“Nasaan ang ‘yong mga Pangako”

“Narron ka sa ‘yong palasyo at nagtatago
Napapaligiran ng mga guwardiya
Mga daing ng bayan ay ‘di mo naririnig
Dahil ba sa kalansing ng pera”

Traveling at night, I tried to battle the temptation of dozing off. I really don’t want to sleep while traveling. In one of these boring moments how I wish the bus driver would play a DVD movie. Then all of a sudden the driver played an old Freddie Aguilar album in  his onboard cassette player. I was totally entertained in that instant trip to memory lane but what struck me most is this familiar song entitled “Pangako”.  It was a song written approximately during the height of anti Marcos movements in early 80’s which captures the overwhelmingly anti dictatorship and pro nationalist sentiments at that time.

That particular song finds its resonance in the present day.  Although the song was intended for Ferdinand Marcos, it may also well fitting to Gloria Arroyo, who like Marcos broke her promises of progress and good government to the Filipino people, not once, not twice but countless times. The Filipino may well dedicate this old song to a new kind of Marcos figure in GMA.

PANGAKO

Saan ang pangako mong pagbabago ng paligid
Nasaan ang pag-unlad ng kabuhayan
Kay sarap pakinggan ng kay haba mong talumpati
Ngayon ay ‘di ka na makausap

REFRAIN
Narron ka sa ‘yong palasyo at nagtatago
Napapaligiran ng mga guwardiya
Mga daing ng bayan ay ‘di mo naririnig
Dahil ba sa kalansing ng pera

Palagi kang laman ng dyaryo may kasamang dayuhan
Mga kababayan mo’y nalimot na
Kumukulo na ang tiyan at halos ‘di na makahinga
Ikaw nama’y nakangiti sa kamera

[Repeat REFRAIN]

CHORUS
Nasaan ang iyong mga pangako
Sa hirap, bayan ay mahahango
Nasaan, nasaan

BRIDGE
Itong mga mamamayan, baon na sa mga utang
Ito ba ang pangakong kaunlaran