"Saranggola sa Ulan".
The weather today and a fond memory helped me remember something I promised to write about, and something I would like to share with those reading this now.
Almost one year ago, I attended the World Youth Day Overnight Vigil at the Ateneo de Manila University. It was a true blessing to be part of such a meaningful and memorable experience, shared with friends and thousands of other young men and women from all over the Philippines, and it is something I will always treasure. I don't know why it took me a year to say it outright, and my sentiments are probably long overdue. But looking back on it now, I can honestly say that I would've missed out on a whole lot had I not been there. It wasn't Madrid, but it was the next best thing. And I'm happy I was there.
There are plenty of reasons why this experience is unforgettable. I could go on and on about hearing the Pope speak live, the presence of both then-current Archbishop Rosales and then-future-Archbishop Tagle (whose talk kept everyone awake during the early morning), and hearing the beautiful voices of the Bukas Palad and Hangad Music Ministries. But one of the things that stood out that night was - surprisingly - when Jimmy Bondoc took the stage.
This was because of a song he performed, an OPM classic that the youth who were present might not recognize, and perhaps only a handful could remember. He started with a little Catechesis (it's World Youth Day, after all), and asked if we could recall what the Three Theological Virtues are. I answered along with the crowd, knowing what to answer due to being a Thomasian for four years in college - Faith (Fides), Hope (Spes), and Love (Caritas).
Then he asked to translate each of those Virtues in Filipino. Love was relatively easy (Pag-ibig), and so was Hope (Pag-asa). But when it came to Faith, the crowd was divided. One side said Pananampalataya, another said Pananalig, and one more said Paniniwala. It was then that he gave the answer when he segued into this song from Gary Granada, where he compared Faith to flying a kite in the rain and believing it will fly despite the challenges that it faces. Tying the Virtues to the song, he started singing the chorus: "Ang pag-asa'y walang hanggan, pag-ibig ay walang hadlang, at lilipad ang saranggola sa ulan." And off the song went.
I went home the next morning looking for the song on YouTube and I listened to the original. Then I hit replay and I listened to it again, and again. I loved the song. And it honestly makes me sad that we only hear just a very small number of songs like it on the radio nowadays. In its place are songs about people pouring beer down someone's throat, or people just hanging around and staring at each other. Don't get me wrong - they are quite catchy, and I admit to singing along to them a couple of times in the past. But you know, when those "classic" shows are on-air during the weekend and you hear songs telling you to lift your head and don't be scared, or that someone gave you a reason for your being, a part of me just wishes to belong in that generation who was able to fully appreciate that kind of music instead of just appreciating it now in retrospect.
Nevertheless, I invite you now to listen to the song as performed by Jimmy Bondoc during the World Youth Day Overnight Vigil. It's called "Saranggola sa Ulan".
There are plenty of reasons why this experience is unforgettable. I could go on and on about hearing the Pope speak live, the presence of both then-current Archbishop Rosales and then-future-Archbishop Tagle (whose talk kept everyone awake during the early morning), and hearing the beautiful voices of the Bukas Palad and Hangad Music Ministries. But one of the things that stood out that night was - surprisingly - when Jimmy Bondoc took the stage.
This was because of a song he performed, an OPM classic that the youth who were present might not recognize, and perhaps only a handful could remember. He started with a little Catechesis (it's World Youth Day, after all), and asked if we could recall what the Three Theological Virtues are. I answered along with the crowd, knowing what to answer due to being a Thomasian for four years in college - Faith (Fides), Hope (Spes), and Love (Caritas).
Then he asked to translate each of those Virtues in Filipino. Love was relatively easy (Pag-ibig), and so was Hope (Pag-asa). But when it came to Faith, the crowd was divided. One side said Pananampalataya, another said Pananalig, and one more said Paniniwala. It was then that he gave the answer when he segued into this song from Gary Granada, where he compared Faith to flying a kite in the rain and believing it will fly despite the challenges that it faces. Tying the Virtues to the song, he started singing the chorus: "Ang pag-asa'y walang hanggan, pag-ibig ay walang hadlang, at lilipad ang saranggola sa ulan." And off the song went.
I went home the next morning looking for the song on YouTube and I listened to the original. Then I hit replay and I listened to it again, and again. I loved the song. And it honestly makes me sad that we only hear just a very small number of songs like it on the radio nowadays. In its place are songs about people pouring beer down someone's throat, or people just hanging around and staring at each other. Don't get me wrong - they are quite catchy, and I admit to singing along to them a couple of times in the past. But you know, when those "classic" shows are on-air during the weekend and you hear songs telling you to lift your head and don't be scared, or that someone gave you a reason for your being, a part of me just wishes to belong in that generation who was able to fully appreciate that kind of music instead of just appreciating it now in retrospect.
Nevertheless, I invite you now to listen to the song as performed by Jimmy Bondoc during the World Youth Day Overnight Vigil. It's called "Saranggola sa Ulan".
SARANGGOLA SA ULAN
Gary Granada
Naririnig ko pa ang tawa’t hagikhik
Ng una
kong sinta at kalarong paslit
At ang
sabi ng matatanda
Siya ay
maalwan mayaman, ako’y dukha
Di raw
kami bagay at kayraming dahilan
Ngunit
si Bakekay ay walang pakialam
Sa
aming kamusmusan, kayraming palaisipan
Ngunit
tatlong bagay ang aking natutunan
Ang
pag-asa’y walang hanggan
Pag-ibig ay walang hadlang
At
lilipad ang saranggola sa ulan
At kung
ang pagsinta ay di man nagtagal
Ang mas
mahalaga natutong magmahal
Umibig
ng walang panghihinayang
Kahit
malamang na masaktan
Kanina
lang sa aking tabi may aleng lumiko
At sa
pagmamadali nasagi ang aking puso
Eto na
naman ako sa
aking kabaliwan
Na
sinasabi nga nilang suntok sa buwan
Ngunit
hindi hihindian
Ng
tulad kong natuto nasanay nang
Magpalipad ng saranggola sa ulan
Gaya ng
lagi’t laging sinasabi ko
O siya
nawa ay siya na nga ang totoo
Eto na
naman ako sa
aking kabaliwan
Na
sinasabi nga nilang suntok sa buwan
Ngunit
hindi hihindian
Ng
tulad kong natuto nasanay nang
Magpalipad ng saranggola sa ulan
Heto
ako, tumatandang
Nakahandang panindigang
Ang
bato sa tubig ay lulutang
At lilipad ang saranggola sa ulan
Comments