Maligayang Pasko!

Maligayang Pasko! Naimbag a Paskuayo! Maayong Pasko sa inyong tanan!  Thus in some fifty plus more dialects, around ninety million Filipinos in the global village express their best wishes to one and all starting from the incept of December until the Feast of the Magi, which used to be January 6 of the next year in the old Roman catholic church calendar. 

Felices Pascuas! is our reminder that we were once the Asian vassal state of the Spanish monarchy for about four hundred years. And Merry Christmas! tells us that we were taught the English language soon after the city of Manila fell into the hands of Admiral George Dewey on August 13, 1898.

Maligayang Pasko is in the heart.  No matter where Pinoys are--dashing through the snow or dreaming of a white Christmas--that expression makes a whole world of difference. Nothing else also beats the Pinoy carol.  Silent Night or Joy to the World doesn't seem to throb with damdamin in the Filipino heart.  Give him Ang Pasko ay Sumapit, and you can feel grand fiesta in the air everywhere.

That musical soul of Pinoy Christmas we can bring to any part of the world, thanks to the musical relics left us by the San Miguel Masters Chorale and the San Miguel Philharmonic Orchestra, which were all disbanded after six years in early 2007.  These are the Pasko I and II albums recorded in 2005 (front and back covers of Pasko I is shown above), both repertoire arranged and conducted by Ryan Cayabyab.

Our Christmas wish is for these to be available in record bars every yuletide season for all global Filipinos.  By way of greeting each to each, let's sing in our hearts these three songs from the Pasko albums (if you have them, play them and sing along), which easily brings to mind very familiar (and nostalgic to those who are far away) scenes:

Himig Pasko
(Music & Lyrics by Serapio Ramos)

Malamig ang simoy ng hangin / Kay saya ng bawat damdamin
Ang tibok ng puso sa dibdib / Para bang hulog na ng langit

Himig Pasko'y laganap / Mayroong sigla ang lahat
Wala nang kalungkutan / Lubos ang kaligayahan

Himig Pasko ay umiiral / Sa loob ng bawat tahanan
Masaya ang mga tanawin / May awit ang simoy ng hangin.

Namamasko
(Music by Ruben Tagalog. Lyrics by Levi Celerio)

Sa may bahay ang aming bati / Meri Krismas na maluwalhati
Ang pag-ibig pag siyang naghari / Araw-araw ay magiging Pasko lagi

Ang sanhi po ng pagparito / Hihingi po ng aginaldo
Kung sakaling kami'y perwisyo / Pasensya na kayo't kami'y namamasko.

Mano Po Ninong, Mano Po Ninang
(Music by Ador Torres. Lyrics by Manuel Villar, Sr.)

Maligaya, maligayang Pasko sa inyong bigyan
Masagana, masaganang bagong tao'y kamtan
Ipagdiwang, ipagdiwang araw ng Maykapal
Upang manatili sa atin ang kapalaran
At mabuhay palagi sa kapayapaan

Mano po ninong, mano po ninang
Narito kami ngayon humahalik sa inyong kamay
Salamat ninong, salamat ninang
Sa aginaldo kong inyong ibibibigay.

When we were young, and we went caroling, we would leave to whoever would not even give us a cent for our brand of Christmas music this naughty song:

Bulong ti apatot / Paskuayo a naimot
Umulog ti makarurod / Ta narnaran mi ti dandanog.

Leaves of the apatot tree / we give as Christmas gift to the selfish
Come down if you are angry / and we will pummel you with our fists.

From this Ilokano of Zambales country:  Naimbag a Paskuayo yo amin!