FOLK SONGS FROM THE PHILIPPINES

This is among the most easily recognizable Cebuano-Visayan folk song. Thanks to Yoyoy Villame, this already popular song became even more popular especially to non-Visayan speakers. The comic song is about a fisherman named Filemon who went fishing in the sea. All he got was a small mudspringer ( tambasakan ), which he sold at a dilapidated market for 50 centavos ( kura ) each. His earning was enough to buy himself tuba wine.

This is originally a Cebuano nursery rhyme which became popular to Philippine school children in its Filipino translation. The Cebuano lyrics here given is translated: Tong, tong, tong, pakitong-kitong (Vocables)/ Crabs in the river ( suba ) are known to be hard to catch/ It is only me who can catch, and only I can eat.

One of the most popular Philippine folk is this song about the parting of lovers. Dandansoy is the nickname of the man who is leaving his beloved in their place Payao.  Early version of this song appearing in the American period music book - the Progressive Music Series - Philippine Edition states that this song originated from the town of Culasi in Antique Province and was reported by a certain Fortunata Masipok.  The simple, yet lovely melody of the song truly have a universal appeal that it already have versions in many Philippine languages, primarily in the Visayan regions. The notation of the song below was taken from the thesis of Mr. Cainglet, available online. For classroom instruction purposes, only the first verse is given here.

  A Cebuano children's song about a rooster who loudly crows "kukuliya, kukula !" The rooster was later butchered and cooked into a delicious dish.  This is song was collected by Rosemary V. Diaz from a Cebuano-speaking area in the Visayas sometime in 1972. The complete song text is given below. The music transcription of the song below by Sr. Lilia Therese Tolentino, was taken from a learning module, available online.  Akong manok sa buhi pa, akong manok sa buhi pa  Kusog motuktugaok, "Kukuliya, kukula!" Kusog motuktugaok, "Kukuliya, kukula!" Akong manok sa buhi pa. Akong manok sa patay, akong manok sa patay na  Wa' nay motuktugaok, "Kukuliya, kukula!" Wa' nay motuktugaok, "Kukuliya, kukula!" Akong manok sa patay na. Akong manok sa lamisa, akong manok sa lamisa  Lami ang pagkaon, "Kukuliya, kukula!" Lami ang pagkaon, "Kukuliya, kukula!" Akong manok sa lamisa.

            Lubi-lubi is a Waray folk song about the coconut ( lubi ). The song simply means that the Waray folks can enjoy coconuts in all the 12 months of the year. The Waray version of the song (also called Lubi-lubi Lingkuranay ) is about a dwarf coconut (probably an allusion to a small maiden) which a man promises not to climb, after all it was not that tall. The song proceeds the now famous enumeration of the months of the year. The succeeding stanza is a dialogue between a maiden and a suitor who is trying to win her "immature" heart which she likened to a young coconut ( silot ). The maiden warns the suitor to first seek the permission of her parents before even picking one silot.           For those familiar with the song, the third verse, sung for the second part of the music can be sang: Kun waray sin abaniko/ Patay na inin lawas ko/ Lawas ko, ay, ay, madedesmayo/ San balhas nga dimasyado.           For classroom use purposes, the only the first two stanzas are sha