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INTERNATIONALLY-renowned concert pianist Raul Sunico receives a commendation from the State of Nevada through Gayle Anderson (center), Director of Protocol and representative for Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons. Anderson welcomes Sunico and invites him to grace the opening of the Center for Performing Arts in Las Vegas in 2012. At right is Cielo Martinez, the brain behind the piano concert fundraiser for Gawad Kalinga, in coordination with the Philippine Medical Association of Nevada (PMAN). The concert raises $7,000 for the NOLA-GK Village in Paranaque City, Metro Manila, Philippines.
PHOTO: ZEN S. LALUNA
CONCERT sponsors (from L) Louis Gosioco and Chito Arellano of Gawad Kalinga, PMAN members Dr. Mike Micabalo, Dr. Emmanuel Taguba, pianists Voltaire Verzosa and internationally celebrated concert pianist Raul Sunico, PMAN president Dr. Ben Calderon, PMAN members Dr. Francis Jimenez, Dr. Noel Fajardo, and PMAN vice-president Dr. Bob Martinez. The concert is sponsored by the PMAN and Gawad Kalinga USA to fund the housing program of Gawad Kalinga in the Philippines.
WASHINGTON D.C.-based Gloria Caoile, co-founder of Asian Pacifi c American Labor Alliance (APALA) and now Senior Political director, and husband Ben Caoile with Raul Sunico after the concert. PHOTO: ZEN S LALUNA
ARDENT supporters of Raul Sunico (center), Philippines’ foremost classical pianist, (from left) Dr. Luz Concepcion, Terry Taguba, Cielo Martinez, Luz Micabalo, Dr. Tessie Melocoton, and Sylvia Arellano. The group worked hard to ensure the success of the concert, a joint project of Gawad Kalinga-USA and the Philippine Medical Association of Nevada for the benefi t of Gawad Kalinga in the Philippines.
AVID piano music enthusiasts and sisters (from left) Nita Reyes, Girlie R. de Guzman, and former ballet dancer Marie R. O’Connor with their favorite concert pianist Raul Sunico.
SUNICO From page 1
Benjamin’s Jamaican Rumba, and Aram Khachaturian’s Leskinka and Sabre Dance, which the audi- ence generously applauded. The evening ended with a flurry of photo opportunities with members of the audience who all admitted to waiting for hiss next performance in the future. In last Sunday’s services at the Desert Spring United Methodist Church, Senior Pastor Rev. David Devereaux was all praises for Sunico’s performance along with the parishioners who attended the concert. Sunico’s performance elevated the Filipinos’ s niche in music in Las Vegas, according to Cielo Martinez. Members of the large congregation now knew that Filipinos not only have great sing- ers like Lani Misalucha, a familiar voice on The Strip, but also great, first class pianists like Raul Su- nico. The congregants expressed their desire to be informed of Su-
nico’s next performance in town, according to Cielo Martinez, the brain behind the successful fundraiser.
The fundraiser raised $7,000 for Gawad Kalinga’s housing and livelihood project for the poor in the Philippines. The amount can build two additional houses at the NOLA-GK Village in Paranaque City, Metro Manila in the Phil- ippines. NOLA stands for New Orleans, Louisiana (USA), the city ravaged by Typhoon Katrina where the couple Dr. Bob and Cielo Martinez lived before they migrated to Las Vegas at the after- math of the disaster. The Martine- zes, who pledged some 30 houses for Gawad Kalinga in Paranaque, named the village after NOLA to commemorate their stint in New Orleans where Cielo was Hon- orary Consul for the Philippine Consulate General in New Orleans for many years, instead of naming the village after themselves as is customarily done by other donors. Currently, 10 houses are already
Avid supporters of Filipino musical talents and Philippine music (from left) Bernie Benito, Leo Belmonte, Chito Arellano, Ceasar Elpidio, pianists Voltaire Verzosa and Raul Sunico, Marilyn Ante, Luz Micabalo, Beverly Elpidio and Amie Belmonte after the concert sponsored by the Gawad Kalinga-USA and the PMAN for the beenefi ty of Gawad Kalinga housing projects for the poor in the Philippines.
PHOTOS: ZEN S. LALUNA
under construction following the groundbreaking ceremonies which the couple attended in May 2009. The two additional houses will bear the donation from the Philippine Medical Association of Nevada (PMAN), one of the concert presenters and partner of
GK-USA, and the other from the Desert Spring United Methodist Church which offered the venue for the concert.
The Martinezes, in coordina- tion with GK-USA and other civic entities plan to conduct more fundraisers in the near fu-
ture to help fund the 30 houses for NOLA-GK currently under construction in Paranaque City, according to Cielo Martinez, a long time proponent of the arts and civic projects for underserved members of the community. (Zen S. Laluna) ■
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