The Children’s First 1000 Days Coalition and The Manila Hotel will present an evening of music and philanthropy on November 14 for the first 1,000 days of life and for homes for families in need.
MANILA, Philippines:
The Children’s First 1000 Days Coalition (CFDC) and its partner organizations, in cooperation with The Manila Hotel, announced today at a press conference at the Roma Salon that they will hold their Christmas Benefit Dinner Concert, “Maluwalhating Pilipinas,” on Saturday, November 14, 2026, at 6:00 PM at the Fiesta Pavilion of The Manila Hotel. The concert will raise funds for Rotary Homes and the Children’s First 1000 Days of Life Program.
The concert will feature Aliw Award-winning singer and theater actress Isay Alvarez; internationally acclaimed soprano and Aliw Awards Hall of Famer Rachelle Gerodias; classical crossover soprano and Asia’s Got Talent finalist Gerphil Flores; and Aliw Best Classical Performer and singer-songwriter Lara Maigue. They will be joined by Rotarians Raffy Garcia, Reggie Nolido, Ador Tolentino, Bobby Alvarez, Egay Rubiano, and former Senator Joey Lina, under the direction of Joel Macanaya.
The concert takes its title from “Maluwalhating Pilipinas,” a song that celebrates our shared love of country and our collective aspiration for a stronger, more compassionate, and more prosperous Philippines. Lina wrote the poem, and his nephew set it to music. Gerodias, who promised an evening of bel canto, or “beautiful singing,” also noted that all four women performers are mothers, a fitting detail for a concert devoted to mothers and children. Lina and Gerodias have also prepared a special prayer number for the evening.
CFDC, composed of more than 200 civil society organizations working with government and the private sector, implements programs in line with Republic Act No. 11148, or the Kalusugan at Nutrisyon ng Mag-Nanay Act. The law recognizes the first 1,000 days, from pregnancy until a child’s second birthday, as a critical window for a child’s growth and development. Malnutrition during this period can have lifelong consequences, including stunting, impaired cognitive development, greater vulnerability to illness, and reduced educational and economic potential.
Lina said about one in three Filipino children is affected by malnutrition. The effort began in 2018, when the Makati Central Rotary Club, working with Bobby Alvarez, began adopting barangays and identifying pregnant women. It now operates in 19 areas and has directly served about 1,500 beneficiaries. In areas such as Makati, Pasig and Dasmariñas, mothers receive one meal a day for the full 1,000 days on a budget of ₱60 per day, with menus from the DOST Food and Nutrition Research Institute following the Pinggang Pinoy guide. Mothers are also trained in prenatal care, infant care and the use of government-provided supplements such as folic acid. The coalition’s long-term goal is to reach all 42,000 barangays. Alvarez, president of the Philippines Ease of Doing Business Foundation, said a third batch of 20 pregnant women was launched in Muntinlupa on October 14, with more fathers now joining their partners. He invited local businesses to sponsor batches in their own communities.
Through the Rotary Homes Foundation, the concert aims to help fund the construction of at least eight additional socialized houses for indigent families in Barangay Putatan, Muntinlupa City, building on the foundation’s ongoing housing initiative in the community. Lina, author of the Lina Law on socialized housing during his Senate term, called it a noble undertaking.
In support of these causes, the organizers invite the public, businesses and civic groups to become partners in this impactful and continuing undertaking. As the title song envisions, a stronger and more prosperous Philippines begins with a well-nourished mother, a healthy child and a family with a place to call home.
