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Nalzaro: ?Cebu Pop? fest entry | Sun.Star Network Online
I've encountered this article when I was browsing... if you were the person who have read the lyrics would you share the same opinion?
‘Cebu Pop’ fest entry
By Bobby Nalzaro
THE Cebu Pop Music Festival is one of the highlights of the Sinulog festivities. Conceptualized by the Gullas family and implemented by them for the past 31 years, Cebu Pop has produced quality Cebuano songs, some of them becoming popular and best sellers in the recording industry.
Recently, I received an email from a certain Jake Flordelis criticizing the lyrics of one of the entries of the recently concluded Cebu Pop. Here’s his letter:
“Bob, my concern is about the entry titled 'Call Center Agents' composed by Eugene Tan, who claimed to be a former call center agent himself as announced by the program host, Sam Costanilla.
“One line in the song says that call center agents ‘laway ray puhonan, walay kaligo tungod sa pagdali-dali.' The line is very degrading to call center agents who sweat it out to pass modular trainings and exams before they become regular employees of well-established business process outsourcing (BPO) firms. I cannot totally blame the composer for this, but the composition should have been reviewed thoroughly by the organizers before it was officially accepted.
“Big call centers like Convergys and JP Morgan Chase require rigid trainings on developing skill, wit, aptitude, diction, etc. of applicants. I hope that the composer does not have an ax to grind against call center agents (did he fail in the entrance exams or could not withstand the rigid training?) and thus ventilated his frustrations by composing the song. BPOs or call centers create jobs and revenues in our country. Cebu even takes pride as a world-ranked BPOs hub.
“I hope you can help me crystallize this issue so festival organizers will thoroughly screen their entries in the future.”
Mr. Flordelis has a valid observation. I am not a composer (though I can sing) but I understand that the lyrics of a song should not offend a particular sector, race or religion. “Laway ray puhonan” (using only saliva as capital) is an insult to those who are in the industry.
People in call centers are well-trained. They are not only using saliva but attend to clients by relying on their communication skills, talents and guts.
I might also be offended if they describe radio and television broadcasters as “laway ray puhonan kay sige lang og yawyaw sa microphone.”
Aw, kanang “walay kaligo kay nagdali-dali,” depende ra na sa tawo. Basta di lang siya manimaho.
Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on January 19, 2011.