Brothers' Aid: A Spontaneous Response to Help Brods in Need
by Willie “Tatang” Vergara with the help of Rene Madarang
 

The BROTHERS' AID Project was a quickly assembled concert-cum-auction last July 27, 2013. It was a spontaneous response to address medical and financial concerns of Brods Judge Jess Latoja (+) of UP Diliman and others that were circulating in emails and texts before the historic series of activities related to Magnificent Sixty-Seven.

According to Brod Butch Madarang, a group of brods mainly belonging to the 70s that included himself took advantage of the availability of visiting brods Babes Ignacio (lead guitarist) and Kiko Delmendo (saxophone and other wind instruments) and the band players who they saw perform at the Baluarte Bar and Grill a week before the affair. An informal meeting of the minds transpired among Caloy Agulto, Butch, visual artist Boy Luna (who just arrived fresh from Indonesia), member of the Board of Trustees Joel Paredes, Meng Canlas, Robie Feliciano and Lionel Latoja, and other brods. Butch volunteered to administer the auction of a unique 'Malmon'-inspired Paquing Verano original painting. This was one of Butch’s personal collections which he also did to help raise tuition/allowance funds for "Jug for Feg", a UP Manila brod currently enrolled at UERM Med School.

There must have been about forty brods and guests who attended the affair at Caloy’s Gulp Club. This night coincided with the wedding anniversary of Brod Atty. Boyet Fernandez and his wife, and sang to the tune of "Moon River". On the same table was Brod Frankie Llaguno’s wife Jenny and another Sigma Betan whose closeness with the brods dates back to the 70s. Oldies other than myself and Boyet included batchmates Art Atega (from Oman) and Rey Rivera.
 

It was a night of great fun… of rockin’ and rollin’, and much of the singing featured the songs we used to sing during the Age of Aquarius, courtesy of Willie Baldoria, Raul Terso, and old Betan friend Prof. Lester Demetillo.

The winning bid of US$500 for this unique Paquing Verano painting was placed by a brod who preferred to remain anonymous. Payment was coursed through UP Beta Sigma Central President Rolly G. Reyes, who on the night of the bidding had to attend to a family concern and thus requested Tatang Vergara to issue the check on behalf of the anonymous buyer.

Mabuhay sa isang matagumpay na pagtutulungan at pagkakaisa !!
 

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