SONG ANALYSIS

The Filipino folk musician and singer-songwriter Ferdinand Pascual

Aguilar, also known as Freddie Aguilar or Ka Freddie is regarded as one of the
pillars and icons of Original Pilipino Music. His rendition of “Bayan ko” became
the anthem of the opposition against the regime of Ferdinand Marcos. The
inspiration of the song came from a zarzuela entitled “Walang Sugat” written by
Severino Reyes about the injustices Filipinos suffered under Spanish Colonial
rule. It was then transferred as a poem in 1929 by Jose Corazon de Jesus and
turned into music by Constancio De Guzman as a protest song during the
American occupation of the Philippines. Bayan Ko regained popularity during
the dictatorship of Marcos.

The song described the beauty of the Philippines as a land of flowers

and gold. Unfortunately, foreign people became mesmerized by its charm and
decided to conquer the place causing suffering. The lyrics states that our
fatherland is like a “Lupain ng ginto't bulaklak” due to its astonishing beautiful
nature, with a diverse range of landscapes and biodiversity. From towering
mountains to white sand beaches and richness in minerals, shows the
magnificence of the Philippines. The word “dayuhan” refers to the people from a
different country and the word itself “halina” means “to come”. Therefore, the
stanza “Dayuhan ay nahalina” infers that the foreign people became fascinated
in the Philippines, and it became one of the reasons why they held our country
captive like the artist said, “Bayan ko, binihag ka”.

To conclude, “Bayan Ko” is a social awareness song that expresses

the suffering of the Philippines throughout the colonial period. Firstly, in the
Spanish occupation the country was ruled with an iron fist, and the native
population was subjected to brutal exploitation, including forced labor and
taxation. Secondly, the American occupation also brought with it its share of
hardships for the Filipino people, including political repression, social
inequality etc. The most touching part of the song is “Ibon mang may layang
lumipad, Kulungin mo at umiiyak, Bayan pa kayang sakdal-dilag” because it
represents that even a caged bird who is free to fly, would want to break free,
what more if it’s a country. “Aking adhika, Makita kang sakdal laya” shows
how the singer yearn for the country to be freed, like a bird soaring in the sky.