On Tita Cory's Duyan by Prospero Pulma Jr.

Since President (not ex-President in recognition of her service to her people and country) Aquino's death, you could say that it was not only the wet weather that has been flooding Metro Manila's streets but grief as well. Tributes poured in from all over, mouthed and penned by people from all social classes, religion, and ideologies, all expressing great sorrow over her early departure through song, simple words, or whatever media they could think of. But if there is one song that captures the Filipino's immense sense of loss, his immeasurable sorrow over the death of the lady Don Quixote who charged at the windmills of the conjugal dictatorship, the woman in yellow who stood steadfast against Marcos and Ver and later against Gringo and his RAM cohorts, his favorite Tita, and yes, the mother of Kris and mother-in-law of James Yap, then it would be Christian Bautista's rendition of Lucio San Pedro and Levi Celerio's "Sa Ugoy ng Duyan" at President Aquino's necrological services. The crooner, who raised a storm over his mangled singing of the Lupang Hinirang in one of Manny Pacquiao's bouts, did a fine job at her necrological services. The song, when rendered with intense yearning for a mother's love like what Bautista did, can move everyone except the insensitive. After all, we all have mothers. But not all peoples have national mothers. Perhaps, only the Filipino has.


-Prospero Pulma Jr.