Tuesday, November 22, 2011

No fancy anthem singing, please

After the hoopla and all, we join our countrymen in rejoicing the third-round victory of Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao in his bout with Mexican boxer Eric Morales in Las Vegas, Nevada last Sunday. As we watched the match, beamed live all over the Philippines, we take pride with our countrymen in waving our Philippine flag inside the arena.

If his schedule pushes through, Pacquiao would arrive here by tomorrow. We should not begrudge our political leaders for organizing again a lavish "hero;s welcome" for Pacquiao. After all, Pacquiao is one of our "Champions for Life" awardees who was bestowed this title by President Arroyo earlier this year.

I don;t want to be the "let down voice" in these glorious moments over Pacquiao's victory. But enough is enough. In particular, will somebody put a stop in desecrating the singing of our national anthem "Lupang Hinirang." No matter how good the singer is, like Sarah Geronimo who sang it almost flawlessly before the fight of Pacquiao, I simply could not agree with the rather operatic rendition again and again of our national anthem. But not all those Filipinos inside the ring can hit such high notes as she can even as they can sing with gusto and identify with Pacquiao as a rallying idol.

Throughout my education in private and public schools, the singing of our National Anthem was the first thing that we did in the morning before classes and at the end of the day at 5 p.m. after classes. And that is why, I’m sure as everyone else is, we have been trained in our school to sing "Lupang Hinirang" in its four-fourth beat or tempo. I remember it was usually the music teacher or a designated student-leader who would lead the en masse singing to keep everyone in tune and in tempo.

I distinctly recall an incident at MalacaƱang Palace when former President Fidel V. Ramos blew his top during a formal gathering and the National Anthem was sung differently from the standard marching beat the way it should have been sung. A very angry Ramos had to ask his guests to sing it again with the proper tempo of our sacred hymn. The former President was not being chivalrous or dictatorial in demanding a take-two in singing the National Anthem. Although the singing of the Anthem during that gathering was melodious enough, the former President’s ears did not like the rendition that was completely different from the original arrangement of its music.

Our Philippine history books tell us it was the late Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, the first President of the Republic, who prompted the composition of our National Anthem to rally the nation against the continuing occupation of the Spanish colonizers. On June 5, 1898, he commissioned Julian Felipe, a Cavite pianist and composer, to work on a march for the Filipino revolutionary soldiers. Aguinaldo was not satisfied with just a marching song. Recognizing Felipe’s skills, he asked him to compose a more soul-rousing tune that would instill courage and patriotism in the hearts of every Filipino. Felipe supposedly worked on the assignment for six days and on June 11, sitting in front of a piano in the Aguinaldo living room in Kawit, played his music before the Presidente and his lieutenants. Named by Felipe the Marcha Filipino Magdalo (after Aguinaldo’s nom de guerre and his faction in the Katipunan), the music was adopted on the spot and renamed the Marcha Nacional Filipina (Philippine National March).

The national anthem was heard publicly for the first time on June 12, 1898, when, standing on the balcony of his Kawit mansion, Aguinaldo proclaimed Asia's first independent Republic before the cheering Filipino patriots. The "defiant" lyrics of the marching hymn were supplied by Jose Palma, a 23-year old soldier who was described as adept with the pen as he was with the sword. He wrote a poem entitled "Filipinas" and this was used as the fighting lyrics to the Felipe composition. And from then on, the anthem was readily taken by the Filipino nation.

But on March 23, 1901, the war with America ground to a halt with the capture of Aguinaldo in Palanan, Isabela. The American administrators discouraged the singing of the anthem. In the 1920s, Palma's original Spanish lyrics underwent several English and Tagalog translations. However, the most popular version was written by Mary A. Lane and Senator Camilo Osias, known as the "Philippine Hymn." On Dec. 5, 1938, the Philippine Congress passed Commonwealth Act 382, which made the anthem’s English words official. In 1956, a new version penned by the Surian ng Wikang Pambansa (Institute of National Language) was adopted. These are the official Filipino lyrics of "Lupang Hinirang" as we sing it today.

Based on these historical accounts, the Ramos administration aggressively pushed the passage of The Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines under Republic Act (RA) 8491 which he signed into law on Feb. 12, 1998. And specifically in Chapter II, Section 37 of RA 8491 as provided, and I quote: "The rendition of the National Anthem, whether played or sung, shall be in accordance with the musical arrangement and composition of Julian Felipe, in 2/4 beat when played; and within the range of 100 to 120 metronome in 4/4 beat when sang."

When it is heard, stand upright, facing the flag and place the right hand on the left chest while singing.

It can be sung in international competitions where the Philippines is the host or has a representative; national and local sports competitions, during the "signing off" and "signing on" of radio broadcasting and television stations, before the initial and last screening of films and before the opening of theater performances; Provided, that the owners and management of the establishments shall be mandated to enforce proper decorum and implement the pertinent provisions of this act; and other occasions as may be allowed by the Institute.

The Oath of Patriotism (Panatang Makabayan) must be recited after the singing of the national anthem in basic education institutions.

The Pledge of Allegiance (Panunumpa ng Katapatan sa Watawat ng Pilipinas) may be recited as well, though the law did not specify who is required to do so.

So, all these fancy singing of "Lupang Hinirang" are really a violation of this law. But I’m sure there was no such ill motive for many of those who sing it with so much fervor and capping them with dramatic higher notes. Perhaps, it is their way of showing their love of country. Singing it though in higher notes expose them to risk of being out of pitch and out of tune. And it also defeats the intention of encouraging all to sing the National Anthem.

The best way to avoid embarrassment is simply to obey the law by singing the National Anthem the way it should be…no higher, no slower than it should be sung. Aside from standing at attention and facing the Philippine flag (if displayed), RA 8491 also requires us to place our right palm over our left chest while singing the National Anthem.

The singing of our National Anthem is not only a patriotic duty but also a daily ritual for school children and perhaps for the men in uniform in the police and military camps. The civilian employees of the government, on the other hand, are only required to sing the National Anthem every Monday morning in flag-raising rites. These days, the only time I get to sing the National Anthem, except when I attend an official occasion, is when I watch the last full show in a movie house. But then again, I only get disappointed when they play the bastardized version of the National Anthem. Our government authorities should do something to correct such dishonor to the sacred hymn of our nation.