It is said that Bulacan has the country’s biggest concentration of National Artists, either born there or who trace their ancestry to the province.  The recent My City, My SM, My Music stop at SM City Marilao paid tribute to the life and work of two Bulakeño National Artists – Francisca Reyes-Aquino for Dance and Ernani Cuenco for Music in an exciting extravaganza of folk dances and romantic ballads. 

The Sining Tanglawan ng San Jose Del Monte gave mallgoers a glimpse of two traditional folk dances – Binasuan and Karatong – which Francisca Reyes Aquino meticulously researched and recorded; while actor and musician Jong Cuenco gave a heartwarming performance of his father Ernani Joson Cuenco’s iconic composition, Gaano Ko Ikaw Kamahal. 

The exhibit at the My Music house, on the other hand, highlighted memorabilia from the two prominent Bulakeños with their Order of the National Artist insignias side by side in a glass case as the centerpiece.  These included folk dance costumes and instruments from the collection of the Reyes-Aquino family, as well as posters of films which Ernani Cuenco scored and wrote unforgettable songs like Bato sa Buhangin and Gaano Ko Ikaw Kamahal.

A joint project of SM, the Metropolitan Museum of Manila, the Filipino Heritage Festival, WCOPA, and the Philippine Star with support from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), the National Music for Young Artists (NAMCYA), and Tahanan Books, My City, My SM, My Music is a celebration of Philippine Performing Arts – music, dance, and theater.

The campaign aims to bring people and music together by showcasing indigenous, folk, classical, and contemporary artistry in a roadshow around the SM Supermalls. Advocating music for all, we are working with communities to mount performances, exhibits, and workshops in key cities around the Philippines.

During the program hosted by Digital Creator and Influencer Eric Bituin, guests, including Marilao Vice Mayor Jun ‘Bob’ Dela Cruz; Dr. Eliseo Dela Cruz, Head of Provincial History, Arts, and Culture and Tourism; Chief of Staff Divina Espiritu Reyes; Marilao Tourism Head Ricky Manalo, and Ruzzel Paguiringan of the Provincial Public Affairs Office enjoyed the tribute video hosted by broadcast journalist Rizza Diaz.  

At the same time, family members of the two National Artists came in full force. These included National Artist for Dance Francisca Reyes Aquino’s granddaughters Ma. Lourdes Martinez, Melanie Martinez- Marquez, and Joyce Martinez Antolin; great grandson Miguel Antonio Antolin; and great granddaughter Bea Gabrielle Antolin.  The Cuenco family, on the other hand, was led by Ernani “Jong” Cuenco, Jr. and his family.

They were all warmly welcomed by SM executives led by Millie Dizon, SM City Marilao Mall Manager Engr. Emmanuel S. Gatmaitan and Assistant Mall Manager Engr. Janette C. Aguilera.

Capping the event was a special treat for everyone, award-winning composition, Gaano Ko Ikaw Kamahal was played in a moving solo piano performance by Lester Vergara of The Piano Gallery Philippines.

Francisca Reyes-Aquino or “Lola Kikay” was a dancer, choreographer, teacher, and researcher who braved the mountain trails and treacherous waters all over the Philippines to reach people and their dances. 

Born in Bocaue, Bulacan on March 9, 1899, Francisca obtained her High School Teacher’s Certificate (HSTC) in 1923, her Bachelor of Science in Education degree in 1924, and her Master of Arts degree in 1926, all from the University of the Philippines.

While still studying at the university and working as a student assistant in Physical Education, she was asked to prepare a presentation of Philippine folk dances for the 1921 Manila Fiesta Carnival, which was considered a very big national event.

It was a daunting task as there were no materials on Philippine folk dances available at that time. Yet her with her research from field notes from ordinary people who knew the dances, carinosa, abaruray, salabat, and areuana were shown for the first time.

With the support of UP President Dr. Jorge Bocobo, Francisca spent months traveling to remote barrios and different rural communities in the Philippines., studying the dances, activities, and even songs, so these would not become extinct.  From the tribesmen of Mountain Province, the bashful Mangyans in Mindoro, the clannish Bogobos of Davao, the proud Maranaos of Lanao, and the Tausugs of Sulu, Francisca broke barriers of language and culture to gather materials on ethnic dances.

In her researches, Ms. Aquino was able to gather about 50 basic steps and 200 folk dances of various modes and colors. She discovered that people living near the sea had dances about fishing and rowing, those in the coconut regions performed dances using coconut shells, and those in rice-producing provinces had dances depicting various stages of planting and harvesting rice. She also observed that the natives in economically self-sufficient areas had gay and livelihood dances, while those in places where livelihood was hard, dances were sad, slow and even mournful.

