Believe it or not, it’s been more than 40 days

ERIC Quizon says Hope Foundation will build a classroom in a Tondo elementary school in honor of Dolphy.

After marking the 40th day of the Comedy King’s passing on Aug. 18, Dolphy’s family is mounting three special events to continue his legacy of helping the less fortunate.

Today, the 4th Pidol Golf Cup kicks off in Eastridge, Taytay. The golf tournament is an annual fund-raiser for the Dolphy Aid Para sa Pinoy Foundation. Through the event’s previous editions, the foundation was able to send scholars to STI (computer school) and the Reyes Haircutters.

This year, Pidol’s son Epy said, the foundation hopes to send to school children from families displaced by the recent floods in Tondo and

other areas.

Historic

On Aug. 31, the foundation is mounting a concert, “Dolphy Alay Tawa,” at the SM Mall of Asia Arena, said Epy’s brother Eric.

“In a historic development, all three networks will participate in the show,” said Epy.

Added Eric: “Stars from the three networks will perform in the concert and it will be aired by ABS-CBN, GMA 7 and TV 5 on Sept. 2.”

The charity concert was originally envisioned to start a calamity fund. However, recent events have expanded the list of beneficiaries to include the Philippine Red Cross, Eye Bank and Hope Foundation.

“With Hope Foundation, we plan to build a classroom in honor of my dad in Emilio Jacinto Elementary School, in my dad’s beloved Tondo,” said Eric.

FAMILY and friends gathered at the comedian’s tomb on Saturday, including daughter Nicole Quizon (fourth from right) and TV daughter Maricel Soriano (sixth from left).

Donation

There will be a minimal fee of P150 for concert tickets. “It will serve as donation as well,” explained Eric, who is president of the foundation.

Eric was certain his father would be pleased that he was still able to unite the top three networks for a worthy cause, “just like what happened during his wake and funeral.”

The Dolphy Aid Foundation has likewise joined forces with

a few other groups—Climate Change Commission, Eco-Waste Coalition, Alagang Kapatid Foundation, the Philippine League of Local Environment and Natural Resources Officers, Inc. and Earth Day Network Philippines, Inc.—to hold Earthdance Manila on Sept. 31 at the Arts in the City in Taguig.

Earthdance is an annual arts festival that Epy has been producing for the past four years with his wife, Rosanna C. Escudero. “Rosanna is an earth warrior,” said Epy.

Rosanna, who chairs Earthdance, said there would be different booths, exhibits, workshops, film screenings, and performances this year.

After the recent floods, Epy and Rosanna became all the more convinced about the urgency of their work for the environment.

Project Rainbow

Rosanna and Earthdance cochair Zonito Torrevillas-Tamase envision a litter-free Philippines with the launch of Project Rainbow and “Basura sa Basurahan” campaign.

EPY Quizon is setting up scholarship and environmental education projects under the foundation.

Working with Quezon City Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte, the coalition picked Roxas district, one of the hardest-hit areas in the recent calamity, as pilot beneficiary of Project Rainbow.

“This is how our father would have wanted us to continue his legacy,” said Epy who is vice president of the Dolphy foundation. “As shown in his book,  ‘Hindi Ko Ito Narating Mag-Isa,’ my dad had his own thoughts on the environmental issue. He recalled how, as a young boy, he would go swimming in Manila Bay and Pasig River. Now, he said, these were severely polluted and filled with trash.”

As followup to Ayala Malls’ recent retrospective, SM will also screen Dolphy’s last two movies “Nobody, Nobody But Juan” and “Father Jejemon” in selected cinemas next month, Eric announced.

E-mail the author: [email protected]