Concert raises $33,000 for Filipino priests’ healthcare

by ROWENA OREJANA
A Valentine’s Day concert spearheaded by St Joseph’s Takapuna assistant priest Fr Elric
Jorquia raised $33,155 for the healthcare of priests in his provincial diocese of Malaybalay in
the Philippines.

This was exciting news for Malaybalay Bishop Jose Cabantan.
“First, we would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to all who helped and supported Fr Elric in organising a concert there. I would like also to reiterate our gratitude to Bishop Patrick Dunn by allowing him to stage the show,” said Bishop Cabantan.
“We do not have really a healthcare programme for our clergy like in the other countries. When
I came here [Malaybalay] May of 2010, some of our priests got seriously sick,” he said.
That was when he realised there was a need not only to care for the sick, but to maintain the wellness of the more than 90 priests in the diocese, he explained.
“We encourage our priests to have an annual medical check-up to closely monitor their health.
Three of the clergy had passed away since the time I reported here. Two of them had heart-related
cases and one died of cancer,” he said. “Although we have Phil Health, a government insurance
programme [that insurance] is also very limited. Hence, we try to put up a fund particularly for
the health programme of our clergy.”
Fr Jorquia thanked all who supported the concert, “Like and Share”, particularly those who volunteered their time and talent. Among them were concert producer Honorary Philippine
Vice-Consul Virginia Russell, sound system sponsor James Ruiz Thompson, musical director Mike
Cruz and marketing director Chito Domingo.
“These four started the ball rolling. My special thanks to them,” he said.
He said some of his friends encouraged him to hold a concert, but he said he would only do so if
it was for a cause. He asked Bishop Cabantan what the diocese needed most and the bishop suggested raising funds for the priests’ healthcare programme.
“I was so inspired by the way people shared their time, talent and treasure, and they gave it
with sincerity,” he said. “Also, I am humbled and happy to have been able to help the priests in my home diocese.”
Fr Mario Dorado, Fr Gilbert Ramos, Fr Carlos Guleng as well as the Filipino band, Sinag, performed in the concert.
Fr Jorquia said the concert’s title references Facebook language to engage young people. “It also
means we like and appreciate the gifts God has given us and, at the same time, we share these gifts,” he said.