WHO WAS THE KAGAY-ANON WHO WROTE UP BELOVED? ATTY. TEOGENES VELEZ SR.

U.P. Naming Mahal is the university hymn of the University of the Philippines. The original English lyrics (entitled as “U.P. Beloved”) was taken from a poem by Teogenes Velez, a Liberal Arts student in 1917 from Cagayan de Misamis. He became a member of the Bar in 1921 and became a representative of Misamis Oriental.

The melody for the song was written by Nicanor Abelardo, an alumnus and former faculty member of the U.P. College of Music. Abelardo is considered to be one of the Philippines’ greatest musicians. Because of the original scale of the hymn in B flat major, which is too high for the usual voice, UP Conservatory of Music (now UP College of Music) professors Hilarion Rubio and Tomas Aguirre reset the music in G major.

Story has it that sometime in the early 1920s, a contest was held in UP to give expression to that elusive thing—the “UP Spirit.” A contest was held to select the lyrics to be put to music, and both words and notes were to move both students and alumni to recall what it meant to belong to the University of the Philippines. The winning entry was written by Teogenes Velez, a Liberal Arts student.

Then another contest was held to set the winning poem to music. Legend has it that a student at the Conservatory of Music, Nicanor Abelardo, had just returned home from a town fiesta in Pampanga and his wife reminded him of the contest’s deadline, which was noon of that same day. Whereupon the young man sat down and in just one hour had the piece ready, and was able to submit it on time.

The song, “UP Beloved,” was first sung before a UP audience in 1917. And from then on it has been a part of all UP activities.

The Filipino version, “UP Naming Mahal,” is a composite from seven translations received by a screening committee, which found none of them fully satisfactory, and contributed some lines themselves. Today, the song is as much an emblem of the UP spirit as the famous Oblation.

Photo from: Tatak UP www.upd.edu.ph

UP BELOVED

Words by Teogenes Velez

Music by Nicanor Abelardo

U.P. beloved, thou Alma Mater dear

For thee united, our joyful voices hear

Far tho we wander, o’er island yonder

Loyal thy sons we’ll ever be

Loyal thy sons we’ll ever be.

Echo the watchword, the Red and Green forever.

Give out the password, to the Hall of Brave sons rare.

Sing forth the message, ring out with courage

All hail, thou hope of our dear land,

All hail, thou hope of our dear land.

UP NAMING MAHAL

U.P. naming mahal, pamantasang hirang

Ang tinig namin, sana’y inyong dinggin

Malayong lupain, amin mang marating

Di rin magbabago ang damdamin

Di rin magbabago ang damdamin.

Luntian at pula, Sagisag magpakailanman

Ating pagdiwang, bulwagan ng dangal

Humayo’t itanghal, giting at tapang

Mabuhay ang pag-asa ng bayan

Mabuhay ang pag-asa ng bayan.

Sources:

iskwiki, http://iskwiki.upd.edu.ph/index.php/UP_Naming_Mahal#.U-GfbuOSwwB

http://thepacificwars.com

Modifications on some post about Nicanor Abelardo was taken from a facebook comment of Maria Lourdes Ledesma Ladrido, a relative of Nicanor Abelardo.