In 1926, she earned a Master of Arts degree from UP with the thesis “Philippine Folk Dances and Games”, a collection arranged specifically for the use of teachers and playground instructors. This study was the turning point of her research work that spanned for the next 45 years of her life. It paved the way for the codification of unrecorded forms of local dances, celebrations, and rituals. 

In 1929, as a UP fellow, she took graduate courses in physical education at the Sargent College of Physical Education, Boston University, where she obtained her certificate in physical education in 1931. Returning to the Philippines, she became Physical Education (PE) director for women at UP from 1937 to 1939; and organized folk dance society in 1940. In 1945, she organized the Filipiniana Folk Dance Troupe to perform for American troops in the Philippines. 

When UP President Dr. Jorge Bocobo was appointed Secretary Public Instruction, he requested the transfer of Mrs. Aquino to the Bureau of Education. There, she became supervisor from 1940 until 1947, where she was appointed superintendent of physical education to the Department of Education (in the Bureau of Public Schools) and later was promoted as Chairman of the Bureau of Public Schools Cultural Team.  She held this position up to her retirement in 1964. 

While serving as supervisor at the Bureau of Education, she used all the opportunity to actively promote the revival of folk dances through the public schools. In no time at all, folk dances became regular part of their physical education program, with private schools later following suit.

In her lifetime, Ms. Aquino received numerous awards for her work, including the Philippine Award of Merit in 1954, the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1962, and the Asia Society Award in 1981. She was honored as National Artist in 1973.

She also organized the Philippine Folk Dance Society, a non-profit cultural organization, and once served as consultant to the world-famous Bayanihan Dance Company. While she passed away in 1983, her legacy lives on as folk dances are performed not only for enriching our cultural heritage but also in promoting tourism and international goodwill.

My City, My SM, My Music’s stop at SM City Marilao also featured the life and works of National Artist for Music Ernani Joson Cuenco. A composer, film scorer, musical director, and music teacher, he is best known for his romantic ballads like Bato sa Buhangin and Gaano Ko Ikaw Kamahal, which have become love anthems for generations of Filipinos.

Born in Malolos, Bulacan on May 10, 1936, Cuenco started taking piano and violin lessons at the age of six. After grade school, he enrolled at the University of Santo Tomas High School, later pursuing music at the same university where he took piano and violin lessons. He completed a music degree in piano and cello from UST and a master’s degree in music education from Santa Isabel College.

A seasoned musician and performer, Cuenco’s career as a musical director began in 1960 when he was discovered by former President Joseph Estrada when he was playing with a band in an exclusive restaurant in Makati. From then on, a bond was formed between the two men, and Estrada hired him to become musical director of the movies he produced and top billed.

Often in collaboration with lyricist Levi Celerio, he wrote award winning scores including timeless love songs.  His works include Diligin Mo ang Hamog sa Uhaw na Lupa, 1975; and Bakya Mo Neneng, both FAMAS awardees for best Musical Score; and Bato sa Buhangin, 1976, FAMAS Awardee for Best Theme Song.

His greatest hit, Gaano Ko Ikaw Kamahal, 1979, shows how Cuenco enriched the Filipino love ballad by infusing it with elements of the classic kundiman. His song, Kahit na Magtiis with words by Joseph Ejercito Estrada, became a hit when the latter assumed the Philippine presidency in 1998.

Its revival by the Philippine Madrigal Singers with an arrangement by Christopher Borela lent prestige to the composition, and was included in the choir’s live concert recording of their international tour, Around the World in 2001.  Another recent recording of his music is Renato Lucas and Raul Sunico’s rendition of his love song, Nahan in the album Romanza released by Tawid Publications in 2004.

Aside from being a composer and musical director, Cuenco also taught music at the UST until his death on July 11, 1988.  Cuenco was posthumously conferred the CCP Centennial Honors for the Arts, and the National Artist Award in 1999.

My City, My SM, My Music is a take-off from the My City, My SM campaign which promotes tourism; My City, My SM, My Cuisine, which highlights family heirloom recipes in the different regions; and My City, My SM, My Crafts, which celebrates traditional arts and modern Philippine design. Most recently, My City, My SM, My Art was a celebration of Philippine visual arts – painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography, and filmmaking.

The My City, My SM, My Music event in Marilao is the third in the series after the grand launch at SM City North EDSA honoring National Artist for Music Ramon Pagayon Santos followed by SM City Olongapo Central featuring the classical music of Coke Bolipata. Its next stop will be at SM City Pampanga December 9 – 13.