With guts not money, Rock Ed Philippines worked closely with the Cultural Center of the Philippines, Terno Recordings, NU107, Dakila, MTV and Preview Magazine to speedily set up the "PARA SA LEYTE" concert within a week. Rock Ed sa CCP series was still on the drawing board at that time for June but the Leyte tragedy challenged us to speed up our planning.

This concert became the first of that supposed series. And the majesty of this event was surpassed only by the generosity and genius of the artists who volunteered to perform for the cause.

Rock stars who are usually deemed as self-indulgent and spoiled came and proved us wrong. They gracefully accepted that we couldn't provide them with food or free beer. We barely had enough but they were okay with it, hanging around the wings of the backstage. Looking like they were having a good time. They never looked so cool. Pag mabait talaga at mapagbigay-- mas cool. When a musician has compassion, that is mostly when his music is true.

The CCP main theatre fountains were on the entire night providing us with an unmatched atmosphere and ethereal lighting, the goddess of the wind was at her best behaviour, even the moon looked like it was having fun.

Now this was a concert venue. This was more than a concert, it was our NO POLITICS ZONE. It was a large square area where we were free from mediocre political rhetoric. Where only kindness and talent were abound.

It was a night when everyone was asked to shut up. Stay silent---and allow the music and cheers of the audience to ring out over the city. That night, only the voices of the people who came to Rock for Leyte were heard. Many bands weren't able to play because of logistics but they were more than willing-- we are grateful to them. So we plan to have a few more of these. Kulang pa ang pera. Umpisa pa lang ito.

So it came to pass, we came together at the center of the city from our dark bars with our rock bands, and we stood side by side to form a bridge of dry land, and we will not stop til the people of Southern Leyte are back to a safe place, back to a land called Free.

We promise you not a moment will be lost as long as we have the heart & the voice to speak & we will rock again together with a thousand others & a thousand more & on & on until there is no one among us who does not know the feeling of nation-building. And this is where we start.