By Rinand C. Escuban
The Bahandi Singers is testimony of God’s goodness and faithfulness through music. On July 15, 2019, the Bahandi singers held a concert at the Rose Memorial Auditorium to celebrate their 40th Anniversary and to present their concert entitled, “Our Anchor Holds.”
“We move for a greater Central”, this clarion call for a march towards a greater and prestigious Central Philippine University by the University’s First Filipino President, Dr. Rex D. Drilon was again heard on Saturday, May 25, 2019 when the Central Philippine University Alumni Association of the Greater Toronto Area (CPUAAGTA) presented the Bahandi Singers in a fundraising concert for the benefit of the Association’s scholarship program for deserving students of CPU. The well-attended event gathered the alumni and friends of Central Philippine University in the Greater Toronto Area. It was held at the Burgundy Room of the North York Memorial Community Hall, City of Toronto.
The CPUGTAAA recognizes CPU’s vision towards Exemplary Christian Education for Life (EXCEL) thus it sponsors a Scholarship Program that gives opportunity to financially challenged but deserving students to continue their education at CPU.
The Bahandi Singers performed Filipino and Christian music and featured David T. Clydesdale arranged dramatic musical “Lead Me to the Cross”. The Bahandi Singers (in Canada) is led by Dr. Jose Denzil D. Daquiado, Musical Director and Alvia de Leon Magno, Musical Conductor. For the concert Cheryl Obregon served as the Stage Director and Edwin Arroz, Light and Sound Coordinator.
The Bahandi Singer during their Concert for a Cause at the Burgundy Room of the North York Memorial Community Hall, City of Toronto.
During the program Ms. Norma Van Dusen, President, CPUGTAA gave the Opening Remarks. Mr. Rod Gonzales, CPUGTAA Board of Director shared the purpose of the activity and the mission of the Bahandi Singers.
In an email to the members of the CPUGTAA a day after the concert, Ms. Van Dusen commented that it was, “a great success. We raised the much needed funds for the Scholarship Program for deserving students of CPU. The tickets were sold out and I wanted to say ‘a big thank you to all of you, for the attendees for taking time out of your busy schedule to join us. The sponsors and donors for the generous financial support as well as to those who donated their time – the volunteers, thank you.”’
She continued, “We could not have achieved the success of this event without the collaborative efforts of the planning members and executive officers, most of all the Bahandi Singers who spent countless hours practicing and preparing for this event. Thank you for the hard work, intense effort and the dedication by stepping up to volunteer your time, expertise, experience and best of all for lending your beautiful voices to the glory of CPU. Dr. Christine Lopez Daquiado who scoured the city for the appropriate venue, Rodney and Faith Gicana who worked at the printing and numbering of tickets and the printing of the programs and creating the video clips for sponsors and donors, thank you.” “The narrators, multimedia, videographer, and everybody who were all instrumental in making the event a success – thank you, we are all deeply appreciative of all the efforts. I am so proud of all of you, events like these depend on its members and friends for its success and the level of enthusiasm on the part of this group is amazing.”
To God be the glory for the love and support given by the CPUGTAA to CPU!