Writers, musicians to hold fundraising event for poet Pete Lacaba

Writers and musicians have come together to organize a fundraising event called "Kape't Ka Pete" for the medical needs of poet Jose "Pete" Lacaba.

Lacaba, a brilliant poet and journalist who protested against the dictatorship of late Ferdinand Marcos, is now battling myasthenia gravis, a rare neuromuscular disease with no known cure to date, Wilson Lee Flores said to GMA News Online on Thursday.

According to Flores, 74-year old Lacaba's hospitalization costs in the past few years have accumulated into debt as he and his wife have become too old to work.

His friends and supporters have decided to organize a poetry and song program to help pay for Lacaba's debts and medical costs.

"Even without the disease, he's still the person who deserves all the honor. Everybody I called, walang nag-no," Flores, one of the organizers of the event, said.

He added, "Pete Lacaba and his late brother Eman Lacaba I admire for their prodigious literary talents as poets, writers and as idealists who dreamt of social justice."

Lacaba was one of the brave souls who fought the late dictator with the power of his pen and was later imprisoned and tortured in Camp Crame back in 1974.

According to Flores, also the owner of the bakery, Lacaba has been going to the bakery for many years ever since his friend, the late Nida Blanca, brought him there. He's been a humble suki customer of the 81-year old Kamuning Bakery Cafe, where the fundraising event will be held.

"This is a small effort by a small, burnt down, old bakery to support a noble writer and also suki customer," said Flores.

According to Flores, this effort was inspired by the Bible story about a poor humble boy who donated his five loaves of bread and two fishes by faith and this was multiplied to feed over 8,000 people.

"We hope this event shall encourage more people to help Pete," Flores added.

The list of artists who will be performing during the event include Noel Cabangon, Cookie Chua, Hazel Faith, Skarlet Brown, RIcky Davao, Gemino Abad, Butch Dalisay, Krip Yuson, Vim Nadera, Michael Coroza, Marne Kilates, and Charlson Ong among others. — Kaela Malig/LA, GMA News

The "Kape't Ka Pete" will be held in the Kamuning Bakery Cafe on March 7, 2020 at 6 p.m.. Tickets are sold at 250 pesos each.

For more information, contact  09178481818 or  09338604252