Farewell, Man from Manila!

I can’t claim that I am a fan. All I know is that I can sing a few of his songs ~ in its right lyrics and proper melodies.

The news that he passed away caught me by surprise last Friday, and yes, it did not sink in to me very clearly (because I was pre-occupied with our then client security audit and with the training I had to deliver that night). All the while, I thought he’s gonna make it ~ whenever I see his interviews in TV I find his optimism really affective. How he says his chemo sessions went well were more than assurances that he will soon be seen again in his noontime show. His entries in his Multiply Account seem like a journal of a modern day Hercules ready to battle all giant-sized adversaries. However, his last entry was more like of a resignation ~ I literally got goose bumps when I read the line “To His will I submit myself”. At that instant, I knew that the singer of Mga Kababayan Ko is already giving up.

The battle that Francis had with the Big C was again a proof of his strength ~ as a man, as a husband, as a father and as a Filipino. My prayers are actually with his wife Pia and their 8 kids. The Filipino crowd will surely miss Francis M ~ his charm, his voice, his music and his story, I included. However, I am very certain that the legacy the Master Rapper have left us will forever be inked in our history and in the hearts of every Filipino who has high regards to the line “I am the Man from Manila, Kami ang tinig na kayumanggi”.

Farewell, KIKO! Adios, Man from Manila. Thanks for being a proud Kayumanggi!


Man From Manila - Francis Magalona Music Code