New York City Department of Education

Wraparound

Bahay Kubo
Traditional Philippine Folk Song

Early Childhood or
Lower Elementary
Unison
Choral Arrangement by Gilbert DeBenedetti

2016
May be freely copied and distributed for all educational uses

The Blueprint Repertoire Series contains songs and instrumental

pieces with particularly rich opportunities in all five strands of learning
in music:
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.

Music Making
Music Literacy
Making Connections
Using Cultural and Community Resources
Careers and Lifelong Learning

These pieces come with a concise set of notes to support teachers

striving to make each musical experience rich, engaging, and dynamic.

Bahay Kubo
Performance notes:
Bahay Kubo is a classic Philippine folk song that celebrates the
joy and simplicity of Filipino folk life. The song originated from the
Tagalog region during the Spanish era. The theme is based on the
traditional indigenous house made from tied bamboos as its foundation
and hatched roof using dried nipa or anahaw leaves. The songs
message to its listeners is to be drawn to a more healthy lifestyle
practice through organic health eating. It was composed by Felipe
Padilla De Leon who was proclaimed National Artist For Music in
1997.
Singing - For early childhood and lower elementary students, this song
can be sung in unison, two voices and three voices.
Making Music
[Include ideas here relating to singing, playing, composing and
improvising activities that will inform the performance of this piece.
Include ideas about how to rehearse this piece, along with warm-up
ideas that will prepare the rehearsals and performance of the music.]
Singing - This song can be used to develop the necessary skills
associated with good singing practices:
How to learn a new language called Tagalog (Filipino language).
How to manage breath control and right phrasing.
How to enunciate the right words.

Music Literacy
[Include activities that will help develop music literacy through the
study of this piece of music. Include listening that might inform the
study of the music, along with a list of vocabulary words that can be
introduced or reinforced]
To reinforce and enhance the students understanding of meter,
listen to examples in time from various genres, and compare the
similarities and differences.
Some examples of music in meter:
The Times They Are A Changin by Bob Dylan
Come Away With Me by Norah Jones
Rainbow Connection by Sarah McLahlan
Nothing Else Matters by Metallica
Waltz #2 (X/O) by Elliott Smith
My Little Rooster by Southern American Folk Song
Arirang Korean Folk Song
Star Spangled Banner American National Anthem
Rock a Bye Baby Lullaby
Goodnight Irene Irish Folk Song
Tum-Balayka Yiddish Folk Song
My Bonnie Scottish Folk Song
Oh, How Lovely Is The Evening German Folk Song
Prelude in A Major by Frederic Chopin
The Elephant by Camille Saint-Saens

Music vocabulary that can be introduced or reinforced

includes:
o strong/weak beat
o meter
o Half note
o Eight note
o Quarter note/rest
o Phrase
o Breath Support
o Slur
o Fermata

Making Connections: Students should be aware of the songs text and

its meaning.
Art- Students can explore folk arts of Philippine culture. Listing the similarities and
differences between the modern houses and Bahay Kubo, The students can create their
own artwork in a Philippine style.
Writing- Students can write a song about their experiences living in a house, airbnb, or
hotel. They can add lyrics or substitute words using different names of fruits or
vegetables used in the song.
Social Studies- Students can inquire the life and culture of the Philippines. Encourage the
students to talk about how the song describes the lifestyle of the Filipino and how it
affects their daily activities.
Health- Students can identify the different types of Filipino fruits and vegetables.
Encourage the students how can they live a healthy lifestyle. Students can form a garden
map wherein they will examine the concept of local Filipino foodshed, explore its
strengths, challenges, and opportunities for health.
Using Cultural and Community Resources
To better understand the role of folksongs, teachers should encourage
students to sing folk songs that represent each culture within the
school community. They can invite parents, staff members, volunteers,
and other teachers to participate or watch the performance. Students
are welcome to attend the annual Philippine Independence Day in New
York City which happens every 1st week of June. Its a celebration of
Filipino culture
and traditions includes a street fair with cultural foods and
merchandise, a parade of marching bands, floats, open cars, others,
and special performances by Filipino celebrities and cultural dancers.
Another way to connect to the Philippine culture is to visit museums.
The Filipino American Museum (FAM) opens its first show museum at
Sohos Third Streaming on Oct 29. Students can also visit well-known
Filipino restaurants in New York City like Tito Rads, Sariling Atin,
Maharlika, Jeepney and many more.
Careers and Lifelong Learning
Folk songs are traditional songs that have been handed down from
generation to generation. It represents peoples daily living. Using folk
songs will foster musicianship, musical connection, and respect of

musical heritage. Also, learning folk songs with different language will
deepen the students musical appreciation.

My Humble Hut

Bahay Kubo

Traditional Filipino folk song

My humble hut

Bahay kubo,

may look tiny,

kahit munti,

but the veggies around

ang halaman doon,

it, sure are many.

ay sari-sari.

Yam beans and eggplants,

Singkamas at talong,

wingd beans and peanuts,

sigarilyas at mani,

string, hyacinth and lima beans.

sitaw, bataw, patani.

Winter melon and loofah,

Kundol, patola,

bottl gourd, squash, et cetera.

upot kalabasa,

There is more, amiga,

at saka meron pa,

radish, mustard, yeah!

labanos, mustasa.

Onions, tomatoes

Sibuyas, kamatis,

garlic and ginger.

bawang at luya.

If you look all around,

Sa paligid-ligid

sesame seeds abound!

ay puno ng linga!

English Translation by Roberto Verzola

Sources:
Cruz, P. (2015, February 15). Bahay Kubo (For Children's Choir).
Retrieved February 15, 2015, from
https://www.scribd.com/document/255798980/Bahay-Kubo-ForChildrens-Choir
Folk Songs of the Philippines [Streaming Audio]. (n.d.). Folkways
Records. Retrieved October 10, 2016, from Music Online: Smithsonian
Global Sound for Libraries.
Philippine folk songs and ballads: through a changing culture.
(1960).Southern Folklore Quarterly, 24121-134.
Tidal, J. (2016). Filipino Folk Music
Verzola, R. (2007, December 27). Ecology, Technology, and Social
Change. Retrieved from
https://rverzola.wordpress.com/2007/12/27/bahay-kubo-englishtranslation/