10 December 2013 - The Philippine Consulate General in Honolulu attended a benefit concert dubbed “Kokua Philippines: A Night of Hope Concert” on December 01 at the McKinley High School Auditorium in Honolulu Hawaii. The concert, which was organized by the Congress of Visayan Organizations (COVO) in collaboration with the Filipino Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, the Filipino Community Center and the Consulate, was held for the benefit of the victims of the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that hit the central Philippines and super typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan).

The show starred artists whose roots are from the areas that hit the typhoon such as Kristian Lei, an internationally-acclaimed Broadway singer, Augie T., a well-known stand-up comedian, Brother Noland, a Filipino-Hawaiian musician and other local talents. 

According to Ms. May Mizuno, COVO President, the two-hour benefit concert was able to raise US$50,000 from donations alone, and an estimated $20,000 from ticket sales. COVO is still in the process of identifying the recipient organization for the proceeds of the concert. END