abuse. The Cebu City Task Force for Street Children provided a shelter offering a variety of activities and livelihood programs. However, the retention rate has been staggering since most of these children are psychologically and emotionally attached to life on the streets. There is a dire need to provide programs and incentives that will awaken initiatives within these communities aside from merely providing monetary and basic support. Purpose
The Purpose of this event is to create an environment of shared aspirations through music. This concert aims to inspire at least 200 low-income families in Cebu City through this collective environment brought about by this concert. This environment of shared aspiration through these classical performances will bring about empowerment to the community as this event will also entail the cooperation of the local government and other local organizations, individuals and corporate entities. The first concert will be held in Cebu City, Philippines in August of 2009. If the event is widely received, we hope to make it into a nationwide event that will also include other provinces not only in the Visayas region, but in Luzon and Mindanao as well.
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