Rico Blanco holds New Year’s concert in Leyte

CEBU, Philippines - Singer and band vocalist Rico Blanco wished over 4,000 people a happy New Year and spread key hygiene promotion messages when he visited the work of Save the Children in the municipality of Dulag, Leyte. Save the Children is working with some of the hardest hit communities in Eastern Leyte to support families with life-saving water, sanitation and hygiene supplies.

Rico Blanco had written a special hygiene jingle for the occasion — singing his hand-washing messages to the excited crowd that had assembled in a damaged church for the concert. As Blanco played the song, children selected from the crowd demonstrated hand-washing techniques to children and their mothers.

Blanco, a famous artist whose family comes from Leyte, accompanied Save the Children emergency teams to Barangay Cabacungan where he met with many families who have lost loved ones, homes and livelihoods due to Yolanda. In the municipality of Dulag alone – around 453 houses were totally destroyed as Yolanda ripped through the area.

Many wells and washing facilities were also left flooded or damaged and Save the Children has been trucking clean water, delivering hygiene kits, including buckets, soap and water purification tablets and constructing latrines.

During his visit, Blanco spread cheer amongst the crowd as he played his hand-washing jingle in the local dialect, Waray, as well as many of his other famous songs. Rico said, “I have played many times in Leyte before and the crowds are always amazing. It’s a real privilege to play here, especially as the people look forward to their continued recovery in 2014.”

Save the Children Country Director Ned Olney said, “Save the Children feels honored to host Rico Blanco in Dulag – bringing hope to children this New Year and spreading hygiene messages are so important right now, as Leyte continues to rise again after the devastation caused by Yolanda.”

One mother, Lisa, from Cabacungan who attended the concert said, “Thank you Save the Children for hosting this concert here. It has really lifted our spirits. Everything here was ruined but my New Year’s message is this — we survived Yolanda.”

Save the Children has been working in the Philippines since 1981, responding to dozens of emergencies across the country. The aid agency mounted large-scale emergency responses to Typhoon Washi in 2011, Typhoon Bopha and Manila floods last year and most recently to Typhoon Nari in October. Save the Children has been on the ground before typhoon Yolanda hit, assessing the water, hygiene and sanitation needs of children. (FREEMAN)