Ten Best Original Filipino Music (OPM) Videos Featuring Philippine History and Culture | Part 3 – 2020-2024

It seems quite remarkable that it has been 15 years since I first posted part 1 of this list. Back then, it was challenging to have to comb through releases to spot the gems that proudly trumpeted our culture and history. Today, with the emergence of P-Pop and new music production technology, the unrivaled dominance of streaming platforms, and, dare I say perhaps a shift in cultural sentiments, there are more original Filipino music and videos than ever before.

The difficulty in this batch was in picking just a few among many options, even among the same performers. With so many to choose from, I’ve had to merge secondary picks per artist. Here are my personal picks for the ten best OPM videos featuring Philippine history and culture in the last five years. Do forgive me if I missed any of your favorites. There were simply too many to pick from.

#10 – Paagi

UDD’s “Paagi” is the official soundtrack of Netflix’s animated adaptation of popular Filipino comic book series, Trese. I could not find an official music video for it, but the performance video is just as good as an MV.

PH Factor: Cryptic symbols, characters in Baybayin and ghostly figures coupled with UDD’s hauntingly chill beats and vocals take us into the world of Trese, Manila’s badass detective specializing in crimes of supernatural origins. And by supernatural, we specifically mean creatures from Philippine folklore and lower mythology. 

The Visayan word “paagi,” is a word uttered when passing by places possibly inhabited by mythical creatures or spirits. In English it translates to “excuse me,” and is the equivalent of “padaan” or “tabi tabi po” in Tagalog. 

Favorite Moment: Although I’m not an expert, I am a Baybayin enthusiast, so those glowing characters are exactly what I’d go crazy over. The text translates to, “Ika anim na anak ng ika anim na anak” (the sixth offspring of the sixth offspring), referring to Trese.

Bonus Trivia: The ghosts behind the band are actual fans who recorded 15 seconds of themselves with a special Instagram filter. 

#9 – Sa Duyan ng Bayan

This is pretty much the collab of legends, with three OPM masters linking arms for Gomburza’s OST.

PH Factor: Gomburza, of which the film and the MV are about, refer of course to the historical figures fathers Gomez, Burgos and Zamora, three Filipino Catholic priests who advocated for equal rights for local priests. They were promptly sent to the garrote after having been falsely accused of taking prominent roles in the Cavite Mutiny.  

Favorite Moment: Even without the aid of a cinematic portrayal, just reading about these three priests in historical accounts is a painful experience. Listening to the song while watching scenes from the movie stings. Without a doubt though, just looking at the clips, the film was clearly beautifully done.

Bonus Trivia: The song won Best Original Soundtrack at the 37th Awit Awards.

#8 – Shout Out

It seemed like we were all in hibernation when P-Pop snuck up on us. All of a sudden, OPM was gifted with all these incredibly skilled groups who can sing and dance at the same time. 

The first to ever make it on my list is the appropriately named 1st.One, with their martial-themed “Shout Out” music video.

PH Factor: The song and video are a tribute to the sacrifice and valor of the 7,740 Filipino soldiers who fought during the Korean War from 1950-1953. 

Close to the end of the video, a note mentions the Battle of Yultong, where 900 Filipino soldiers defended themselves against approximately 15,000 soldiers from the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army.

Favorite Moment: Eloquence isn’t just demonstrated through words. In this group’s case, the energy and power behind their dance moves convey the grit and bravery of the heroes they honor.

Bonus Trivia: The song debuted at #1 on the Billboard Hot Trending Songs, while the music video crossed one million views only a few days after its release.

#7 – Babaguhin ang Buong Mundo

The year 2022 gave us GMA’s adaptation with a modern twist of two of my favorite books, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. With it came two beautiful music video versions. 

PH Factor: The Noli and El Fili are among the most important works of Jose Rizal. These two literary treasures that to this day, even after more than a hundred years, continue to teach the lessons of history and awaken love for country in the youth of today. 

Favorite Moment: It’s no secret how much I adore Rizal’s books, and visually, this adaptation presents the characters in their best form yet. Although I think I would have preferred a pure adaptation, the costumes and setting of this one are just absolutely exquisite. 

Bonus Trivia: For casuals who don’t know, Julie Anne San Jose, whose soaring vocals we hear in the theme song, also played Maria Clara in the adaptation. 

Special Mention: GMA also gave us the MV for “Kailangan Kita,” sung by David Licauco who played Fidel.

#6 – Leonora

History is riddled with love stories far more tragic than any skillful fiction writer could ever put together. One such is Rizal’s own real-life story of heartbreak.

PH Factor: The Leonora in this music video refers to Lenonor Rivera who was purportedly Rizal’s greatest love. Parental objections tore them apart. This true to life experience would later find its mirror in Rizal’s telling of Maria Clara and Ibarra’s story in the Noli.

Favorite Moment: I love the harana scene, a traditional form of courtship we almost never see anymore.

Bonus Trivia: The inclusion of a piano as a prop is significant in my opinion because Leonor was said to have been a good pianist, and when she ended up marrying a different man, she supposedly swore off ever playing again. 

#5 – Gento

With a few different options, picking just one from the Kings of P-Pop wasn’t easy, but of course, it had to be none other than their global hit, “Gento.”

PH Factor: The song’s opening lines play while two of the boys are situated in a traditional Filipino house setting, but this isn’t the only element that makes this video distinctly Filipino. It’s what they sing about and do in the rest of the scenes.

“Gento” is about the grind, and pushing hard, no matter what it takes, to make it. With millions of Filipino OFWs, virtual workers, BPO agents, seamen and local workers working day and night, sometimes in multiple jobs, this video hits home.

Favorite Moment: I know this has nothing to do with culture and history, but those dance moves are top tier.

