Forty-six years ago, at the very First Metro Manila Popular Music Festival, Ryan Cayabyab’s “Kay Ganda Ng Ating Musika,” as interpreted by Hajji Alejandro was declared the major winner. Since then, this anthem by the now-declared National Artist for Music Raymundo Cipriano Cayabyab, and its message of being proud of our own wonderful and unique music, embracing, singing and performing it, continues to be relevant and revered as a pop classic.

Maestro Cayabyab’s song never gets old, performed to this day in concerts and important artistic celebrations and collaborations and, most importantly, it has become a battle cry, force and reminder for us to love and support original Filipino compositions, composers and singers.

In this day and age, when American Top 40 is still around, K-pop has become the musical favorite of the young. The biggest festival collaboration of the moment, PhilPop Himig Handog Songwriting Festival, is indeed a truly laudable development as it gives the much-needed spotlight to OPM and P-pop composers and artists.

PhilPop x Himig Handog

OPM and P-pop have something more beautiful to give musically. Filipino music aficionados will surely be delighted and surprised with the top 12 songs that made it to the historic and major collaboration in music. Manila Sound is alive, kicking, intoxicating and pulsating with all the feels! These songs that are more than ready for the appreciation, support and love from the local and global listeners.

Top 12 songs that made the competitions are some of the finest that represent OPM now. All the ditties that made it to the final cut are a diverse mix and exciting selection of fully produced tunes that were weighed, listened to, assessed, debated upon and finally chosen by the dynamic duo of music festival institutions PhilPop and Himig Handog.

Artists selected to interpret the songs include chart-topping, award-winning singer-songwriter and music hugot queen Moira dela Torre paired with folk pop sensation Johnoy Danao, pop icon Ice Seguerra, chanteuse Jolianne, Cebu’s pride Ferdinand Aragon, emerging P-pop boy band VXON, and rhythm and blues sensation Maki.

Completing the impressive set of performers are newbies in the music and live performance block, namely Noah Alejandro; Shantel Cyline and Extrapolation; KHIMO; Kurt Fick; FANA and Tiara Shaye; Lyka Estrella, Annrain and Geca Morales.

The 12 songs in competition and their respective performers are: “ATM” by Francis Contemplacion, Ice Seguerra, performer; “Buhi” by Keith John Quito, Ferdinand Aragon, performer; “Dili Na Lang” by Relden Campanilla, Jolianne, performer; “Ghostwriter” by Kevin Yadao, KHIMO, performer; “Kurba” by Alvin Serito of Sunkissed Lola, Maki, performer; “Langit Lupa” by Geca Morales, Geca, Lyka Estrella, and Annrain, performers; “MHWG” by Rob Angeles, VXON, performers; “Papahiram” by Rinz Ruiz, Moira Dela Torre and Johnoy Danao, performers; “Salamat (Nga Wala Na Ta)” by Jimmy Ricks, Kurt Fick, performer; “Taliwala” by Maric Gavino, Noah Alejandro, performer; “Tulala” by Shantel Cyline Lapatha, Shantel and Extrapolation, performers; “Wag Paglaruan” by Tiara Shaye, Tiara and FANA, performers.

“The final roster of tracks was determined through a rigorous adjudication process. The selection of songs involved direct consultation with the songwriters to determine the creative direction of their respective material and identify collaborators who aligned with their overall vision for the competition,” said Jonathan Manalo, ABS-CBN Music creative director. “We then shortlisted possible interpreters for each track, and a lot of things had to be considered or fall into place.”

The choosing of the artist to interpret the song, Manalo explained: “We choose an artist that fits the genre and production schedule. We couldn’t simply pick someone based on name value. They had to make sense in terms of style, the songwriter’s vision and overall commitment to the song, among others.”

The last time PhilPop Himig Handog took place was during the middle of the (Covid-19) pandemic in September 2020.

Aside from the bragging rights and the historical significance of winning this year’s best song compositions, winners will bring home cash prizes: P1,000,000 (first place), P500,000 (second place) and P200,000 (third place).

With this roster of composers and interpreters, the collaboration of PhilPop and Himig Handog is a truly a fitting continuation and tribute to the legacy of the Kay Ganda ng Ating Musika quest that happened during the reign of the Manila Sound and continues during the rule of OPM and P-pop.