MANILA: Filipino stand-up artists have performed at a sold-out show over the weekend to express solidarity with people of Palestine, as they seek to raise funds for Palestinians living in their country.
Around 137 Filipinos who were living in the Gaza Strip when Israel began its offensive of the enclave in October 7, around 116 were flown to the Philippines, many alongside their Palestinian spouses.
These people were left to their own devices several days following their arrival, with over a dozen families of evacuees making efforts to find a place to live just last month following government support ceased. Their temporary housing was finally organized by a civil society task force in the country.
Manila Artists Express Solidarity Palestinians
Their efforts were at the heart of the fundraiser on Saturday, which saw performances from 9 of Manila’s comedic talents, who took turns delivering snappy ten to fifteen minutes routines over a two-hour show to dozens of people at the Meshwe Lebanese Restaurant in Quezon City, Metro Manila.
The aim of the show was to collect funds to support Palestinians. The funds raised from the show will be utilized to purchase a month’s worth of household items for the Palestinian refugees in Manila.
Over 2 million people living in Gaza are facing dire shortages of water, food, and supplies, as Israel has allowed only limited amounts of help into the besieged Strip. Since October 7, more than 26,000 Palestinians have been killed including women and children and over 64,000 others are wounded as relentless Israeli assaults continue to also target crucial health facilities in the area.