Bonus Trivia: The song taps into some wordplay. In Cavite, where group leader and songwriter Pablo hails from, “gento” is their way of saying “ganito” (like this). At the same time, the word also sounds like “ginto.” Essentially, the boys are saying you have to grind this hard like this to reach gold— your goals, aspirations and dreams.

Special Mentions: Two other videos from SB19 make the cut, their collab MV with Selecta for “Mapa” which showcases traditional Filipino family values, and “What?” which features the 1734 Murillo-Velarde map. 

This year, SB19 were honored with replicas of the Murillo-Velarde map in recognition of their dedication to Philippine culture and history. 

Incidentally, SB19 is a Youth and Sentro Rizal ambassador for the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).

#4 – Kapangyarihan

This collab between Ben&Ben and SB19’s is a rebuke of those in positions of authority who have become drunk with power. Originally released in 2022, GMA picked it up as the official theme song for the 2024 series Pulang Araw. 

PH Factor: Pulang Araw is a TV series set in World War 2. With scenes cut from the drama, the MV gives a glimpse of the difficulties and hardships faced by Filipinos during the Japanese occupation.

Favorite Moment: Although I personally felt that some parts of the series could’ve been done better, the MV was so well cut and put together that I had goosebumps throughout. In particular, the visible sense of foreboding on the characters’ faces as they look up at the planes, sent chills down my spine.

Bonus Trivia: John Paulo Nase, who co-wrote the song with brothers Ben and Ben, is also Pablo, leader of powerhouse P-Pop group SB19.

Special Mentions: In 2022, Ben&Ben released the performance video for “Kapangyarihan,” which in my opinion visually fits its lyrics best. 

Also released in the same year in partnership with National Geographic is “Kayumanggi,” an ode to our natural beauty and cultural identity. The song was later picked up by GMA for a lyric video for Maria Clara and Ibarra.

#3 – Galing Dito | Ang Galing Dito

If there was one commercial company that deserved a cultural award more than any other, that would be DITO. Tapping into our collective love for music, pride in our culture and penchant for vibrant celebrations, these two catchy productions don’t feel like promotional materials at all.

I know these are essentially two different songs and music videos, but I can’t choose. They’re both equally good. Since they both belong to the same campaign, I hope I’d be forgiven for the tie.

PH Factor: The 2022 version features local singers, rappers, dancers, performers and instrumentalists performing to the song, parts of which were delivered in various Filipino languages. 

The 2024 version has P-Pop boy group, Alamat, who rap and sing in their native languages, performing alongside Filipino artists, artisans, athletes, performers and other professionals. 

Favorite Moment: The vibrant, uplifting tone of both videos is a psychological boost that can keep you powered through an entire week.

Bonus Trivia: The titles of both songs go into some clever wordplay, with “galing” meaning both “from” and “great,” and “dito” referring to “here,” which also doubles as the telecom company’s name. 

To me, these all essentially boil down to: It’s great here, with all of these amazingly talented Filipinos which the DITO community support.   

#2 – Bulan

Of all the videos in this list, this in my opinion, is the most visually stunning piece. Beyond its outstanding visuals though is its equally engrossing mythical story and how it aligns with modern perspectives.

PH Factor: This is the story of the moon god Bulan and his nemesis, the moon-eating dragon, the Bakunawa. Felip, being the excellent storyteller that he is, equates this to the very real experience of detractors seeking to constantly destroy and pull down those who have succeeded, including himself. This story told in lyrics and visuals urges us not to let modern-day Bakunawas devour us.

Favorite Moment: I have long since dreamed of Philippine mythology taking a more central feature in education and popular media. While we teach our children Greek and Roman mythology, we should make the effort to celebrate our local stories too. That’s why productions like this deserve our support in its entirety. Everything about this MV is worth our attention.

Bonus Trivia: Shortly after the release of the music video, Felip became the first Filipino and Southeast Asian to perform for the Grammy Global Spin where he sang and danced to “Bulan.”

Felip is also known as SB19 member Ken. 

#1 – Kasmala

When the syllables are switched, “Kasmala” spells “malakas,” which means “strong” in Tagalog. The word seems quite appropriate when one considers the MV’s sensitive but impactful theme.

I honestly have my gripes about how the song itself came about, but that is a different story. This is, after all, an MV list, and this one definitely delivers.

PH Factor: The reason why this video immediately caught my attention is because it touches on a historical event that is rarely mentioned in popular media, the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair, in which members of local Filipino tribes were brought to Missouri and publicly displayed. It was akin to a human zoo.

The story is carefully executed, with the organizers dressed and masked in generic white. Clothing is also used to show the progression of the story, from the boys wearing traditional-themed clothing at the start, to western clothing showing how some tribe members eventually acclimated. The modern Filipino garb in the end, marks our bid to reclaim our identity and break our shackles.

Today, any country brazen enough to mount such an exhibition would meet with worldwide condemnation. However, it is no secret that modern forms of discrimination persist. What “Kasmala” emphasizes is what is most critical, that we as a people are finally awake to who we are and what we are capable of, and that we should never allow ourselves to be diminished again.   

Favorite Moment: That solo baston Arnis dance routine is one I will constantly revisit.

Bonus Trivia: Each Alamat member hails from a specific region in the Philippines, and the group often sings in different languages. In this song, they sing in Tagalog, Bicolano, Bisaya, Waray, Ilocano, Pampango and Ilonggo.

Special Mentions: From the start, Alamat was put together with the intention of promoting Filipino culture and language. Hence, all of their music videos feature local historical and cultural elements. My other favorites include Aswang, Maharani and Dagundong.

It’ll be interesting to see how Filipino music will evolve from here and if there will even be more productions geared towards cultural and historical themes. Will new P-Pop groups take the lead, or will veterans dominate the scene? See you in five years for our next list!