MANILA – Apl.de.ap of Grammy Award-winning group the Black Eyed Peas is kicking off a benefit concert at Skydome, SM North Edsa at 6 p.m. Thursday.

The Filipino American international singer organized the concert to help thousands of flood victims here. Tickets are being sold for P150 each and the proceeds will go to the affected communities.

From Manila, apl.de.ap will immediately fly back to Los Angeles, California for the Black Eyed Peas' show there. He will reportedly return to the country in November.

apl.de.ap, the creative ambassador to the Philippines, has pledged immediate assistance to the thousands of Filipinos displaced by tropical storm Ondoy (international codename Ketsana).

He also made an appeal to the international community to provide assistance to the storm victims.

"My heart is broken to see so many of my Filipino brothers and sisters hurt by this disaster. We must all bond together and move forward to restore the city we hold dear. I'm asking the global community for their support and donations to assist the thousands of Filipinos affected by this tragedy," the singer said.

apl.de.ap, or Allan Pineda Lindo, was only 11 years old when he flew to the United States under a sponsorship by the Pearl S. Buck Foundation, an organization dedicated to the well-being of Amerasian children. He was officially adopted by an American family at the age of 14.

apl.de.ap is now a leading hip hop musician and record producer in the US. He set up his own record label, Jeepney Music, to help fellow Filipino artists make it in the international music scene.