Linggo ng Musikang Pilipino

 NCCA announces Koro national choral competition finalists 

By Earl D.C. Bracamonte

The rains that drenched the metro on Monday, July 21, served as the backdrop of the Koro national choral competition presser at the Centro de Turismo in Intramuros, Manila. Yet the downpour, that caused streets to be flooded, did not dampen the performance of the Los Cantates de Manila Choir. They will be representing the Philippines in the forthcoming global choral competition in Tolosa, Spain.

The choral group regaled the attendees with a repertoire consisting of a T'boli chant ("Kuldoyaw"), a kundiman classic ("Rosas Pandan"), and a modern OPM bossa nova rendition (Sitti Navarro's "Di Kita Pipilitin").

Presidential Proclamation No. 933 of 2014 mandates that the last week of July be observed as Linggo ng Musikang Pilipino (OPM).

Although most Filipinos understand OPM (Original Pilipino Music) as Pinoy pop songs, it actually is comprised of a lot of genres. There are eight, according to Commissioner Arvin Manuel Villalon of the Sub-Committee on the Arts.

"There are eight Living Music Cultures (LMC) that make OPM truly Filipino music. They are Indigenous Peoples (IP) music, Bangsamoro music, tunes from lowland cultures (like Hiligaynon or Cebuano to name a few), chorale/choir music (with influences from foreign lands), vaudeville (from the American colonial era), formal Western music (Baroque, Renaissance, etc.), protest music, environmental music (like those espoused by Asin, Coritha, and Bayang Barrios), songs on nationalism (like "Bayan Ko" and " Ang Bayan Kong Pilipinas"), and pop music (Pinoy music globalization with acts like SB19, BINI, Pilita Corrales, Freddie Aguilar, and Nora Aunor).

"These eight LMCs was the criteria we used to select our eight finalists. Two each from Metro Manila (NCR), Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao who use the choir/chorale form. And they must not be known abroad as choral champions nor have won any international title," Villalon added.

"Unfortunately, only one children's choir qualified. This is the Matina Elementary School Choir from Davao City. The OPM in choral form refers to homegrown compositions, as well as arrangements done by Filipino musicians," he continued.

After going over the submitted 12-minute audition videos, the selection committee chose the eight qualifying adult choirs. They are Adamson University Chorale and the Emilio Aguinaldo College Chorale (National Capital Region), Bicol Voices Chorale and the Bicol University Chorale (both from Region 5, representing Luzon), Bacolod Kalinaw Chorale and the Panag-uyon Adelante Singers (Visayas), as well as the Polomolok Chorale (Region 12) and University of Mindanao - Digos Chorale (Mindanao).

The grand champion will receive Php 150,000, the 2nd place will get Php 100,000, the 3rd place will be given Php 75,000 while the five other non-winning choirs will each receive Php 20,000.

On the other hand, the Composition Prize for concert hall music, which had been given since 2016, will be given out, too, this 2025. Moreover, 18 artists will be the SUDI award recipients this year. The recipients include Ben & Ben, Coke Bolipata, Gary Valenciano, Regine Velasquez, SB19, UST Singers, Vincent de Nesus, and the NAMCYA.

The 2025 Koro National Choral Competition will unfold on August 2 at 1 o'clock in the afternoon at the Metropolian Theater in Manila.