Babeth on Sid's CCP Wake

Rosa, the sister of the late Sid Hildawa, received our group's donation to the bereaved family. There is a hospital bill of P800,000 to be settled and an ongoing fund-raising exhibition of artworks by different artists at the Cultural Center shop. Arturo Luz's painting, worth P350,000, was sold, so was Bencab's digital print. I think the show will run for another week.

Big crowd at the CCP Main Theater lobby with people filling up the steps of the grand staircase snaking up to the second floor. Speakers like CCP president Nes Jardin, printmaker Raul Isidro, architect Paolo Alcazaren, Sid's CCP colleague Hermie Beltran and others gave anecdotes that reflected his professionalism, love of space, food, books, travel, his spirituality, his being an enabler who got the art community to unite. The poems of Sid read by Nanding Josef, Marj Evasco, Emily Abrera showed he had some foreboding of his illness, early death. Also showed his fascination with time and space and how he easily traveled between this and the dimension over there.

The Philippine Madrigals and CCP Chorale sang. Standing ovation for the departed at the end of necrological service.

Those who'd like to know more about Sid may visit his blog. Please google to locate. I think there is a track there of Sid reading his poem.

Thanks.

-- Babeth